Kohesia

Kohesia provides an unlikely connection between Perth and Persia. Inspired by ex-pat Iranian musicians such as vocalist Tara Tiba, Australian bassist Kate Pass has brought together a septet of culturally curious musicians on this accomplished debut.

Pass' compositions draw from the Persian radif system, a treasure trove of ancient melodic material that inspires rich and intriguing tunes. Album highlight ‘Origins’ deploys the ney (flute) in an open-hearted melody it shares with trumpet and oud (lute). The natural fusion Pass is able to achieve between Persian music and modern jazz is ably demonstrated as the piece breaks down to bass and percussion in support of a sax solo from Marc Osborne.

Drummer Daniel Susnjar also distinguishes himself as a soloist, featuring on three polyrhythmic passages across the album, most energetically on Latin scorcher ‘The Fire’. Pass is content for her band members to occupy the limelight while she leads from behind with a succession of strong supportive grooves. In this respect she follows great bass-playing bandleaders like Charles Mingus and Avishai Cohen. It will be worth tracking where this newcomer's musical curiosity takes her next.