SPOS is a new free improvising trio featuring Portuguese alto sax hero José Lencastre with Netherlands-based, Uruguayan bassist Miguel Petruccelli and Serbian drummer Aleksandar Škorić. The debut album of the trio was recorded live at Zaal 100 in Amsterdam in March 2022, during a short European tour.

The trio began working in Portugal in 2019 and since then played together every year and has been developing its music mostly on the road. SPOS believes that anything can happen when it is playing, from the most intense and explosive to touching and lyrical moments, as its music develops organically and in tight, conversational dynamics. And based on reactions from its audiences, SPOS reinforces the belief that its music has an energetic healing force.

Now… Spos! highlights the uncompromising, risk-taking and fiery approach of SPOS, always searching and pushing forward, with manic power and to the most dangerous and chaotic terrains, but does so with different strategies. Occasionally, and especially in «West Unlimited», SPOS demonstrates its softer side, still a thorny and unpredictable one, but the lyrical sax playing of Lencastre stresses its immediate emotional impact, but slowly and methodically this piece shifts back into the energetic-spirited interplay of SPOS. Petruccelli does a similar thing on «Apologise», playing the Andean string instrument charango and articulating a melodic folk theme, beautifully answered by Lencastre, but, again, this piece also shifts into a fiery mayhem. The last, explosive «Im Continue», promises that more of this right stuff is coming soon.

Eyal Hareuveni

José Lencastre (as), Miguel Petruccelli (el.b, charango), Aleksandar Škorić (dr, perc)