It is both a testament and a reflection of the ever shifting landscape of European jazz that a Graz based band features musicians of four nationalities, among them Greece, Brazil, Sweden and, of course, Austria with its rising trumpet star Gerhard Ornig. Conservatories, such as Graz are fertile ground for producing strong ensembles and, between them, Ornig & Eriksson have formed a compelling quartet of sympathetic musical comrades.
The two horns, no chords structure is is an ideal platform to showcase the individual talents up front of Ornig on trumpet, ably abetted by the Swedish trombone of Karel Eriksson. Underpinning this frontline is a tight rhythm section in Koutsonanos and de Oliveira which provides ample space for all musicians to exercise their will on the band.
The sum of these collective parts is very convincing, with tight unison melodies and engaging dynamics over taut rhythmic structures. This is a band that are clearly at ease in each others company and together their combined nationalities offer rich opportunities for creative writing that reflects their transnational makeup.