Iordache

Nu am sa fac teoria zilei de vineri, a inserarii si a orasului, dar mi se pare cumva ca, dintre toate posibilitatile pe care le-a lasat Al-de-Sus oamenilor, chestiile astea se potrivesc de minune atunci cind se impletesc cu niscai jazz. Asa cum vad eu lucrurile cu urechea, subiectiv si uneori aiurea, asta mi se pare schepsisul ultim al muzicii jazz: sa te scoata la plimbari intortocheate, pe stradute si alei mai mult sau mai putin luminate, fara sa te misti din fotoliul, canapeaua, patul tau decit cel mult pentru a-ti mai aprinde o tigara. Sau nu (evident, partea cu tigara este si facultativa si de evitat). La o astfel de plimbare te invita si albumul lui (Mihai) Iordache, primul din cariera lui solo, botezat (hai sa vedem daca o sa ghiciti dupa ce am scris frazele de la inceput) Friday.
Veti spune ca ma pripesc si ca nu ma prea pricep la jazz si, spre rusinea mea, veti avea dreptate cita vreme experienta mea de ascultator se opreste la Charlie Parker, Woody Herman, Miles Davis si alti citiva (putini si celebrii), dar Iordache mi se pare cel mai bun saxofonist roman.(...)
Dincolo de nota personala care, daca n-ar fi existat, ar fi facut inutil nu doar acest text, ci si albumul cu toate cele noua piese ale lui, de influentele rock (binevenite, cum altfel?) si de cele exotice (e de dorit sa mai visam si la plajele insorite din alte parti ale lumii), de un chitarist excelent (Sorin Romanescu), si de un instrumentist desavirsit (Tom Smith, la trombon), stradutele si aleile prin care se vintura Iordache vineri seara sint cele ale unui cartier pintecos de blocuri, fara doar si poate bucurestean, cu felinare sparte si ciini maidanezi, cu miros de cirnati si apa de toaleta de la fete scuipind seminte, cu parcuri si tintari, cu gauri in pavaj si becuri aprinse la toate etajele, scara liftului si "fiare vechi luam" (piesa opt, penultima), cu carute de tigani si domni la cravata venind de la serviciu, in fine, cu toata aceasta mixtura savuroasa de comunism tacut si singuratate agitata care respira aproape in orice cotlon al cartierelor noastre de azi.
Nu va luati iubitele la brat in aceasta plimbare si nu va lustruiti pantofii. Oricum, in caz ca va rataciti, aveti incredere in Iordache: are destul umor si sensibilitate sa gaseasca o cale prin care sa iesiti.

Matei Florian in "Dilema", Februarie 2004 - Matei Florian in Dilema, 2005

Daca se intimpla cumva sa vi se para ca jazz-ul pluteste printr-o zona inaccesibila urechilor dumneavoastra (care, mai intii de toate, trebuie lustruite cu o doza zdravana de Charlie Parker sau Miles Davis ca sa faca fata distractiei), daca, odata ce au fost instruite de saxofoanele si trompetele maestrilor, urechile inca mai tind sa faca nazuri sau sa se dea cam greu pe brazda inseamna ca s-a facut timpul sa cumparati dissipatin'. Si nu pentru ca iordache n-ar mai cinta jazz, sau ca jazz-ul asta, prin te miri ce transformare sugubeata, ar fi devenit peste noapte un trilu lilu naiv si fara fasoane. Nu. Daca exista un rost intim in toata daravera asta (si, ca sa fiu cit se poate de sincer si sa nu ma mai ascund dupa conjunctii parsive cum ar fi "daca", el chiar exista) acela este ca, spre deosebire de primul lui album, Friday (exigent cu gusturile celor mai putin obisnuiti cu registrul introspectiv ale unui stil nu tocmai comod), iordache aduce pe dissipatin' un jazz 100% updatat la cerintele zilei(...). Sunetul se umple pina la refuz de un bun-gust profesionist, in care peregrinajul saxofonului (uneori grunjos si intunecat, la limita armoniei, ca in "Gloomy Sunday", alteori simpatic si cochet, ca in "You Know It's True", jovial - "Up", parfumat si romantic - "Time of Our Lives", introspectiv si minimalist - "Fig Tree", indraznet si spectaculos - "Tu n'as rien vu � schaerbeck", ritmic si haios - "Recycle" sau clasic - "Dissipatin'") face casa buna (o ditamai vila cu termopan) cu demonstratiile de virtuozitate ale unui chitarist de rock (Eugen Nutescu de la Kumm), cu temele electro si basul elegant al lui Vlaicu Golcea, cu dizertatiile clasice, docte si progresive tinute de Raul Kusak, cu schimbul de idei, patimas si fratern, cu tenorul lui Cristian Soleanu, cu infuzia de ritm introdusa de percutia lui Vadim Tichisan, cu vocea plutitoare si catifelata a Martei Hristea. Riscul ca tot acest melanj cosomopolit si savuros sa devina uniform este egal cu zero. In caz ca mai era nevoie, insasi constructia albumului, aparent eterogena in ceea ce priveste plimbarile pe care le ai de facut de la o piesa la alta, risipeste starile si dramuieste efectele ca pentru a se asigura ca orice repetitie este exclusa. Rezultatul este un jazz rafinat si perfect inteligibil, un jazz pe care, asa cum suna in "Tu n'as rien vu � schaerbeck" si "Fig Tree", orice ureche de rind sfirseste prin a-l adora.

Matei FLORIAN - Dilema Veche, ...
- Matei Florian in Dilema, 2007

Clubul Green Hours functioneaza ca un veritabil hub cultural din Bucuresti: cu o oferta saptamanala foarte generoasa (teatru, muzica live - jazz, funk, electro, dezbateri), cu nume de afis printre care se numara atat artisti romani cat si straini, cu Otto care te intampina prietenos (sau lenes, dupa dispozitie) pe scarile ce coboara in underground.

Joi seara am avut parte de un regal de jazz cu Iordache & friends. Ne-am revenit cu greu dupa un show atat de intens. Cum sa descrii un spectacol care te bantuie si dupa ce s-a incheiat, parca facandu-ti un pic in ciuda ca uite, ce puternic e el, si ce slab esti tu, ca nu-l poti prinde in cuvinte� Cum sa vorbesti despre un jazz session format in mare parte din improvizatii - "melodii inexistente", dupa cum le-a numit la un moment dat chiar Iordache, in timp ce Eugen improviza cu pasiune la chitara, demonstrand ca aceste muzici spontane si efemere exista acolo si atunci, alaturi de public.

In loc de jazz session cred ca ar fi mai potivita expresia jazz infusion, tocmai pentru ca muzica lui Iordache are darul de a crea atmosfera, de a-ti intra in sange pentru ca apoi sa-ti circule prin vene multe zile la rand.

Green Hours-ul a fost plin pana la refuz cu fani de-ai lui Iordache si cu iubitori ai jazz-ului. La un moment dat am surprins un tip rostind in cel mai curat accent britanic: "Hope he hasn't started yet, or I'll break his neck, this crazy Jordache" (cu numele pronuntat... frantuzeste).

Performanta lui Iordache si a prietenilor lui a fost impresionanta: Iordache a cantat la saxofon, la fluier si la saxofon bass; uneori a cantat la ambele saxofoane in acelasi timp, semn nu de showing off (stilul lui Iordache exclude asa ceva), ci de pasiune pentru muzica inventiva, experimentala & experimentata, care cauta sa acopere o gama variata de sonoritati.

Fluierul a fost cel cu care Iordache a facut preludiul celor doua parti ale serii de jazz. Pe parcursul performance-ului chitara lui Oigan a pornit-o in multe calatorii initiatice, atragand aplauzele (nesatule ale) spectatorilor prinsi in vraja muzicii. Bass-ul si tobele au creat ritmuri profunde si surprinzatoare, pe care ti le-ai fi dorit fara sfarsit. Ritmul de drum& bass a coagulat foarte bine cu fluierul & saxul lui Iordache si cu chitara nastrusnica a lui Eugen.

Improvizatia libera a pornit de la niste structuri repetitive (ostinato pe fluier) si a avut cateva momente culminante in care fiecare instrument isi urmarea propriul drum, impreuna creand o pasta sonora de tip cluster.

Pe scena se aflau partituri si draft-uri de-ale cantecelor, si din cand in cand il puteai vedea pe Iordache indicand colegilor (de la bass sau de la chitara) care melodie sa le fie punct de pornire (sau de continuare) in calatoria lor de la studiu la improvizatie.

La sfarsitul spectacolului cine a dorit a putut sa-si cumpere CD-uri cu muzica lui Iordache; am pipait si noi marfa si am sorbit-o din priviri, si va putem spune ca design-ul era misto, la fel ca si muzica de dincolo de ambalaj.
- Ioana Muntenescu

Aproape simultan cu programul de la Justin's, la deja binecunoscutul Club Roland Gaross incepea un fel de mini-festival de jazz, de fapt patru seri consecutive consacrate acestui gen prea neglijat in Clujul ultimilor ani. Cum unul dintre parintii fondatori ai Academiei Catavencu, Mircea Toma, se afla tot atunci la deschiderea Noptii devoratorilor de publicitate, ne-am dat un rendezvous in subsolul de langa principalul pod de peste
Somes. O buna ocazie sa ne intalnim si cu amicul nostru Adrian Borda, care ca orice adevarat arhitect nu rateaza ocaziile de a-ai largi orizontul jazzistic. Toma e un suporter al lui Mihai Iordache, nimeni altul decat liderul grupului iordache, programat in acea noapte pe scena atractivului local clujean. Marturisesc ca ma cam deranjeaza tendinta micii comunitati autohtone a jazzmenilor de "a face si desface" oarecum la hazard formulele in care evolueaza. De data asta insa pare-se ca avem de-a face cu un fenomen cat de cat stabil. Copilul teribil al jazzului nostru a devenit un tip matur, cu o conceptie mult clarificata asupra structurarii si sensurilor muzicii pe care o practica. Solo-urile sale - indeosebi la saxofonul bariton (o sublima raritate in instrumentatia curenta, poate din cauza dificultatii sporite fata de variantele alto si tenor) - sunt tot mai elaborate, mai putin anarhice decat in turbulentii sai ani de debut. Compozitiile lui Mihai Iordache au un fel de nonsalanta monkiana si confera suficiente argumente armonice pentru ca si ceilalti membri ai formatiei sa-si etaleze talentele: Eugen Nutescu - un ghitarist exploziv, ingenios, compatibil cu unduirile specifice lui Iordache, pe de alta parte insa, poate prea tentat sa tranziteze spre locurile comune ale asurzitoarelor bombasticisme din epoca art rockului; Toni Kuhn - un veritabil mistic ale carui trairi se exprima prin corzile ghitarei sau prin claviaturi; in fine, o sectie ritmica "beton", poate cea mai apropiata de modelul post-rhythm-and-blues din cate am vazut in ultimii ani pe la noi, alcatuita din tinerii timisoreni Utu Pascu/ghitara bas si TaviScurtu/baterie. Pe acestia din urma cred ca ii apreciasem, mai de la distanta, cand le ascultam inregistrarile cu Blazzaj, dar impresia directa e covarsitoare. Parca spre a ma convinge ca parazile din prim plan nu se sustin doar datorita fermitatii sectiei ritmice, Iordache si Nutescu au dat si un bis, cat se poate de liric. Acolo persiflajele si ironiile de sorginte zappaesca pareau uitate, iar baritonul se imbarliga senzual printre mladierile arpegiate ale unei ghitare demonstrand ca feminitatea-i intrinseca se poate dispensa de excesele isterice.

- Virgil Mihaiu in Tribuna, nr. 78. decembrie 2005

Jazz missionaries, some on a time warp, search for a reincarnation of the classic Blue Note sound in this era and will continue to do so in the future. What is desired is a clear sense of instrumental sound and space, as if a brain transplant of sorts had taken place, nerve centers now operating in direct conjunction with non-physical phenomena such as ride cymbals and groovy bass lines. This type of jazz surely is amongst the genre's most enjoyable creative areas. Some may think the style is a matter of time and place, yet musicians prove time and time again that jazz from any era or any place can be created in just about any other time and place. Aesthetically the music on this CD could have come from New Jersey in 1966, perhaps even earlier, but in reality the recording is Romanian, circa the spring of 2003. Iordache is saxophonist and bandleader Mihai Iordache, having dropped his first name, joined here by several regular collaborators, one an American. The weirdo inundated with trivia will want to love Friday right away, just for its title. There have been several other albums named after this ever-popular day of the week, but the fact that one is by British horror and dinosaur queen Samantha Eggar should be enough to declare winner status.

It is the leader's union with trombonist Tom Smith and superb guitarist Sorin Romanescu that accounts for the excitement of this disc, the concept of course being that following a smooth ensemble presentation of the theme, each of these lead instruments will solo at length and with the express purpose of conquering the world. "Next Gig" ought to be everyone's gig tonight, flying by at a brisk tempo that the aforementioned soloists confront with a simultaneously relaxed and appreciative composure. Saxophone, trombone, and guitar combine beautifully, providing great contrast through a series of solo statements as well as many possibilities in ensemble arrangement. "Fiare Vechi Luam" expands this beyond the obvious, matching and old-timey trombone mute effect with rocking electric guitar, but even when the blend has a typically mainstream jazz sound, the result is a sheer pleasure. The latter track is also one of the places where Vlaicu Golcea grabs a moment of solo introspection, his eloquence no surprise to anyone closely following the ensemble passages. He works very well with drummer Vadim Tichisan, part of their mission being to provide sensible accompaniment, linked in compositional spirit, to the changing demands of the soloists. The guitarist alone comes up with one tone that sounds like the strangling of cartoon mosquitoes, another soaring and majestic, not to mention a Grant Greene approach. Friday's program presents a nice mix of funk and other feels. - Eugene Chadbourne on www.allmusic.com

I am not going to make up any theory concerning Fridays, evenings or cities. But somehow it seems to me that among all the possibilities God left to us humans, these things go together better when mixed up with some jazz. The way I look at it with my ears, this seems to be the ultimate kick you get from jazz music: it takes you out for complicated walks on streets that aren't always lighted, without you having to leave the armchair, sofa or bed except for lighting a cigarette (which, of course, I don't recommend...). This is the kind of walk that iordache's first album ( called "friday" as you have probably guessed by now) will take you for.

You might say that I'm going too fast, or that I don't know much about jazz and you would probably be right, since my listening experience stops at Charlie Parker, Woody Herman or Miles Davis, but I think iordache is the best Romanian saxophone player(...).And the walk I was talking about isn't taken just for its own sake. Beyond his very personal sound, beyond the excellent guitar playing of Sorin Romanescu and the perfection of Tom Smith's trombone, the streets and alleys that iordache wanders on Friday evening are those of a Bucharest suburb, with broken streetlights and stray dogs, girls smelling of cheap perfume eating sunflower seeds, parks and mosquitoes, gentlemen wearing suits and horsecarts driven by gypsies ("we take the scrap iron", track eight) - with that particular mixture of silent Communism and restless loneliness that one hears breathing in almost every corner of our city.

Don't take your girlfriends along for this walk and don't shine your shoes. And in case you do, don't be afraid you'll get lost and trust iordache - he's got enough humour and sensitivity to find a way out.
- Matei Florian in Dilema Veche, February 2004

If you happen to think that jazz music belongs to a zone that is unreachable for your ears (which would have to be polished beforehand with a healthy dose of Charlie Parker or Miles Davis, to face the fun) or if after having been trained by the masters' saxophones and trumpets you still tend to resist, it means time is ripe for you to buy "dissipatin'". It's not that iordache stopped playing jazz, or that jazz itself has suddenly become, by who knows what funny transformation, some naive and unpretentious ditty. No. The point to this story is that, unlike his first album "friday" - which was quite demanding for the tastes of those not accustomed to the introspective side of this genre - iordache's "dissipatin'" is 100% today's music (...).

The musicians you will hear are not the kind you usually see on TV, yet they are absolutely perfect. I'm talking about (as they are listed on the CD cover) singer Marta Hristea, tenor saxophonist Cristian Soleanu, guitarists Eugen Nutescu and Sorin Romanescu, Raul Kusak on the Hammond organ and Moog, bassist Vlaicu Golcea and drummer Vadim Tichisan. It's easy to realize what this list means, if one keeps in mind that Hristea, Romanescu, Kusak and Golcea are also a part of Aievea, an extraordinary band (...). The album's sound is full of tasteful professionalism, and iordache's wandering saxophone is in turn edgy and dark, testing harmony's limits ("Gloomy Sunday"), nice and demure ("You Know It's True"),cheerful ("Up"), scented and romantic ("Time of our lives"), introspective and minimalist ("Fig Tree"),daring and spectacular ("Tu n'as rien vu a Schaerbeck"), rhythmic and humourous ("Recycle") or simply mainstream ("Dissipatin'") and is skillfully supported by a virtuoso guitarist - Eugen Nutescu from the rock band Kumm - the elegant bass playing and electro touch of Vlaicu Golcea, the classical and progressive logic of Raul Kusak, the brotherly and passionate exchanges with Cristian Soleanu and the floating, velvety voice of Marta Hristea. The chances that this cosmopolitan and savoury mix would become monotonous are zero. Even the album's construction, apparently heterogeneous when it comes to the sequence of tunes, juggles with different moods as if to make sure nothing will be repeated. The result is a kind of jazz which is both refined and perfectly intelligible, and which - the way it sounds in "Tu n'as rien vu a Schaerbeck" and "Fig Tree" - even a casual listener could adore.

Matei Florian in "Dilema Veche", June 2005 - Matei Florian in Dilema Veche, June 2005

(...) While he's not your "typical" jazzman, iordache can yet be counted among the most important musicians of the middle generation, a man who frequently and successfully crossed the borders between music styles. He is the same Mihai Iordache from the heyday of [punk-rock band] Sarmalele Reci - today he's a member of KUMM - a restless saxophonist (actually he also plays flute, didjeridu and whatever he can coax a sound from), always open for a new experience, from playing with Harry Tavitian to his recent concerts with DJ Electroclown.

His first solo release "friday" (2003) was followed, this year, by "dissipatin'", a superb album where every detail is carefully considered: the repertoire, the choice of musicians, the studio work and the graphic design. While the first album featured Tom Smith, a great American trombonist, this time iordache's guests are guitarists Sorin Romanescu and Eugen Nutescu (his bandmate from KUMM), fellow saxophonist Cristian Soleanu, Hammond player Raul Kusak and especially Vlaicu Golcea, who besides his bass part also handled the programming, mixing and mastering. As a final surprise, we also get Marta Hristea's voice on two tracks - she wasn't a part of the initial plan, and nobody would ever suspect she simply improvised the lyrics browsing through a religious book someone gave her on the subway.

Six out of eight tunes are iordache's own. The other two are by Guillaume Maupin (Tu n'as rien vu a Schaerbeck) and Pablo Doherty (Gloomy Sunday). The two saxophonists are particularly well-matched and inspired on "Dissipatin'", "Time Of Our Lives" and "Up", while the guitarists make the most of "Tu n'as rien vu..", "Fig Tree" and "You Know It's True". My personal favourites are "Recycle", "Time..." and "You Know...", which strikingly remind me of a legendary album, "Focus III"(...)

- Valentin Albu in Sunete, May 2005

Romanian saxophonist and bandleader Mihai Iordache has shortened his performing title to simply his surname - a move that might worry those who fear a Kenny G. influence, although trimming down to just a last name is more like the New Orleans saxophonist and keyboardist Skerik. Either guy would find at least some aspects of Iordache's versatile musical offerings appealing, both would no doubt admire the man's soloing abilities on both alto and baritone saxophone. He presses ahead, his tone solid whether trying to sound ugly or beautiful, set on a successful outcome, self-reliant in this goal due to his own vivid melodic imagination. Some who are familiar with the Eastern bloc lifestyle may think this description makes Iordache sound like a guy standing in a milk line three blocks long; even from this point of view, "Dissipatin'" surely proves that Romanians can play music just as funky as anyone else.

Funk-jazz and variants thereof do indeed dominate this program of eight pieces, although the most exquisite piece is out of a different sort of style: "Fig Tree", beautifully sung by Marta Hristea, is the type of ditty June Tyson might have sung in the Sun Ra band. Iordache's feel for this material is enormous, approaching heavenly, no doubt because of his own experience playing in, of all things, a Romanian Sun Ra cover band. The CD's title track also has a cosmic jazz feel to it and setting a nice mood. Guitarist Eugen Nutescu - the subject of envy amongst all fellow free jazz guitarists since he has the word "nut" planted right solidly inside his name - seems to be playing with almost total stylistic abandon, bringing to mind some of the rock-jazz combos fronted by keyboardist Wayne Horvitz. His playing may also evoke the controversial presence of the late Henry Vestine on Albert Ayler records. Drummer Vadim Tichisan also attracts attention, his prompts tending to sound like someone backing a motorcycle into a garage. The recording sound is cozy although woozy, with slight distortion in the thickest sections of "Gloomy Sunday". Keyboard sounds thicken the textures to various degrees, from superb organ to some dodgy synth sounds.



- Eugene Chadbourne on the www.allmusic.com website

Jazz music implies one of the most baffling paradoxes in the history of music: the more complex and demanding it is, the less it gets paid - to sum up a whole list of dilemmas that accompany the genre's history. And, speaking of Romania, there's also the problem of very few young people who embrace jazz.(...)
Haunted by these thoughts which could - if confessed - could trigger some antipathies, I start listening to "dissipatin'". The cover is already promising: the line-up reads like a Romanian all-star band, young musicians that have proven their style and commitment in many musical settings. Mihai Iordache, the bandleader, is joined here by Cristian Soleanu, Eugen Nutescu, Sorin Romanescu, Raul Kusak, Vlaicu Golcea, Vadim Tichisan.
The album starts with the title track, which announces an electro-acoustical combo, but the atmosphere changes with every tunes, with synthetised sounds, electronic sequences and trippy passages giving way to clear solos on funk grooves, or the tense knot of Gloomy Sunday unwinding to a flowing ending, littered with question marks. It's interesting to follow the paired instruments - the two guitars and two saxophones. They are apparently diverging in style, yet they communicate, their conversation style varying with every tune's texture. The guitar strings vibrate between precision and distortion, between modal precision and psychedelic moans, and the reeds wrap around each other confidently, going from clear progressions to visceral screams.(...) Nuances give way to emotions, and the involvement we find here doesn't encourage classifications. On "dissipatin'" the quest have yielded good results. This CD is a rare item in the scarce landscape of Romanian jazz.

Berti Barbera, in Time Out, 2008



- Berti Barbera- Time Out, February 23, 2007