SÖNDÖRGŐ & FERUS MUSTAFOV: In Concert
[2009-11-02 00:00:00]

Often albums like these act as teasers for concerts you wish you could witness - and the rarity of Ferus performances these days means I have never seen him perform with his band - yet Söndörgo & Ferus performed this material in London at the Queen Elizabeth Hall when supporting Boban Markovic in 2007. I recall that performance as a pleasant if unexceptional one: Söndörgő came on and played a pleasant set of the tambura music that exists along the Hungarian-Serbian border for perhaps 20 minutes and then Ferus strode on with his clarinet and it was like watching the master coaching his pupils (Söndörgő are very young, some members possibly still in their teens). At the time it seemed as if Ferus was hired to teach the youths a few lessons in deep Balkan roots music - an easy tour for him and a good learning experience for them.
This album suggests that while the above summary is true, both Ferus and Söndörgő benefitted artistically from the relationship. The band supply a fluid, supple tambura backing while Ferus solos over them yet never shows off, ensuring each of the 11 tunes is economical yet dynamic. Ferus employs saxophone and clarinet with the kind of ease that only the most gifted musicians employ. Somewhere here I think he might play some gaida (Balkan bagpipes). Why was I not overly excited by their London show? Perhaps the venue's formality stifled things or the band and Ferus had not quite jelled yet. Anyway, the performances captured here demonstrate a shared joy in making music.
Superbly recorded and very nicely packaged, this low-key release is a true gift.

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