Filip Bukrshliev. A name familiar to anyone that has ever had even a marginal glance at our catalog. From leading small group improvisations, to fronting several ensembles – most notably Fighting Windmills and Taxi Consilium, to his first unaccompanied album “Don’t Go Away Mad Because the Duke Is Not Coming Back” (featuring six cuts from Duke Ellington’s repertoire) – there is not much he hasn’t done. Well, apart from this – an unaccompanied album of originals. And in his record breaking 19th appearance on PMGJazz he delivers just that.

Compositions aside, what sets this record apart from his previous solo effort is the sonic presentation – a more immediate sound, and a primarily monodic phrasing give this record the intimacy that sorely lacks in many solo outings. This is not the mandatory modern jazz solo exhibition, with their obligatory extended techniques and/or virtuosic maneuvers. In fact it does very little to enhance the reputation of Bukrshliev as a instrumentalist. Not that his reputation needs enhancing at all – he is and has been for a while […] well, we’ll skip the hyperbole, you can fill in the blanks.

This record is about pure music. A perfectly imperfect emotional release. Even if you don’t press play, it’s out there in the aether – and you are feeling it. Enjoy!

Inspired by “Ineffable,” by Marija Grubor:

some of us carry the ineffable
like others carry children,
like others carry scars,
like others carry gods.

books can’t be written,
songs won’t be sung,
about the days we spent impossibly
empty and vivid,
fulfilled,
alone.

All composed, arranged, recorded, mixed and produced by Filip Bukrshliev
Cover art by Flip Bukrshliev