Michael Dease - Out To Dinner - Different Flavors

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:55
Size: 125,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:18) 1. Day Zero
(3:54) 2. Magic Square
(5:44) 3. Blue Sojourn
(3:34) 4. Skittles
(6:25) 5. Night Glow
(5:05) 6. Pay The Piper
(5:58) 7. Rio
(7:53) 8. Spun Around
(4:24) 9. Grave Concerns
(5:35) 10. Two Down

Listeners everywhere are invited to join the fun with the Out To Dinner band and audition a variety of their “Different Flavors.” Our trusty producer Marc Free continues on an ambitious course of cooking up a visionary series of demand building releases. This latest project features a musical menu of inspired presentations from a curated group with unique instrumentation.

It also prompts listeners to expand their sonic palettes to include this adventurous exploration of the jazz genre. This engagingly enjoyable album is a stellar quintet date featuring front line performances from vibraphonist Behn Gillece, trombonist Michael Dease and saxophonist Tim Green moving freely over the solid harmonic foundation of bassist Boris Kozlov and the explosive metrics of drummer Rudy Royston. With the menu full of “Different Flavors,” we are confident that the collaborative journey of Out To Dinner will bring delight to the ears of every jazz fan and hopefully encourage navigation steadily away from the known and familiar and towards the uncharted depths of modern collective improvisation.
https://www.posi-tone.com/otd/otd.html

Personnel: Michael Dease - trombone; Behn Gillece - vibraphone; Tim Green - alto saxophone; Boris Kozlov - bass; Rudy Royston - drums

Different Flavors

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Michael Dease - Swing Low

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:45
Size: 151,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:16) 1. Dancing In The Dark
(5:30) 2. Don't Look Back
(5:58) 3. Appreciation
(5:20) 4. Phibes' Revenge
(7:06) 5. Just Waiting
(6:00) 6. Melancholia
(7:13) 7. Galapagos
(6:11) 8. New Blues
(7:00) 9. Up High, Down Low
(4:11) 10. Julian's Tune
(5:56) 11. Embraceable You

Really rich sounds from reedman Michael Dease a baritone player, and one who handles the large horn with effortless ease taking us back to some of our favorite bari players of the 50s who could carve out a line as if they were swinging an alto or a tenor!

The rest of the group have an equally compact sort of vibe tight, yet always thoughtful, as they pack plenty into each of their solo spaces, while also coming across with that sharp sound as a whole that can make the best Posi-Tone sessions so great! Ingrid Jensen plays trumpet, Art Hirihara plays piano, Boris Kozlov handles bass, and Rudy Royston is on drums and on three tracks, Altin Senclar also joins the group on trumpet.

Titles include "New Blues", "Galapagos", "Appreciation", "Don't Look Back", "Melancholia", and "Just Waiting". © 1996-2023, Dusty Groove, Inc.

Musicians: Michael Dease - baritone saxophone; Ingrid Jensen - trumpet, flugelhorn; Altin Sencalar - trombone on #7,8,10; Art Hirahara - piano; Boris Kozlov - bass ; Rudy Royston - drums

Swing Low

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Simone Kopmajer - With Love

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:18
Size: 144,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:15) 1. The Look of Love
(4:40) 2. How Wonderful You Are
(5:36) 3. Until It's Time for You to Go
(4:46) 4. I Can't Make You Love Me
(2:31) 5. Opposites Attract
(4:36) 6. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
(3:01) 7. Cold Cold Heart
(3:16) 8. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter
(5:06) 9. For Once in My Life
(4:06) 10. Take It All In
(5:15) 11. Everything Happens to Me (feat. Sheila Jordan)
(4:52) 12. Tell It Like It Is
(4:38) 13. You Don´t Know Me (feat. John Di Martino)
(4:33) 14. Over the Rainbow

Simone Kopmajer’s new album “With Love“ was produced by John Di Martino, Reinhardt Winkler & herself.

The trio brought Simone’s vision of an intimate but rich sound to a point. Wonderful string arrangements played by Grammy Winning NY string quartet are surrounding her subtle vocals. “With Love” is a mix of old time classics, love songs and for the very first time two original compositions, definitely Kopmajers most romantic album in her incredible career on which she is proving again her different facets as a musician and vocalist.

Accompanied by Harry Allen, John Di Martino, Boris Kozlov, Reinhardt Winkler, Gottfried Gfrerer & Wesley Amorim , Simone Kopmajer turns her sensual vocals to songs like “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart“ (Bee Gees), “Cold Cold Heart“ (Hank Williams and the legendary “Over the rainbow“.

Another highlight on the album are the guest appearances of jazz legend Sheila Jordan and John Di Martino. With love is a must have for every fan and fan to be! http://www.simonekopmajer.com/bio

Personnel: Simone Kopmajer: Vocals; Harry Allen: Tenor Saxophone; John Di Martino: Piano; Boris Kozlov: Bass; Reinhardt Winkler: Drums; Wesley Amorim: Guitar; Gottfried Gfrerer: Guitar; Sheila Jordan: Vocals; Sara Caswell: First Violin; Tomoko Akaboshi :Second Violin; Benni von Gutzeit: Viola; Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf: Cello

With Love

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Josh Lawrence - Call Time

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:34
Size: 68,5 MB
Art: Front

(0:43) 1. Paradise In Blue
(4:53) 2. Pumpkin Pi
(4:18) 3. Silver's Drag
(3:52) 4. Sam I Am
(5:36) 5. Cornbred
(8:38) 6. Black Bottom's Up
(1:30) 7. Paradise In Blue Reprise

Josh Lawrence is releasing Call Time, his latest Posi-Tone Records project, with seven tracks of a broad palette of qualities and textures. The trumpeter brings a quintet for his fourth album for Posi-Tone, the ever-present Posi-Tone team of bassist Boris Kozlov and pianist Art Hirahara, rounded out with drummer Jason Tiemann and saxophonist Willie Morris. Together the five musicians form a pleasing unit that focuses on group communication and musical expression.

“Paradise In Blue” opens with a rubato melody in which Lawrence’s warm trumpet tone will inspire you to listen to the following selection, “Pumpkin Pi,” a delightful medium swing composition. The two-horn melody is memorable as Lawrence and Morris flow with a relaxed swing. Lawrence’s improvisational style flows from the Miles Davis lineage, where the focus is time feel, melody, and space. His warm tone and clarity of pitch are other highlights of his style. The ensemble swings and Lawrence performs a delightful solo.

Celebrating the hard-bop sound of the 50s is “Black Bottom’s Up.” Lawrence does an excellent job of making the “Oleo” styled approach from the Miles Davis Quintet work very well here. His Harmon mute tone is round and resilient as he mixes blues with bop lines to outline the rhythm changes clearly. Hirahara does not play on this track, and hearing Lawrence and Morris perform with just bass and drums accompaniment lets you hear their harmonic/melodic language.

Call Time is a very musical and stylish set from Lawrence. His tone and melodic approach are modern while still being imbued in the classic 50s and 60s jazz heritage. The ensemble is a strong unit, and everyone plays well with each other and communicates beautifully. Though this is not Lawrence’s regular working ensemble, they still have chemistry, but I do wonder how his regular ensemble would sound performing this set. Lawrence is a beautifully clear trumpet player and one you should have on your radar. By Sylvannia Garutch https://thejazzword.com/2022/09/josh-lawrence-call-time-review/

Personnel: Josh Lawrence – trumpet; Willie Morris – tenor saxophone; Art Hirahara – piano; Boris Kozlov – bass; Jason Tiemann – drums

Call Time

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Boris Kozlov - First Things First

Styles: Crossover Jazz

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 66:30

Size: 158,4 MB

Art: Front

(6:18) 1. Page One

(4:01) 2. Flow

(5:35) 3. The More Things Change

(6:51) 4. I.S. Adventure

(7:53) 5. Aftermath

(5:49) 6. Second Line Sally

(5:45) 7. Viscous

(7:13) 8. Mind Palace

(6:49) 9. Warm Sand

(7:39) 10. Once A Fog In Babylon

(2:32) 11. Eclipse

During the early days of pandemic-induced isolation, old folkways and techniques suddenly became new again (remember the shortages of baking yeast and canning supplies?). The old ways are nothing new at Posi-Tone records, which has maintained an unflagging allegiance to swing, juicy melodies and fiery playing. Those qualities, all present on bassist Boris Kozlov's First Things First, situate this recording firmly within Posi-Tone's house style, one that calls back to the glory days of Blue Note Records. So, it's no surprise that this session was made in the manner of classic Blue Note sessions.

Like those sessions, First Things First begins with a great rhythm section: pianist Art Hirahara and drummer Rudy Royston. Posi-Tone founder and producer Marc Free used them on trumpeter Alex Sipiagin's Upstream (2021) and on Maximum Enjoyment (2018) by the collective Something Blue. Joined by vibraphonist and occasional A&R guy Behn Gillece, they gathered for four days in August, 2020 to record sessions that would eventually be issued as Hirahara's Open Sky (2021) and Gillece's Still Doing Our Thing. (2021) According to Kozlov's notes to the recording, Free was so pleased with the results that the four became a house rhythm section for a number of Posi-Tone sessions recorded later that fall.

Like a college basketball team that starts five highly recruited seniors, this rhythm section plays with a balance of freedom and discipline that's rare in today's contingent, project-oriented bandscape. And when Free called Donny McCaslin to turn one of their sessions into Kozlov's Posi-Tone debut as a leader, the team was complete.

Despite their workload, there's no evidence of complaisance or routine on First Things First. Instead, the band's chemistry fuels joyous music making that explodes out of your speakers. It's as though they couldn't wait to get this music out. And given the isolation and grimness of the year, who can blame them?

Of the eleven tunes, six are by the leader, two by McCaslin and one each by Gillece and Hirahara, with Charles Mingus's "Eclipse" the lone non original. They cover a vast stylistic range. McCaslin's "Page One" is a modern update on the title cut Joe Henderson's iconic 1963 Blue Note album of the same name never had. Henderson is also evoked in Kozlov's "I.S. Adventure," but mainly in McCaslin's tumbling, cascading solo; the "I.S." of the title is Igor Stravinsky. The Moscow-born bassist looks back to his homeland again on "Once A Fog In Babylon," a suite of ancient Russian folk tunes that culminates in a thunderous, tornadic Royston solo.

Yet there are quieter moments, too, starting with "Flow," a serene showcase for flute, vibes, hand percussion and the composer's expressive electric bass. "Warm Sand" shows how group interplay can chart a throughline at a relaxed tempo, one that's just a few beats per minute easier than the flowing, Basie-esque stroll of Hirahara's sparkling "The More Things Change."

It seems almost obligatory these days to program a tune set to a New Orleans party beat, but McCaslin's "Second Line Sally" ups the ante on Hirahara's tootling B-3 and Kozlov's strutting bass with a swagger and energy that's pure Manhattan. It's musical shrimp po' boy served from a Times Square dirty water hotdog cart, and it's delicious as is the entire record.Can we please have another?~John Chacona https://www.allaboutjazz.com/first-things-first-boris-kozlov-posi-tone-records

Personnel: Boris Kozlov: bass; Donny McCaslin: saxophone, tenor; Art Hirahara: piano; Behn Gillece: vibraphone; Rudy Royston: drums.

First Things First

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Michael Dease - Best Next Thing

Styles: Trombone Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:19
Size: 129,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:56) 1. Rainbow People
(4:42) 2. Parker's Brood
(4:47) 3. Tiktaalik
(4:06) 4. Doxy
(6:09) 5. Charly Jaye
(5:40) 6. Glory
(4:53) 7. One for Dease
(7:19) 8. With Love
(5:43) 9. Horse Trading
(6:00) 10. Lullaby for Rita

Michael Dease keeps the music moving forward toward the "Best Next Thing" on his ninth album for Posi-Tone. With clear purpose, Trombonist Michael Dease gathers together an assemblage of exceptional musicians to help him interactively explore the essence of the blues and reframe the abstract truths of jazz as the "Best Next Thing" for today's audience of listeners. Providing support in bringing this vision to fruition, the session features an all-star lineup of musicians including trumpeter Alex Sipiagin, alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, pianist Renee Rosnes, bassist Boris Kozlov, and powerhouse drummer Rudy Royston.

As a band leader, Dease makes sure the entire session stays insightfully straight forward and refreshingly melodic throughout while he conducts his topnotch crew through a series of his new compositions and some inventive arrangements of selections crafted by Dease's musical mentors. With this latest release, Michael Dease not only confirms his status as a virtuoso soloist and one of the biggest stars in jazz today, but also demonstrates that he is clearly an artist for jazz fans to rely upon to bring them the "Next Best Thing" in jazz for years to come.https://posi-tone.com/bnthing/bnthing.html

Personnel: Michael Dease - trombone; Alex Sipiagin - trumpet; Rudresh Mahanthappa - alto sax; Renee Rosnes - piano; Boris Kozlov - bass; Rudy Royston - drums

Best Next Thing

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Alex Sipiagin - Ascent to the Blues

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:12
Size: 156,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:53) 1. Dolphin's View
(5:25) 2. Blues for Wood
(5:27) 3. Doppio
(6:57) 4. Infant Eyes
(4:35) 5. Hindsight
(5:54) 6. No Doubts
(4:38) 7. Rush Hour
(8:39) 8. One More Shot
(9:16) 9. Novgorod Bells
(4:16) 10. Sandrigo Blues
(6:09) 11. Twelve More Bars to Go

Trumpeter Alex Sipiagin is no newcomer to jazz, but he also seems to have really grown as both a player and a leader in recent years deepening his sound sound with a sense of color and timing that we've never heard before, and really making the most of his comrades in a combo especially in a setting like this! The tunes are mostly all originals by Alex, delivered with a strong focus by the quintet a lineup that also features Diego Rivera on tenor, Art Hirihara on piano and Rhodes, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums and percussion a group who work with an innate sort of energy throughout, really packing a heck of a lot into a small space while still allowing for plenty of individual moments of expression! Titles include "Dolphin's View", "Doppio", "Hindsight", "No Doubts", "Rush Hour", "Sandrigo Blues", and "Novorod Bells". © 1996-2022, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/112312

Ascent to the Blues

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Boris Kozlov - First Things First

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:30
Size: 153,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:18) 1. Page One
(4:01) 2. Flow
(5:35) 3. The More Things Change
(6:51) 4. I.S. Adventure
(7:53) 5. Aftermath
(5:49) 6. Second Line Sally
(5:45) 7. Viscous
(7:13) 8. Mind Palace
(6:49) 9. Warm Sand
(7:39) 10. Once A Fog In Babylon
(2:32) 11. Eclipse

Two-time Grammy Award winning acoustic and electric bassist, composer and arranger, Boris Kozlov has been on New York and international jazz scene for the past 20 years. Currently serving as a Bassist, Arranger and Musical Director for Mingus Big Band, Mingus Dynasty and The Orchestra, as well as leading his own projects, he has also been a first-call bassist for such important jazz acts as Michael Brecker, John Blake, Ray Barretto's New World Spirit, Lew Tabackin, David Kikoski, Alex Sipiagin, Jean-Michel Pilc and many others.

Boris Kozlov was born in Moscow ,USSR on December 5, 1967 . Having a chance to go to Children's Music School to study piano for 7 years, he fell in love with the bass and won Gnesin Music Academy competition to enter college at the age of 15 on electric bass guitar. While being influenced by rock and classical music, he took interest in jazz at 17 and went on to study acoustic bass with a notable bassist Anatoly Sobolev. Upon graduation in 1987 with Diploma of Honor at the age of 19, he served mandatory 2 years in the Soviet Army, where he had to play tuba and other brass instruments besides basses in the military band.

Once out of the Army, he was hired by the State owned 'Melodia' Studio Ensemble in 1989 and proceeded to record more than 40 albums with them as well as many other Soviet jazz artists. At the same time he continued his studies at The State Academy of Music. At the First USSR Competition of Jazz Soloists in 1990 he won The Grand Prix as well as a special prize for his original composition. After winning the first spot in Young Musician category in USSR Jazz Journal in 1991 he moved to New York.

The self-study continued in a specific NY jazz environment ,where he was eventually hired by Hassan Williams and Terry Gibbs/Buddy De Franco Band and later by saxophonists Bobby Watson, Bob Berg , Benny Golson, James Moody, Ronnie Cuber, John Stubblefield, Ravi Coltrane, Seamus Blake, Donny McCaslin; trumpeters Dizzy Reese, Phillip Harper, Brian Lynch ( Grammy 2007), Alex Sipiagin,Ray Vega pianists Eddie Palmieri, Walter Bishop Jr., Michel Petrucciani, Arturo O'Farrill, Michel Legrand, Stanley Cowell, Jon Ballantyne, George Colligan, Orrin Evans, Edward Simon, Helen Sung, Joey Calderazzo; vibraphonists Joe Locke, Bill Ware; guitarists Mark Whitfield, David Gilmore, Adam Rogers, Jack Wilkins, Ximo Tebar drummers Tommy Campbell, Victor Jones, Marlon Simon, Victor Lewis, Jonathan Blake, Jeff 'Tain' Watts, Ali Jackson, Antonio Sanches; vocalists Jay Mc Govern, Urszula Dudziak, Monday Michiru; trombonists Conrad Herwig, Robin Eubanks, Andy Hunter; trombonist/vocalist Frank Lacy’s Experience and the funk-jazz band NewHypeJazz .

After sharing a stage with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Cobb, Maceo Parker, Jimmy Smith, Henry Butler, Toots Thielemans & Clark Terry on multiple occasions and playing on 9 Grammy nominated albums plus the Grammy winning 'Simpatico' -in addition to the other 160 albums, having few of his Scores published, Boris continues to serve as an MD for all of the Mingus Dynasty projects( winning his 2nd Grammy with them in 2010) ,touring and recording extensively with multitude of different other bands ,as well as doing international work with his own “Malfunction Alibi”. He also performs solo bass and teaches master classes around the world following the release of his acoustic solo album “ Double Standard”. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/boris-kozlov

First Things First

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John Dimartino - Passion Flower

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:47
Size: 152,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:16)  1. Johnny Come Lately
(4:20)  2. Lush Life
(4:19)  3. Rain Check
(4:38)  4. Star-Crossed Lovers (Pretty Girl)
(6:56)  5. Isfahan (Elf)
(5:59)  6. Chelsea Bridge
(6:33)  7. Daydream
(4:50)  8. Passion Flower
(3:33)  9. U.M.M.G.
(3:36) 10. Blood Count
(4:15) 11. Take The A Train
(4:44) 12. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing
(4:09) 13. Absinthe (Lament For An Orchid)
(2:33) 14. Lotus Blossom

When esophageal cancer took Billy Strayhorn's life in 1967, his work and legacy rested squarely in the shadow of Duke Ellington's world. More than half a century later, though the two figures remain inextricably linked, Strayhorn's genius has moved past the penumbra of his legendary collaborator and employer, occupying its own clear place in the jazz firmament. Through biography and documentary film, his own lush life has been illuminated. And of equal importance, Strayhorn's compositions continue to bloom in others' hands, like perennials returning time and again to add welcome color and fragrance to the world.

For pianist John Di Martino, Strayhorn's music has always been part of the picture. Initially hooked in his teens, when he encountered "Lush Life" through the lens of Chet Baker and Russ Freeman, he's been a fan ever since. In the ensuing decades, Di Martino has had plenty of opportunities to explore Strayhorn's work in myriad settings, including, in recent times, concerts with multi-reedist Paquito D'Rivera. One such performance, at Flushing Town Hall in New York, inspired this album's executive producer, Neville Grusd, to drive the idea of this tribute forward.

Leading an all-star quartet with tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Lewis Nash, Di Martino takes clear pleasure in working through fourteen classics. The quartet swings with verve on "U.M.M.G.," reconfigures "Day Dream" in waltz time, explores the ideals of wafting beauty on the title track, and gives "Take The 'A' Train" a twist through delayed melodic gratification. There's nary a weak spot to be found on the program, and the list of high points runs long. Alexander's absorbing cadenza on "Chelsea Bridge" elevates the ending, guest vocalist Raul Midon's solid work on "Lush Life" adds to the draw of that performance, a gorgeous solo piano take on "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing" finds Di Martino in wonderfully reflective form, and a toned-down sax-and-piano look at Strayhorn's self-penned epitaph, "Blood Count," gets the proper message across. 

In short, everything is as creatively classy as could be expected with this A-list gathering. A testament to both the durability of Strayhorn's writing and the strengths of Di Martino's art, Passion Flower is pure beauty packaged in sound.~ Dan Bilaswsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/passion-flower-the-music-of-billy-strayhorn-john-di-martino-sunnyside-records

Personnel: John di Martino: piano; Eric Alexander: saxophone, tenor; Boris Kozlov: bass; Lewis Nash: drums; Raul Midon: voice / vocals.

Passion Flower

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Alex Sipiagin - Mirrors

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:43
Size: 148,3 MB
Art: Front

( 6:29)  1. Def I
( 8:40)  2. Tijuana Gift Shop
(13:17)  3. Travel
( 9:28)  4. Crossing
( 9:22)  5. Mirror
( 7:44)  6. Def II
( 9:40)  7. Mood One

A gifted, Russian-born jazz trumpeter, Alex Sipiagin is a dynamic soloist with a harmonically sophisticated approach influenced by the post-bop style of artists like Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, and John Coltrane. Sipiagin initially came to wider recognition after placing fourth in the Thelonious Monk Institute's International Louis Armstrong Competition in 1990. Moving to New York, he quickly established himself as an in-demand sideman, working with such esteemed outfits as the Mingus Big Band and the Gil Evans Orchestra, as well as players like David Binney, Dave Holland, Conrad Herwig, and others. As a leader, he has issued a steady stream of highly regarded and hard-swinging albums, including 2001's Steppin' Zone, 2008's Out of the Circle, and 2010's Generations: Dedicated to Woody Shaw. He is also a member of the Criss Cross label's Jazz Messengers-style group Opus 5, with whom he has recorded a handful of albums such as 2012's Pentasonic and 2015's Tickle. His immense skills have brought him accolades including playing on the Michael Brecker Quindectet's Grammy-winning 2003 album Wide Angles and the Dave Holland Big Band's Grammy-nominated 2010 album Pathways. Away from performing, Sipiagin is also a committed educator, having taught at both NYU and the Groningen Prince Claus Conservatory, Academy of Music, Basel, Switzerland. Alexei "Sasha" Sipiagin was born on June 11, 1967 in Yaroslavl, U.S.S.R. Growing up, Sipiagin studied classical trumpet and played in a youth orchestra. At around age 15 he enrolled in a local music school, where he first encountered modern jazz. Inspired to study more jazz, Sipiagin auditioned and was accepted into the Moscow Music Institute at age 16, eventually graduating with his bachelor's degree in music. After college, Sipiagin's studies were waylaid for two years of compulsory service in the Soviet Army, after which he enrolled in the Gnessin Conservatory in Moscow. In 1990, Sipiagin competed and placed fourth in the Thelonious Monk Institute's International Louis Armstrong Competition in Washington, D.C. He not only won a Bach trumpet, presented to him by legendary jazz trumpeter Clark Terry, but also received much notice by critics and jazz musicians in the States. Buoyed by the attention, Sipiagin relocated to New York, where he found work with a bevy of ensembles including the Mingus Big Band, Mingus Dynasty, bassist Dave Holland's Big Band, Sextet, and Octet groups, as well as a cadre of top-echelon players including Larry Coryell, Conrad Herwig, David Binney, and others. He also made his debut as a leader, issuing Images in 1998, playing alongside Binney, Chris Potter, Scott Colley, and others.

He then moved to the Criss Cross label and issued 2001's Steppin' Zone, a hard-hitting acoustic jazz date featuring saxophonist Potter, pianist David Kikoski, bassist Colley, and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts. More equally dynamic albums followed for Criss Cross, including 2002's Hindsight, 2005's Returning, and 2007's Prints. He also joined Michael Brecker on the saxophonist's Grammy-winning 2003 Quindectet album Wide Angles, and continued his long association with bassist Holland on the 2005 Big Band album Overtime. In 2008, Sipiagin, ever the adventurous journeyman, released Out of the Circle on Sunnyside, an album with various N.Y.C.-based musicians the trumpeter had not worked with closely before. He returned to Criss Cross in 2009 with the high-energy post-bop of Mirages, featuring saxophonist Seamus Blake, pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummer Johnathan Blake. The trumpeter then paid homage to one of his main influences with Generations: Dedicated to Woody Shaw in 2010. A year later, he emerged with the sextet date Destinations Unknown alongside saxophonists Potter and Binney. Potter was also on board for Overlooking Moments in 2013. Around this time, Sipiagin made his debut with the Criss Cross label ensemble Opus 5, appearing on 2011's Introducing Opus 5 alongside saxophonist Seamus Blake, pianist David Kikoski, bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummer Donald Edwards. The group, which is modeled after Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, has continued to work regularly, issuing 2012's Pentasonic, 2014's Progression, and 2015's Tickle. In 2014, Sipiagin debuted his New Path ensemble featuring Dutch vocalist Hiske Oosterwijk. The group returned in 2016 with New Path 2. The trumpeter also returned to his sextet work with 2015's Balance 38-58. Two years later, he issued Moments Captured with saxophonists Potter and Will Vinson, pianist John Escreet, bassist Matt Brewer, and drummer Eric Harland. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alex-sipiagin-mn0000619312/biography

Personnel:   Alex Sipiagin - trumpet, flugelhorn;  Seamus Blake - tenor saxophone;   Adam Rogers - guitar;   David Kikoski - piano;  Boris Kozlov - bass;  Johnathan Blake - drums.

Mirrors

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Alex Sipiagin - Destinations Unknown

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:46
Size: 171,5 MB
Art: Front

( 8:35)  1. Next Stop - Tsukiji
(11:42)  2. Videlles
(11:52)  3. Tempest in A Tea Cup
(11:14)  4. Fermata Scandola
(11:30)  5. Calming
(12:50)  6. Fast Forward
( 7:00)  7. Meu Canario Vizinho Azul

Life on the road can often wear musicians down, but it can also inspire them to great heights. Trumpeter Alex Sipiagin's travels took him to Taiwan, Spain, Italy, France, Japan and Holland in the months preceding the recording session for this album in January, 2011 and each one of those locales helped to stir his creative impulses. This gripping session of heart-pounding jazz, which possesses the edge and attitude delivered by New York modernists, is the end result of a compositional process that began in each one of those distant places, and Sipiagin's sojourns in foreign lands helped to produce what may very well be his most bracing music yet. The three-horn frontline from the trumpeters' Equilibrium (Criss Cross, 2009), featuring alto saxophonist David Binney and tenor saxophonist Chris Potter, is reunited here, and sparks fly frequently. When all three men collide, they craft snaking lines that weave and bob in vibrant fashion ("Videlles"), but it only takes two to tango, as demonstrated by Potter and Binney on Sipiagin's "Fast Forward." Both saxophonists take pleasure in giving one another a near-simultaneous tongue-lashing as their flights of fancy reach fever pitch. 

While Sipiagin's shared history with both saxophonists certainly contributes to the frenetic-but-focused sound of the frontline, it's his relationship with the rhythm section that helps to shape the music from the ground up. Bassist Boris Kozlov and Sipiagin have shared more than record dates, with both men having attended the Gnessin Conservatory in Moscow together and rooming together after they came to the United States in the '90s, and Kozlov is completely locked into his longtime friend's musical mindset. His bass riffs help to establish direction in odd-metered surroundings ("Videlles" and "Fermata Scandola") and his hook-up with drummer Eric Harland is palpable. Harland who has worked with Sipiagin in bassist Dave Holland's sextet continues to be the sorcerer of kaleidoscopic groove-tweaking, as he constantly toys with the beat using expansive rhythmic ideals and his stellar technique to serve each song. Craig Taborn's Fender Rhodes often shimmers in a relaxed fashion, in deference to the more heated statements from the horn players, but he cooks albeit with a slightly lower flame when it counts ("Fermata Scandola"). When he switches to piano, as on the mystical and propulsive "Fast Forward," his playing takes on a paranoid intensity that fires up the rest of the band. While the lengthy works on this album prove to be complex labyrinths of time, space and sound, they never lose direction. Sipiagin's trumpet serves as the compass that always points in the right direction, as his band travels to Destinations Unknown. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/destinations-unknown-alex-sipiagin-criss-cross-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Alex Sipiagin: trumpet; Chris Potter: tenor saxophone; David Binney: alto saxophone; Craig Taborn: piano, fender rhodes; Boris Kozlov: bass; Eric Harland: drums.

Destinations Unknown

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Brandon Wright - Journeyman

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:09
Size: 140,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:49)  1. Shapeshifter
(6:32)  2. Better Man
(5:59)  3. Walk Of Shame
(3:43)  4. Illusions Of Light
(5:57)  5. Big Bully
(6:08)  6. Choices
(6:29)  7. Search For Truth
(8:19)  8. Wonderwall
(8:03)  9. The Nearness Of You
(5:05) 10. He'll Make Me Happy

Beware of album titles that seem to damn with faint praise. Although saxophonist Brandon Wright takes inspiration for the title of his second album from the words of novelist Cormac McCarthy, Journeyman is a term that usually conjures up an image of a reliable, hard-working, solid but uninspiring type of person. All admirable qualities, of course, but hardly earth shattering or applicable to the playing talent of the New York based musician. It's clear from Wright's opening phrase on "Shapeshifter" that he's much, much, more than a reliable worker. Wright's playing is strong, fluid and melodic from the start. His long, flowing tenor lines are a pleasure to hear. His debut, Boiling Point (Posi-Tone, 2010), featured trumpeter Alex Sipiagin alongside Wright. On Journeyman, Wright is out front on his own, but he shoulders the extra sonic responsibility with verve and confidence. "Shapeshifter" establishes not only Wright's chops, but also the strength of the rhythm section. Donald Edwards' driving percussion gives the entire quartet an energy and dynamism. Boris Kozlov's bass stays low in the mix but matches Edwards' swing and power. Pianist David Kikoski who also appears on Boiling Point combines stabbing, rich, left-hand chords with intricate single note runs. Wright's original compositions are engaging. His description of "Walk Of Shame" as a "funky blues" sums it up neatly: straightforward, immediate and fun. "Illusions Of Light" shows that he can also write a soulful ballad and deliver an equally soulful saxophone part while the more aggressive hard bop of "Big Bully" finds Wright and Kikoski producing excellent up-tempo solos underpinned by Koslov and Edwards' rock solid, driving rhythm. Boiling Point featured Wright's take on the Stone Temple Pilots' rock classic "Interstate Love Song." On Journeyman, he follows with interpretations of two other rock tunes. Oasis' Brit Pop standard, "Wonderwall," gets a swinging, straight-ahead treatment though the original song leant so much on the vocal that an instrumental version lacks a clear focus despite Wright's tense, upper-register solo. Pearl Jam's "Better Man," written by Eddie Vedder, proves to be a more inspired choice. Wright takes the original's slightly bitter tone and replaces it with a more regretful mood, established by Kikoski's piano as well as his own tenor saxophone. A lack of familiarity with McCarthy's romanticized image might just make some fans wonder whether this album is worth exploring. That would be a mistake. Wright is an imaginative and hard-blowing saxophonist and a creative composer. This Journeyman inspires, and more. ~ Bruce Lindsay https://www.allaboutjazz.com/journeyman-brandon-wright-posi-tone-records-review-by-bruce-lindsay.php

Personnel:  Brandon Wright: tenor saxophone;  David Kikoski: piano;  Boris Kozlov: bass;  Donald Edwards: drums.

Journeyman

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Brian Lynch Latin Jazz Sextet - ConClave

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:19
Size: 161,4 MB
Art: Front

( 6:58)  1. Tom Harrell
( 6:28)  2. La Sitiera
( 9:47)  3. J.B's Dilemma
( 8:07)  4. Across The Bridge
( 8:36)  5. Liberated Brother
(13:00)  6. La Mulata Rumbera
( 7:23)  7. Awe Shocks
( 9:56)  8. Invitation

The spirit of the clave flows freely through the blood of Brian Lynch. For many years the veteran trumpeter has formed an extensive body of work flourishing in both straight-ahead and Latin jazz styles via associations with Phil Woods, Horace Silver, the Buena Vista Social Club, Eddie Palmieri, and many others. He also has worked with younger artists like drummer Dafnis Prieto, pianist Luis Perdomo, and saxophonist Miguel Zenon, who are also writing new chapters in pan Afro-Latin music.ConClave is Lynch's latest document of music, continuing in the vein of 2004's Que Viva Coltrane, a collaborative effort with trombonist Conrad Herwig. With the inventive horn arrangments and the rhythmic pulse of drums and percussion, this mix of new music is vibrant, danceable, and satisfying, due in much part to Lynch's leadership and a very hot band.The music is set ablaze from the start on "Tom Harrell with a bright sax/trumpet combo girded against a bopping tempo. But even when the tempo slows on the lovely "La Sietiera, the heat is still felt. This passion is maintained collectively and individually by the contributions of each musician. On "La Mulata Rumbera, which clocks in at thirteen minutes, all instruments move as one yet each expresses its own voice with detailed solos winding through labyrinth patterns. Lynch is to be commended for producing a recording which exemplifies good jazz, whether it's Latin or any other style. ~ Mark F.Turner https://www.allaboutjazz.com/conclave-brian-lynch-criss-cross-review-by-mark-f-turner.php

Personnel: Brian Lynch: trumpet; Ralph Bowen: tenor saxophone; Luis Perdomo: piano; Boris Kozlov: bass; Ruben Rodriguez: bass; Ernesto Simpson: drums; Roberto Quintero: percussion.

ConClave

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Brian Lynch And Cuban Jazz Orchestra - Bolero Nights

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:17
Size: 131,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:50)  1. Afinque
(6:31)  2. La Sitiera
(9:24)  3. Celia
(6:38)  4. Fire Waltz
(9:42)  5. Delilah
(6:53)  6. I'm A Fool To What You
(7:15)  7. You've Changed

As one of the more exuberant trumpeters in Latin jazz via his stint with Eddie Palmieri, Brian Lynch might surprise his fans with this seductive and sensual album directing his Afro-Cuban-oriented orchestra. With five horns and on occasional the legendary alto saxophonist Phil Woods, Lynch and his band weave some magical and lower-key threads, not so much dedicated to Billie Holiday's music as inspired by her romantic spirit. Split between some well-chosen standards and original compositions, the band struts and sways along on the famous "Delilah," Lynch's easy cha-cha "Afinique," and the beautiful "La Sitiera." Only during the midtempo montuno version of the Charles Mingus evergreen "Celia" or the 6/8 arrangement of Mal Waldron's "Fire Dance" does the band really simmer or even moderately cook. Pianist Zaccai Curtis (of the Curtis Brothers Quartet) and Woods via counterpoint are outstanding in spots, while Lynch himself takes it down a notch throughout, setting the tone, and generously adding a sensitive but regretful feeling to the great take of "I'm a Fool to Want You." From luminous mambos or in serene, pensive underpinnings, this group really hits the mark for subtle yet clearly delineated music that Lady Day surely would have shed a tear or two over, as might we all. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/bolero-nights-for-billie-holiday-mw0001969838

Personnel: Brian Lynch: trumpet and flugelhorn; Phil Woods: alto saxophone (3, 6, 7); Ivan Renta: alto saxophone; Alan Hoffman: tenor saxophone; Marshall Gilkes: trombone; Ron Blake: baritone saxophone; Zaccai Curtis: piano; Boris Kozlov: bass; Little Johnny Rivero: congas, bongos and percussion; Marvin Diz: timbales and drums.

Bolero Nights

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John Di Martino's Romantic Jazz Trio - Music Of The Night

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 63:38
Size: 120,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:01)  1. All That Jazz (from Chicago)
(6:26)  2. I Dreamed A Dream (from Les Miserables)
(5:12)  3. Music Of The Night (from The Phantom of the Opera)
(5:05)  4. Memory (from The Cats)
(5:54)  5. When You're Good To Mama (from Chicago)
(4:49)  6. All I Ask Of You (from The Phantom of the Opera)
(4:48)  7. Mein Herr (from Cabaret)
(5:38)  8. Maybe This Time (from Cabaret)
(4:32)  9. On My Own (from Les Miserables)
(5:51) 10. Beauty And The Beast (from Beauty And The Beast)
(2:58) 11. Tomorrow Belongs To Me (from Cabaret)
(4:05) 12. Send In The Clowns (from Little Night Music)
(3:18) 13. If You Could See Her (from Cabaret)

The Romantic Jazz Trio, consisting of pianist John Di Martino, bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummer Tim Horner, continue the tradition of covering songs from Broadway musicals, though most of their selections for this CD come from musicals written during the 1970s and later. As many longtime Broadway fans will attest, sellout crowds and long runs don't necessarily mean the songs are the equals of efforts by the greats of earlier decades, like Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, and the like. But the trio manages just fine interpreting songs from Chicago, Les Miserables, Beauty and the Beast, Cats, and the modern standard "Send in the Clowns" from Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music. The problem begins when the focus turns to the lame melodies of Andrew Lloyd Webber; as one veteran jazz musician remarked to an audience, "They begin OK but don't go anywhere." The trio makes a go of it, even bringing some life to the tedious "Memory," but in the end, the weakness of Webber's songs stand out in comparison to the others' works. At least no one requested that the Romantic Jazz Trio record Webber's nauseating, overblown "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina." ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/music-of-the-night-mw0001689286

Personnel:  Piano – John Di Martino;  Bass – Boris Kozlov;  Drums – Tim Horner; 

Music Of The Night

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Misha Tsiganov - The Artistry Of The Standard

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:43
Size: 148,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:41)  1. Fall
(9:19)  2. Get Out Of Town
(7:04)  3. The Song Is You
(7:01)  4. Au-Leu-Cha
(5:35)  5. This Is For Albert
(6:37)  6. Four On Six
(7:48)  7. Falling In Love With Love
(6:41)  8. Mr. Day
(6:52)  9. Make Sure You're Sure

Standards represent so many things. They can be a fallback for those short on ideas or a springboard for those willing to invest a bit of themselves into the music. They're a representative historical sampling of what jazz has been and done, reminding all of those on the bandstand of who and what came before, but they can be so much more. Considering all of that, it's hard to imagine why a segment of players often prefer not to address them at all.  Plenty of modernists have abandoned standards or choose to simply use them as garnish around their own dishes. Some are willing to buck the trend and do all-standards programs, but they often do so by making simple adjustments to the established formulas or retreating into the comfortable confines that these songs offer in their original state(s). Pianist Misha Tsiganov does no such thing on The Artistry Of The Standard. Tsiganov pulls history in his direction, altering the shape and scope of these pieces without abandoning what made each one so special in the first place.  The Artistry Of The Standard marks the first time that Tsiganov has ever imagined and written a program with specific musicians in mind, and it's easy to see why he's so enthused about these men. Drummer Donald Edwards can navigate his way through any course with grace and drive; bassist Boris Kozlov is as dynamic and supportive as they come; Seamus Blake's terpsichorean tenor can bound along with glee, sing sweet songs, and outpace nearly anybody in a sprint; and trumpeter Alex Sipiagin brings both focused potency and a sense of warmth to the party, changing hats for different scenarios.

This may be the debut of this particular quintet, but Tsiganov's comrades-in-arms are no strangers to one another. They've crossed paths in various settings and they make up four-fifths of Opus 5, the collectively-operated quintet that also includes pianist David Kikoski. They're well-attuned to one another and it shows on these natty rewrites. Lesser musicians, and even some fine players, would likely stumble and falter on the twisting and turning version of saxophonist Wayne Shorter's "Fall" that opens the album. That song gets the ball rolling and it never stops. As the program continues, the band winds its way through Cole Porter country ("Get Out Of Town"), Tsiganov steps out front to introduce the work of Jerome Kern ("The Song Is You"), and everybody adds a little attitude to a Charlie Parker classic ("Ah-Leu-Cha"). Tsiganov has no problem molding fan favorites to his liking, as demonstrated on the aforementioned numbers and a charged take on guitarist Wes Montgomery's "Four On Six," but he also works his magic on lesser-covered gems like Stevie Wonder's "Make Sure You're Sure." Sipiagin's muted trumpet work, Blake's beautiful tenor, and the leader's classy trappings all come together wonderfully on that one.  Many of these songs have come to define jazz for a certain segment of listeners, but they need not be viewed as sacrosanct vessels. A song, be it a standard or any other type, is simply source material, and it's up to the musicians to do with them as they please. That's where artistry comes into play when addressing the standards, and Tsiganov truly gets that. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/misha-tsiganov-the-artistry-of-the-standard-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Misha Tsiganov: piano;  Alex Sipiagin: trumpet, flugelhorn;  Seamus Blake: tenor saxophone;  Boris Kozlov: bass;  Donald Edwards: drums.

The Artistry Of The Standard

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Jack Walrath - To Hellas And Back

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 69:52
Size: 128,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:20)  1. Leaving Santorini Blues
(6:30)  2. Bees
(7:43)  3. O' Mangas
(6:05)  4. Tsiknopempti
(5:52)  5. Grace
(7:47)  6. Blues For The Blind
(6:13)  7. Panopticon
(7:55)  8. Enter … Boris
(8:58)  9. Via Ia
(5:24) 10. Norris Junction

An often exciting, thoughtful trumpeter and good arranger, Jack Walrath has steadily gained attention and exposure through his contributions to outstanding sessions. Walrath began playing trumpet at nine, and studied at Berklee in the mid- and late '60s while working with other students and backing up R&B vocalists. He moved to the West Coast in 1969, and co-led the bands Change with Gary Peacock, and Revival with Glenn Ferris. Walrath also toured a year with Ray Charles. Walrath relocated to New York in the early 70s, and worked with Latin bands before playing with Charles Mingus from 1974 to 1979, an association that gave him a certain amount of recognition. Walrath contributed some arrangements and orchestrations to Mingus' final recordings. In the 1980s and '90s, he led his own bands, toured Europe with Dannie Richmond and the British group Spirit Level, worked with Charlie Persip's Superband and Richard Abrams, and helped keep the music of Charles Mingus alive by playing with Mingus Dynasty. Jack Walrath has recorded as a leader for Gatemouth, Stash, SteepleChase, Red, Muse, Spotlite, Blue Note, and Mapleshade; he is still improving with age. ~ Ron Wynn https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jack-walrath/id36602597#fullText

Personnel:  Jack Walrath – trumpet;  Abraham Burton - tenor sax;  George Burton – piano;  Boris Kozlov – bass;  Donald Edwards - drums

To Hellas And Back

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Boris Kozlov - Conversations At The Well

Size: 132,3 MB
Time: 56:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Five (6:26)
02. Conversation (5:46)
03. Orbits (6:10)
04. Semblace (7:18)
05. Prelude To A Kiss (9:07)
06. Eye Of The Hurricane (6:09)
07. Latin Genetics (5:45)
08. Headless Blues (4:49)
09. Pannonica (5:25)

Two-time Grammy Award-winner Boris Kozlov has released his debut album as a bandleader: Conversations At The Well.

The New York-based bassist, who originally hails from Russia, performs on the record with guitarist David Gilmore (Steve Coleman and Five Elements) and drummer Rudy Royston.

MC
Ziddu

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