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Zlatko Kau?i?: Zlatko Kau?i?@70 - Inklings

By Mark Corroto
March 6, 2025
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Zlatko Kau?i?: Zlatko Kau?i?@70 - Inklings

I am tempted to call Inklings, a tribute to 70-year-old Slovenian drummer, composer, and percussionist

Zlatko Kau?i?

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Zlatko Kau?i?, a celebration of his long and inspirational career. Yet, I hesitate, for much like the indefatigable octogenarians

Han Bennink

drums
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Han Bennink and

Louis Hayes

drums
b.1937

" data-original-title="" title="">Louis Hayes, Kau?i? shows no signs of slowing down. It would not be surprising if he, like

" data-original-title="" title="">Roy Haynes, remained vital well into his late nineties. One reason to honor Kau?i? now is the arduous and unconventional path he has taken. At 17, he left what was then called Yugoslavia to refine his craft in Italy, Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands. Since returning to newly independent Slovenia in 1992, he has been a driving force in the country's creative music scene while remaining an in-demand talent across Europe. His impressive discography includes collaborations with

Peter Brötzmann

woodwinds
1941 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Peter Br?tzmann,

Evan Parker

saxophone, soprano
b.1944

" data-original-title="" title="">Evan Parker,

Giovanni Maier

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Giovanni Maier, and

Daniele D'Agaro

clarinet, bass
b.1958

" data-original-title="" title="">Daniele D'Agaro. Two recent standout releases, Live In St. Johann (Fundacja S?uchaj!, 2024) with

Joëlle Léandre

bass
b.1951

" data-original-title="" title="">Jo?lle L��andre and

Elisabeth Harnik

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Elisabeth Harnik, and One Foot In The Air (Not Two, 2024), a double album featuring Harnik, have garnered critical acclaim.

This latest release should be considered alongside Diversity (Not Two, 2018), a five-CD box set commemorating Kau?i?'s six-decade career. Spanning live performances from 2012 to 2016, it features solo, duo, trio, and quartet recordings with musicians such as

Lotte Anker

saxophone
b.1958

" data-original-title="" title="">Lotte Anker,

Johannes Bauer

trombone
1954 - 2016

" data-original-title="" title="">Johannes Bauer,

Agusti Fernandez

piano
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Agusti Fernandez,

Artur Majewski

" data-original-title="" title="">Artur Majewski, Rafa? Mazur,

Phil Minton

vocals
b.1940

" data-original-title="" title="">Phil Minton, and Evan Parker. Inklings is a four-CD collection that showcases Kau?i?'s artistry in two duos and two trio settings, all recorded live.

Ven?ko ("wreath") is a 2019 duo recording with Norwegian saxophonist

Torben Snekkestad

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Torben Snekkestad, captured on September 12, 2018, at the BCMF Festival in ?martno-Brda, Slovenia. Despite this being their first recorded encounter, their synergy is immediate. Snekkestad, adept in both improvisation and classical music, wields extended techniques reminiscent of Evan Parker. Kau?i?, in a responsive and complementary role, employs a wide range of percussive textures—cymbals, brushes, skins, and unconventional objects—to match Snekkestad's fluttering tones and metallic timbres. The highlight might be the final eight-minute title track, where the duo engage in a mesmerizing call-and-response interplay between Snekkestad's soprano saxophone and Kau?i?'s intricate percussive language.

The 36-minute suite "Tiha Misel Zablestela-Suita (A Silent Thought Shined-Suite)" unites Kau?i? with German trumpeter

Axel Dorner

trumpet
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Axel Dorner and Slovenian bassist

Tomaz Grom

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Tomaz Grom. Recorded at the BCMF Festival on September 16, 2023, this marks Kau?i?'s first documented collaboration with D?rner. Known for his radical approach to trumpet, D?rner alternates between piercing blasts and near-silent breath tones. Kau?i? and Grom expand the sonic palette with buzzing strings, bowed bass, and percussive provocations. The trio's interplay is fluid yet electrifying, each musician responding dynamically without overshadowing the others.

Kau?i?'s duo with Portuguese tenor saxophonist

Rodrigo Amado

saxophone, tenor
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Rodrigo Amado, also recorded at the BCMF Festival, captures their first meeting on September 3, 2020. Opting for a more traditional saxophone-and-drums format, Amado delivers a full-bodied, athletic sound, while Kau?i? drives the momentum with dynamic drumming. The performance bursts to life with a fiery opening, a high-speed exchange of raw energy. The final track, "Free Fall IV," begins with Amado exploring the metallic edges of his instrument, overblowing in response to Kau?i?'s sharp cymbal strikes before they both plunge into an exhilarating crescendo. Their chemistry builds in unpredictable waves—never rushed, yet always urgent.

A particularly special reunion comes in the form of Kau?i?'s trio with UK bassist

Barry Guy

bass, acoustic
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Barry Guy and Spanish pianist

Agusti Fernandez

piano
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Agusti Fernandez. All three musicians, now in their seventies, have been integral figures in the evolution of European improvised music. This performance, recorded at the 64th Jazz Festival in Ljubljana on July 6, 2023, coincides with the simultaneous Fundacja S?uchaj! release Agust�� Fern��ndez @70—Aesthetic Of Prisms, captured in Glanegg, Austria, just days earlier. Of the seven pieces presented, five are fully improvised, while two—"Can Ram" and "La Ni?a De La Calle Ibiza"—were composed by Fern��ndez. The trio generates a whirlwind of sonic mayhem, yet there is an underlying precision in their interplay. Amid the tempest, listeners can find solace in the trio's deep, intuitive connection. When the trio shifts gears for Fern��ndez's ballads, the music transforms into a tender, introspective exchange, revealing the full scope of their mastery. Inklings reaffirms Kau?i?'s enduring influence, his ability to forge deep musical connections, and his boundless creative spirit. It's both a testament to his legacy and a thrilling glimpse into the possibilities still ahead.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

CD 1: Ven?ko:

Ve; Ven; Ven?; Ven?ko

CD 2: Tiha misel zablestela Suite

Tiha misel zablestela/A Silent Thought Shined

CD 3: Free Fall

Free Fall I; Free Fall II; Free Fall III; Free Fall IV

CD 4: Inklings

Inkling 1; 2. Inkling 2; Inkling 3; Can Ram; Inkling 4; Inkling 5; La ni?a de la calle Ibiza.

Personnel

Zlatko Kau?i?

drums

Torben Snekkestad

saxophone

Rodrigo Amado

saxophone, tenor

Axel Dorner

trumpet

Barry Guy

bass, acoustic

Tomas? Grom

bass, acoustic

Agusti Fernandez

piano

Album information

Title: Zlatko Kau?i?@70 - Inklings | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Fundacja Sluchaj

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