Alexey Kruglov/Carolyn Hume/Paul May/Oleg Yudanov

Yury Markin
I Believe in Atlantis
Art Service Art-416

One of Russia’s most accomplished Free Jazzers, alto saxophonist Alexey Kruglov is involved with many ensembles in-and-out of the former USSR. These thoughtful discs find him more in the background though his forthright improvising means he isn’t overshadowed by others. On I Believe in Atlantis he’s one of the associate playing six compositions and arrangements by pianist Yury Markin, member of the Russian State Composers Union, and an educator in the Special State School of Stage & Jazz Art. Besides the saxophonist and pianist the group includes two of Kruglov’s long time associates, drummer Oleg Yudanov and bassist Igor Ivanushkin, plus Pago Libre’s French hornist Arkady Shilkloper on two tracks. The five tracks on Last Train from Narvskaya are group improvisations featuring Kruglov and Yudanov, plus from the UK, pianist Carolyn Hume and drummer Paul May, who usually work as a duo.

A professional since the 1960s, who also composes symphonies, Markin’s works are modern mainstream with tastes of Bop, Cool and Free Jazz. With hunt-and-peck intonation that seems to relate to Lennie Tristano, Markin more readily comps than solos. When he does up his game, cascades and chording draw on Russian Romanticism, with Ivanushkin’s double-stopping arco or echoing pizzicato asides undulating in sympathy. Rim shots, clip-clops and cymbal measuring come from Yudanov, while Kruglov’s contributions range from chalumeau alto clarinet snores, hard reed bites, Tanesque flattement or scoops from the alto saxophone. Markin’s compositions are dedicated to arrangements with individual motifs harmonized in conjoined echoes or worked out in duo accompaniment. Quintet tracks feature a structure that fluidly approximates “Maiden Voyage”-like riffs. Phlegmatic in tone, recapping the introductions at the finale and on “Lullaby of the Sea” buffed French horn horizontal tones are blended with plastic bottle sounding drum pops. Before the turnaround saxophone split tones and smears intensify the exposition until subtle bass and piano strokes pick up the melody. “Chateau d’If” extends this formula with Markin’s keyboard tinkles and reed bites from Kruglov setting up a grainy brass exploration from Shilkloper echoing into group harmony. With an obvious dedication “Ornettology” is the most fully realized creation. Juddering and slithering pulsations from bass string thumps and hi-hat drum rattles set up Kruglov’s squeaks and honks as he works through numerous theme variations. Coordinated piano comping and drum smacks align the clarion reed exposition into a solid climax.

While Markin’s compositions emphasize 1960s style tonality, those on the other disc are firmly anchored in 21st Century acceptance and emphasis on atonality. Plus Yudanov’s miscellaneous percussion and Kruglov adding timbres from prepared alto saxophone, detached sax mouthpieces for duck calls and multiple voices, additional stretched textures are called into play. While there are some resolute and moderated timbral concoctions among the four, singular percussion clatters and gentling piano chords are secondary to tone exploration. Most audacious are the almost 22-minute “Red Wave Suite” and the slightly shorter “The Lover-Magician”. Complete in itself, the first evolves from distant drum rumbles and piano impressionism to harsh shronks and shrieks from Kruglov that coax stopped key and steel-drum-like pulsations from the others. Percussion throbs that are in part slaps against the piano’s capotes and backboard and in part metallic clatter characterize a middle sequence which otherwise starts with long-lined sound spurts and vibration sucked from the reed and accelerates to vocalized animalistic cries and strangled growls. Finally Kruglov’s siren-like cries are contrasted with and folded logically into a restrained coda of muted piano clopping and hollow sounding percussion pops. On “The Lover-Magician” it’s the saxophonist’s stained squeaks and finger-vibrated trills that define the exposition, as the dual idiophones’ shakes and rattles add their comments and Hume’s hunt-and-peck pianism inflate to glissandi for contrapuntal challenges. Cunningly though, the quartet members are attuned enough to each others’ impulses that the staccato line eventually becomes more nuanced relaxing into a meeting of spiritual asides from the saxophonist and cumulative piano strokes.

Even as appropriate space is allocated to the other musicians, who use it intelligently, Kruglov’s contributions are still first among equals. They also confirm his ability to enliven any program, including those he doesn’t lead.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Atlantis: 1. I believe in Atlantis/ Я верю в Атлантиду 2. Serenade for Prokofiev/ Серенада для Прокофьева 3. Lullaby of the Sea/ Колыбельная моря* 4. Ornettology (dedicated to Ornette Coleman) Орнэттолоджи (посвящение Орнету Коулману) 5. Chateau d’If/ Замок «Иф 6. Lamento/Ламенто

Personnel: Atlantis: Arkady Shilkloper (French horn)*; Alexey Kruglov (alto saxophone and alto clarinet); Yury Markin (one hand piano); Igor Ivanushkin (bass) and Oleg Yudanov (drums)

Track Listing: Narvskaya: 1. Winter Aviary 2. Red Wave Suite 3. Last Train from Narvskaya 4. The Lover-Magician 5. Voices of the Luna.

Personnel: Narvskaya: Alexey Kruglov (alto saxophone, prepared alto sax and alto sax mouthpieces, voice, objects); Carolyn Hume piano); Paul May (drums) and Oleg Yudanov (percussion)