Svetlost, Ken Vandermark, Paal Nilsen-Love – Skopje, 16.04.25

Photo by Dime Danov

By Irena Stevanovska

The tour opened in Skopje. Ken Vandermark, Paal Nilsen-Love, and the Macedonian band Svetlost took the stage for the night of their Balkan journey. The audience in Skopje was visibly excited, many in the crowd were already familiar with improvisational music, and even before the concert began, the anticipation could be felt. The spring air could be felt too – there was a warmth and openness around the venue, matching the mood and excitement. 

Paal Nilsen-Love. Photo by Dime Danov

Inside, the set-up said it all: Two drum kits (Paal Nilsen-Love, Kristijan Novkovski), a bass guitar (Deni Omeragić) and spots for the saxophones and clarinets (Ken Vandermark, Ninoslav Spirovski). Paal Nilsen-Love is known on this scene for working together with other drummers and big groups of people, since we were able to watch him live with his Large Unit on the Skopje Jazz Festival in 2017. 

Kristijan Novkovski. Photo by Dime Danov

Once the musicians took the stage, Ken introduced the set. The tracks were his compositions – very new ones. Joined by the trio Svetlost, which is already pretty well-known to the Macedonian audience, together with Paal Nilsen-Love, they brought Ken’s compositions to life in a very specific, unique and striking way.

The first track began immediately, all instruments coming in at once – no slow build, just full force. The second part of the composition followed with Ken and Ninoslav both playing the clarinet, while Deni held the bass line steady in the background. The drums often alternated in a broken, syncopated rhythm, trading phrases and textures. Two drummers in a live setting always brings an extra layer of energy – it’s endlessly fun to listen to. 

Ninoslav Spirovski and Ken Vandermark. Photo by Dime Danov

As the concert continued, Ken mentioned that the second track, composed just since his arrival in Skopje, still didn’t even have a name. It was that new. When the track started, it carried a more consistent bass line, grounding the rhythm. The saxophones, switching in and out with clarinets, created a melody that it felt like it was pulled from the very heart of nature, there was a sense of the forest in it. I can imagine that it is because many who come to Macedonia often find themselves drawn to the surrounding mountains. The clarinet in particular is such a perfect instrument for evoking that kind of atmosphere, its sound awakes something rooted in the environment, maybe because the clarinet itself is created from such a foresty material. 

Deni Omeragić. Photo by Dime Danov

As the concert went on, the chaotic moments kept weaving their way through the music. In a later track, Ken mentioned the environment that had inspired him for the particular piece, the track was called “44 casinos”, a title that came from something simple but pretty striking. Since coming in Macedonia, just 5 days before the concert, he has counted exactly 44 Casinos. The crowd reacted with laughter, recognizing the irony, as we were all too aware of the problem Macedonia has with casinos popping up everywhere. It was interesting to see though, that someone had found inspiration in it. It's always fascinating to see how a place can inspire a great musician to create new work. The ability to turn impressions of a new city into abstract art, especially in free, improvised music, is something that truly captivates me.

And luckily for us, they recorded an album featuring these compositions, so soon we’ll all be able to hear this unique combination from artists from different corners of the world.