The Viennese quartet Extempore was formed as a trio by Greek pianist Villy Paraskevopoulos for a festival in Graz in 2021, later became the Ad Libitum Quartet, a classic jazz quartet featuring Paraskevopoulos, tenor sax player and educator Werner Zangerle, American drummer Mark Holub (of Led Bib and Anthropods), with varying double bass players. When Barzilian double bass player Vinicius Cajado joined the quartet in 2024, it adopted Extempore, reflecting its spontaneous, free jazz and free improvising aesthetics, bridging the European free improvising schools with the American free jazz.

Dream Of Frequencies is the debut album of Extempore. It was recorded at the Viennese Amann Studios after a few performances. The cover artwork by The Designers Republic informs this powerful quartet’s well-oiled and risk-taking mechanics.

The dynamics are mostly intense and energetic, gravitating towards dense, rhythmic, and cathartic climaxes. But Extempore also enjoys the distinct sonic palettes of its musicians, with enough space for individual solos. The mysterious «Travelling By Telephone» offers Cajado and Zangerle’s impressive display of extended bowing and breathing techniques. Paraskevopoulos shifts the focus of «Wide Open Spaces» into a contemplative one. The title of the last, sound-oriented piece, «Skating On Shattered Glass», best captures the spirit of this album.

Eyal Hareuveni

Mark Holub (drums), Vinicius Cajado (double bass), Villy Paraskevopoulos (piano), Werner Zangerle (tenor saxophone)