Kaja Draksler Octet

"Alien Court Music" - this is how the compositions by Slovenian pianist and composer Kaja Draksler for "Bare, Unfolding", the latest album by her international octet, are described. Haiku by the Japanese poet Matsuo Basho formed the starting point for the interwoven songs of Laura Polence and Björk Níelsdóttir. The meditative character of the poetry is reflected in the hallucinatory pulse of Onno Govaert's percussion and the whispering shakuhachi of Ab Baars. Tenor saxophone, clarinet, violin and double bass provide contrast, with elements of avant-garde jazz and modern classical music.

On their two acclaimed previous albums "Gledalec" and "Out For Stars", the Kaja Draksler Octet already drew on poems by Pablo Neruda, Gregor Strniša and Robert Frost. Draksler combines composition and improvisation, drawing on a variety of styles, places and historical epochs. She was inspired by the diverse possibilities and talents of the ensemble as well as her background in classical music and jazz and her deep interest in free improvisation.