“Octopus” is one of the newest avant-garde jazz album of this year – it was released on 26 January, 2018. Two outstanding and experienced pianists – Chris Davis and Craig Taborn – was recorded this album. These two musicians are interesting and famous jazz masters which music is always interesting and full of unpredictable turns and stylistic waves. Individual playing manner, furious, vivacious, dynamic and effective playing, vibrant and intensive sound, masterful virtuosity, precise and especially expressive style, spontaneous and free improvisations – all these elements are the main basics of these musicians improvising styles and improvisations. Their improvisations have energetic and interesting sound, are full of free Musical experiments and huge diversity of musical expressions: from silent and subtle episodes to powerful and extremely loud bursts of energy – all kinds and types of different musical expressions, various playing techniques, individual manners, styles and other elements create colorful and innovative musical language and gorgeous sound. Because of extraordinary and masterful improvising, Craig Taborn and Kris Davis became famous and experienced members of avant-garde jazz scene. They had been improvising together many times, also had played together with other famous jazz players – Ingrid Laubrock, Tom Rainey, John Hebert, Don Byron, Stephan Crump and many others.

This album compositions are totally based on free jazz improvisations. The free collective improvisations are full of interesting, evocative, furious and especially expressive solos and duos of two individual pianists. Both of them are using huge range of different musical expressions, dynamics and other Musical Language Elements. The musical language and pattern consist of many layers, whose are highly contrasting with each other – the improvisations by two different pianists have its own and independent melodic, rhythmic and harmonic musical patterns and colorful backgrounds. Wild fast and furious solos, full of virtuosic and speedy pasages and arpeggios, melodic, nostalgic and lyric solos, extraordinary timbres and extended playing techniques – musicians masterfully combine all these different and independent musical language elements into one place. The sound of these compositions is always changing, it never stays the same – sometimes it’s calm, subtle and peaceful, when it suddenly turns out to be vivacious, joyful, furious, powerful, sharp and dramatic culminations or other musical moods. Different playing styles, manners and sounds, organically and effectively connected in one place, shows the musicians ability to improvise outstandingly and innovative. Sudden arpeggios, colorful glissando, vibrant, intensive and sharp solos, dramatic and especially expressive culminations, peaceful and subtle pieces, unusual sounds and timbres, colorful harmony – traditional and extended playing techniques, innovative and unusual ways of playing and other musical language elements are connected in one place. Both pianists expressing various moods, characters and feelings – joyful, vivacious, vivid and striking melodies are contrasting with silent, peaceful and relaxing episodes. This music is based on contrasts, sudden stylistic changes, turns and pleasant surprises – outstanding and passionate playing, expressive and spontaneous improvising, innovative musical language create effective and modern sound of this album.