Eric Watson - Bojan Zulfikarpasic

The pianists Eric Watson and Bojan Z are two of an inconspicuous handful of European top musicians. One of the reasons for their low profile is allegedly their modesty, an impression you may get from their approach as pianists, a very deliberate style, very much adverse to any excess frill in musical expression. Watson and Bojan Z play the music, which fits to them: melancholic and melodious. Watson more introvert and impressionistic, Bojan Z extrovert and expressionistic. Typical romantics, that they are, they also show a yearning for uncharted waters. Watson-Bojan Z - a musical yin yang. The relationship between composition and improvisation is a hot issue for both of them. Their compositions are strictly structured, but when they play their score, its exactness opens up to a surprising amount of improvisation. Striking is their relative sobriety in the choice of means, precision, focus on timbre and their great faith in musical exaltation. Listen for instance to their two new solo performances: in 'Sketches of Solitude', Watson demonstrates a crystal-clear sound, played with great technical finesse and complexity, or hear the echoes of Monk entwined with contemporary Balkan rhythms in the solo session of Bojan Z.