Hailing from the Eastern European scene, usually a hotbed of avant-garde jazz musings, pianist
Matija Dedic uses
MD in NYC to highlight a more traditionally American side of jazz. A seeming fascination with
Miles Davis' compositions, and more importantly his pianists, seems to come out as
Dedic makes his way through a mix of originals and a range of other sources (
Davis,
Herbie Hancock,
Sting, and….
Beyoncé). Hints of
Bill Evans' classic "Waltz for Debby" peek through in the album-opening "Her Name," setting the stage for an undertone throughout that culminates more directly in a rendition of "Blue in Green," with
Dedic's playing modeled more directly on
Evans' classic recordings. "Slawenskaya" takes on a slightly updated approach, with a darker rhythmic component and an almost dated piano line. A rendition of
Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage" gives
Dedic time to play with the timbres of his piano, letting it ring at times and twinkle at times. Through his own compositions,
Dedic continues to play with timbres, but keeps a strong sense of melody and a focus on the playfulness of phrasing that he can evoke along the way. ~ Adam Greenberg