Here is one more live recording of the Ljubljana Jazz Festival, featuring the Slovenian guitarist, and former John Scofield’s student, who is unanimously pointed out as one of the most defying players today in Europe: Samo Salamon. The Sextet is of transnational constitution, putting together the cream of the European scene, namely a British, Julian Arguelles, two Italians, Achille Succi and Roberto Dani, a French-German, Pascal Niggenkemper, and a German, Christian Lillinger. The presence of two drummers was an old Salamon’s aspiration, as it was the desire to have with him, for the first time, an «amazing» (his own adjective) double bassist like Niggenkemper and to continue to work with Succi, who contributed to another album by the composer of “The Colours Suite”, “Ornethology”. Being each one of the participants specially picked for this project, Samo Salamon wrote the suite thinking about the personalities of these musicians. This was the modus operandi of Duke Ellington, and there’s something of that heritage here, namely the combination of complex harmonic and rhythmic motives with open improvisation, the results giving us the «feel of a living organism». In two words: powerful music, not to be missed.

"In the fast-flowing torrents of contemporary music, it isn’t often that a musician – especially a guitarist – is brawny enough to stop and reexamine something that has already been successfully done by him or herself, or by other musicians. Somehow, Samo Salamon always seems up for a challenge. In every one of his past recordings he seems to jump at the idea of ‘zigging’ when everyone else suggests that he ‘zag’. This often means that Salamon is even up for doing something that does not suggest itself naturally to him. Clearly this is the intent of his performance on The Colours Suite, a record on which he recasts music from colours he probably never thought of before, as well as transcribing for two drummers and a bassist – something he hasn’t instead of the regular woodwinds of their incarnations.

Pat Metheny once tore through his musical experiments on an album that envisaged a scenario where the whole of his sound-world was turned upside down. The album in question was his 1994 Geffen production Zero Tolerance for Silence. Distortion and musical mayhem was the name of the game there. While The Colours Suite by the Samo Salamon Sextet does not veer that far of the aural dial it certainly veers left of where his musical compunctions often lie. Here, for instance, Salamon’s tempi approach frenzied extremes, more free than anything he has ever put down on record. Conversely expecting discordant outpourings will be hugely surprised by Salamon diving headlong into mellifluous refractions of sound between his guitar, Julian Arguelles’ saxophones and Achelle Succi’s bass clarinet. All this in addition to the reverberating echo of eerily announced chords on his guitar.
This is The Colours Suite. Naturally all of the primary colours are present and accounted for. But in tonally dynamic fashion, Samo Salamon also introduces “White” and “Black” to “White”, “Yellow”, “Brown” and “Grey”; from no colour, to all colour and then three hybrids. The music in these movements soars above the proverbial footlights in appropriately operatic fashion, even though their slow unwinding of the lyrical calm thins when the bass clarinet falls silent. However, Salamon is quick to pick up the slack and occupy more of the sonic space albeit without overcrowding it. The guitarist’s dry-point traversal of the music in “Red”, “Blue” and “Green” turns from hot to cool, as he underlines the intrinsic humour of these pieces in a way that might give guitar purists pause for praise. His spacy timing and sensitive harmonic pointing enliven this extraordinary album.

There is further proof that Samo Salamon can play simply and directly when he chooses to can be found on his intuitive dynamic scaling of “Black”, where he and the rest of the ensemble also bring out the music’s chamber sensibility to brilliant effect. In its cantering rhythm of the music never falters despite its often precarious tempi. Moreover Samo Salamon and the other musicians remain forceful and forthright throughout the recording. And there is drama not only according to tempo, but also to key signature. The only perplexing question is: After traversing the palette of a myriad of brilliant colours, why end The Colours Suite on an obviously misty, “Grey” note?
(JAZZ DA GAMA, Canada)

"Slovenian guitar ace Samo Salamon fronts a European ensemble akin to one of those legendary all-star jazz summits, but of course these colorific works veer off into an experimental wonderland of improvisation with split-second paradigm shifts amid the ensemble's synergistic discourses. Nonetheless, the respective musicians are at the top of their game here, as Salamon arranged for drummers Roberto Dani and Christian Lillinger to generate the seismic currents by staying in synch but not necessarily executing the same patterns.

It's an ambitious live set culled from the Ljubljana Jazz Festival. Each piece frames or intimates a distinct color and given the diverse instrumentation, the frontline renders a polychromatic outline throughout. Whether its Achille Succi dishing out deep bass clarinet counterpoint and soaring via windblown lines or Salamon's ripping single notes, the band pulls out all the proverbial stops on a recurring basis. They'll temper the proceedings and spark rebirth-like maneuvers into these works with dynamic free-jazz exchanges and off-kilter detours. It's an album that wavers between asymmetrical cadences and Salamon's lyrical unison choruses with saxophonist Julian Arguelles and Succi.

"Green" is based on fervent exchanges and a succinct yet complex odd-metered unison motif, featuring bassist Pascal Niggenkemper's electronics treated arco bass solo in concert with a touch of angst and alternating storylines where the band traverses several disparate paths; although Succi goes on a rampage above a maddening pulse during "Brown." The final track "Grey," is an introspective work, accentuated by the soloists' subdued exchanges, signalling imagery of a calm- before-the-storm type scenario, shaded by Arguelles' peek-a-boo like phrasings. Hence, the album ends on what may appear to be a cool and cloudy day, following the ensemble's radiant efforts and highly energized modus operandi. Indeed, it's one of Salamon's most compelling musical statements to date."
(GLENN ASTARITA, All About Jazz ,USA)

"Slovenian guitarist Samo Salamon has been consistent and stimulating throughout a career made of multiple interesting collaborations. More inclined to innovate rather than keep the tradition alive, Salamon has shown what he’s capable of in albums like Kei’s Secrets (2006) and Government Cheese (2007), and more recently with his bassless trios on Little River (2015) and Unity (2016).
On his first recording for Clean Feed, The Colours Suite (recorded live at the Ljubljana Jazz Fest), he plunges deep into experimentation, becoming immersed in the intoxicating waters of avant-garde with the help of talents such as old time associates Achille Succi on bass clarinet, Julian Arguelles on tenor sax, and Roberto Dani on drums, and new rhythm mates Pascal Niggenkemper on bass and Christian Lillinger also on drums.
“Yellow” was the chosen color to open the suite, and does it bluntly. It starts with the enthusiastic colloquy presented by guitar, clarinet, and tenor, in which a specific phrase serves as the main idea for communication. An endless, fidgety rhythm becomes the perfect vehicle for Salamon’s guitar noise before the reeds take over and wrap up with unfussy counterpoint.
What can you expect from “Black”? Darker hues in his palette, great unisons, a transitional passage filled with irregular pointillism and acerbic phrasing dispensed at high speed, as well as call-response movements on top of jittery drumming inflections. Solo percussion ends the adventure.
“Green” brings more enigmas to the puzzle. Beautifully layered, it’s the kind of tune that you never know what to expect as it keeps playing with your emotions. During the casual, leisurely-paced first section, both Succi and Arguelles prowl with circumspection, colliding once in a while with stylish graciousness. The middle section is far more obscure, resorting to bowed bass drones, extended trills, and contrasting flutters of many kinds. The band reactivates the groove for the finale.
Salamon’s openness to different sounds transpires on “Red”, an atmospheric invention charged with individual flourishes, and “Blue”, where we find him soloing with no harmonic concern on top of an atmospheric hum formulated by the horn players. This latter tune ends in a vibrating outcry stirred by a guitar ostinato, syncopated drumming, and fractious horn unisons.
“Brown” is another stimulant piece, a well-orchestrated post-bop piece turned into a boisterous free jazz dance. Succi’s untamed bass clarinet stands out, gradually inflaming the double drums and driving the rest of his bandmates to a hype collective upheaval.
The Colours Suite means Salamon embracing a total freedom, as we have never seen him doing before. The result is thought-provoking, powerfully complex, and immensely creative."
(THE JAZZ TRAIL, USA)

"Earth-toned guitarist Samo Salamon delivers an 8 part suited dedicated to colors with a rainbow sounding cast of Achille Succi/bcl, Julian Arguelles/ts-ss, Pascal Niggenkemper/b (I am not referring to that name again for the sake of carpal tunnel syndrome prevention!) and the two drum team of Roberto Dani with Christian Lillinger. The band has a loose, Mingusy feel, with some nimble double reed work slithering between Salamon’s guitar on the dark and intricate “Yellow” and the gentle and moody “Green.” Succi gurgles to Arguelles’ soprano sax while the drums converse on “Red” whereas the bass clarinet and tenor produce a palpable molasses on the thick “Black” while bass and guitar lines lope over the drum work. The reeds get slapped around after the drums do some stick work for Salamon on “Grey,” producing a prism of a release."
(JAZZ WEEKLY, George W. Harris, USA)

"Guitarist from Slovenia, has consistently produced interesting records. Wrote eight pieces named for colors, and brought this sextet for Jazz Festival Ljubljana, with "two of my favorite drummers" (Roberto Dani and Christian Lillinger), Pascal Niggenkemper (bass), Achille Succi (bass clarinet), and Julian Arguelles (tenor and soprano sax). The horns contrast well, the sharper sax piercing the airier bass clarinet, most impressively when they crank it up."
(TOM HULL, USA)

"Intrepid guitarist Samo Salamon is as creative as he is prolific. Each one, of his 20 odd recordings, is uniquely original and inventive. His 2017 The Colours Suite is no exception. It is a stimulating live session of provocative and thrilling improvisation and kaleidoscope of ambiences. Recorded during the jazz festival in his native Ljubljana the album is one continuous piece divided into eight tracks each named after a color.

During this intriguing concert Salamon utilizes two drummers and two woodwind players with haunting results. On “Black” a thunderous and stirring duel between drummers Roberto Dano and Christian Lillinger forms the core of the fiery and delightfully dissonant group performance. Brassy honks and guitar strums punctuate the rhythmic rumble out of which emerges bassist Pascal Niggenkemper’s eloquent angular solo that ushers in “Green”.

Niggenkemper opens “Green” with angst ridden and eerie con arco drone. The music becomes tenser and more abstract with Salamon playing crystalline and otherworldly phrases while bass clarinet and saxophone honk and squawk with urgency. Gradually the ensemble refrains become more captivating and hypnotic as “Red” starts.

On this segment Salamon takes center stage with a contemplative and brooding spontaneous monologue. His only accompaniment is reedman Achille Succi’s pillowy soft tones. One by one the members of the sextet enter and engage in a dramatic and free flowing conversation creating a futuristic sound.

Succi is the perfect foil for saxophonist Julian Arguelles as the two engage in passionate and atonal duets that are simultaneously emotive and cerebral. This is most notable on “Yellow” where the two musicians weave around one another shimmering sonic nets utilizing crisp and sharp lines.

Once again Salamon has produced an innovative and singular work. The Colours Suite is filled with fresh ideas and superb musicianship and is remarkably cohesive primarily due to Salamon’s adroitness as a leader and the sublime camaraderie within the band."
(ALLMUSIC, USA)