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"Upcoming Hurricane" No Business Records 2011
| All About Jazz Nov. 2011
Free jazz trios require an instigator—someone who will incite others to action, counteraction, or response. With the trio of double bassist Pascal Niggenkemper, Simon Nabatov, and Gerald Cleaver, there are three such instigators, and on Upcoming Hurricane, these three musicians collaborate to create nearly a perfect storm. Mark Corroto |
JazzWrap December 2011 ...the new album, Upcoming Hurricane, pretty much says it all. This is a heavy storm of sound that comes on quietly but resonates brightly over 60+ minutes. Clean, open and improvised, Niggenkemper is a brilliant performer but more importantly an astute and crafty composer and leader. Niggenkemper's idea of space, wind and earth as a theme for exploring music is embedded throughout this session. The title track comes rolling in like a swarm of bees. The addition of Simon Nabatov (piano) provides a deeper and introspective outlook than PN Trio which was sax, bass and drums. Nabatov's free formed pounding keys intersect with Cleaver's pulsating drums and Niggenkemper's expertly dense bowed bass making for an intense listen. But it unfolds beautifully in all its clattering glory. There is a rising tempo that reaches an epic two thirds of the way through that you have to really hold on tight because things could get out of hand. And suddenly all three musicians release you as if you were never there. "Arbol de piedra" reverses the setting. It's a piece with a lot of space and room for each member to interpret freely. Cleaver touches around the outside of Nabatov exploratory notes. While Niggenkemper floats in and out of the melody with dreamlike quality. It's piece that allows the listen to think a dwell and become absorbed into the spaces between the notes. Exquisite execution by composer and trio. Stephan Moore |
The New York Jazz Records January 2012 Spontaneity is enhanced by inspiration. That’s what bassist Pascal Niggenkemper proves with this CD, an original take on the classic jazz piano trio, recorded in one session in Cologne. The symmetry maintained between linear harmony and fanciful abstractions demonstrated on the seven tracks is also a result of the equilibrium maintained among the bassist and his associates - sidemen isn’t the word - who singly and together have been on hundreds of records. Ken Waxman |
All About Jazz Feb. 2012
John Sharpe |
| Toma Jazz Spain Nov. 2011
El contrabajista Pascal Niggenkemper ha estado muy activo durante los últimos meses (discográficamente hablando), participando en unas cuantas grabaciones de distintos proyectos como los tríos HNH, Minerva y Clarino, o el cuarteto Polylemma. A todas esas grabaciones hay que añadir Upcoming Hurricane, publicada a su nombre por el sello lituano NoBusiness Records en la que le acompañan el pianista Simon Nabatov y el baterista Gerald Cleaver. Los tres músicos forman una unidad orgánica que trabaja, salvo en uno de los temas, creando unas improvisaciones con tal sentido melódico que en algún momento parecen más bien temas escritos que composiciones instantáneas. En ello ayudan los dos acompañantes de Niggenkemper: el ruso Simon Nabatov es un veterano curtido en mil batallas, mientras que Gerald Cleaver es un todo terreno con una gran hoja de servicios. Por encima de otras consideraciones resalta la gran variedad que presenta la música que aparece en esas improvisaciones: abstracta en un momento, puede ser lírica en el siguiente, alternando en el mismo tema una gran intensidad con el sentido de ligereza que aportan los espacios. Incluso alguno de los temas finaliza con un tremendo groove. El trío maneja con maestría las transiciones entre esos momentos tan variados. El siguiente elemento a considerar son los músicos, artífices de lo anterior gracias a sus magníficas maneras. Estas no se hacen patentes únicamente en sus solos, sino sobre todo gracias a la interacción entre los tres, que no cesa en su búsqueda en ningún momento. El resultado de su arte es una magnífica grabación de improvisaciones libres que no obvian su vertiente melódica. Pachi Tapiz |
| Scrivere di Jazz Nov. 2011
Il nome ne rivela le origini europee ma il contrabbassista, franco-teutonico, Pascal Niggenkemper oggi è cittadino newyorkese e musicista rappresentativo di quella metropoli dove è arrivato nel 2005 per proseguire i suoi studi al Manhattan School of Music con Jay Anderson grazie ad un premio DAAD concesso quell’anno dal governo tedesco e dove ha conseguito successivamente il Diploma Master in Music Performance. Scrivo di lui perché mi è pervenuta da qualche settimana la sua ultima produzione discografica che segna un’altra tappa importante nella sua attività, da sempre intensa, malgrado i trentatreanni della sua giovane età, che lo ha visto membro della Henry Mancini Institut di Los Angeles nel 2006 nonché componente di gruppi di musicisti a fianco di Maria Schneider, Vince Mendoza e Gonzalo Rubalcaba. A New York, Niggenkemper è già stato parte di un trio con Robin Verheyen e Tyshawn Sorey, mentre in questo cd, uscito a settembre per l’etichetta NoBusiness, lo ritroviamo con Simon Nabatov al pianoforte e Gerand Cleaver alla batteria. Due musicisti dediti a frequentazioni d’avanguardia e quindi in ideale sinergia con la tendenziale scelta musicale che anche il contrabbassista ha operato in questi ultimi anni. La sobrietà della copertina che accompagna il cd dà già un’idea di ciò che le sette tracce da lì a poco esprimeranno ovvero un’essenzialità jazzistica che non concede nulla all’estetica formale e che invece risulta fortemente votata ad instaurare una fitta interazione. Il dialogo si esplica a volte attraverso un dilagante e magmatico incedere nervoso, che ha in Cleaver un esaltante dispensatore di ritmi africaneggianti, altre volte creando scarni ambiti dialettici pervasi da reminiscenze classiche europee di cui il pianismo di Nabatov è intriso. In entrambe le condizioni Niggenkemper si mostra non solo a suo agio ma anche stimolato con tutto il suo preponderante campionario inventivo che lo strumento gli consente di esprimere senza dimenticare di rivelare, che ancor prima di dedicarsi al contrabbasso, è stato in tenera età pianista e violinista. Con cotanta dote innata e con il contributo di musicisti come Nabatov e Cleaver, Niggenkemper, ha realizzato una delle produzioni più interessanti di questi ultimi mesi, oltretutto, disponibile anche in vinile. Giuseppe Mavilla |
All About Jazz Italy Dec. 2011 Upcoming Hurricane, l'uragano che sta arrivando, è quello che prende forma dalle dita, dalle mani e dai piedi di Pascal Niggenkemper, Simon Nabatov, Gerald Clever. "Pusteblume" è l'attesa. L'archetto manovrato da Niggenkemper sfrega le corde del contrabbasso, stridori e dissonanze vagano per l'aria alimentando una tensione sottile ma palpabile. Nubi minacciose all'orizzonte, la calma apparente, i silenzi che si intrufolano tra le corde, sparuti trilli acuti e acuminati provenienti dal pianoforte di Nabatov preannunciano un cambiamento imminente e devastante. Vincenzo Roggero |
Jazz a credit Intéressante session d’improvisation entre deux grands improvisateurs et un jeune contrebassiste sur cette petite étiquette lituanienne publiant ses albums en série limitée (dans ce cas, seulement 300 exemplaires). 2 longues pièces de 11 minutes et 5 pièces plus petites. Les musiciens alternent entre le silence, la délicatesse et la fureur, le plein de notes car c’est parfois très rapide, dense et free. Lorsque les trois musiciens s’éclatent (comme sur Hupcoming Hurricane, la pièce phare du disque par son ascension et sa fragilité), le piano est omniprésent, Nabatov appuyant lourdement sur les touches, cascadant comme lui seul sait le faire. Lors de ces passages, il devient plus difficile de cerner la contrebasse, elle devient presque un instrument à percussion tellement Niggenkemper pince les cordes pour y sortir du son. Par moment, l’archet sera utilisé lors des pièces plus silencieuses. À la batterie Cleaver est un maître des nuances, des pinceaux, de la force et de la polyrythmie. Trois musiciens à l’écoute l’un de l’autre dans un free bien mené, pas trop aride, juste ce qu’il faut. Belle exploration sonore entre le déchirement, la contemplation, la vitesse, la tempête, la terre ferme, l’envol, le calme… Maxime Bouchard |

"Square Down" Leo Records LR 607 2011
|
Jazzreview.com October 2011 *****
Glenn Astarita |
The New York Jazz Records January 2012 <...> Reijseger rejoices in home territory on Square Down by an egalitarian trio completed by gifted Russian pianist Simon Nabatov and German saxophonist Matthias Schubert. Mercurial interaction holds sway across six spontaneously generated cuts as egos are checked at the door in a magical three-way exposition drawing on extended techniques. Reijseger plucks and bows with unfettered abandon, contrasting creaking tonal flexibility with his singing classical technique. Nabatov spends as much time inside the piano as out, which makes his freewheeling keyboard forays stand out all the more while Schubert’s slobbery susurrations and hoarse multiphonics evolve into rapidly articulated sonic cascades. Preternaturally responsive, they wheel and twist like flocking birds, leaderless but united. Their interplay dazzles in its dexterity, speed and depth of feeling. John Sharpe |
Jazz Podium December 2011 Seine 12. CD bei Leo Records hat Simon Nabatov in Köln aufgenommen, seit vielen Jahren sein Wohn- und Schaffensort, wo viele seiner außergewöhnlichen Arbeiten entstanden sind. Hans - Jürgen von Osterhausen |
| Bad Alchemy 71 - 2011
Vom Roundup-Quintett der letzten LR-Veröffentlichung des Pianisten SIMON NABA TOV sind bei Square Down (LR 607) nur MATTHIAS SCHUBERT mit seinen Tenorsaxergüssen und ERNST REIJSEGER mit seinen Celloeskapaden geblieben. Statt den impressionistischen und launig-tänzerischen Akzenten des Quintetts, steht hier erstmal 'Long Haul' auf dem Programm, eine Viertelstunde turbulentes Rumgetobe. Schubert knurrt, schnaubt, spaltzüngelt und feuerspuckt wie ein brünftiger Drachen. Der volu minöse Pianist hämmert und meiselt, was das Zeug hält. Erst bei 'Genostasis' wird abgeregter geschliffen und gepfiffen, mit Lauten, die der niederländische Cellist schon vorbereitete, als er wie ein Theremin klang oder eine Pikkoloflöte. 'Run For It' ist dann ein von ihm angeführtes klassisches Ding, zugleich sanglich und sportlich. Bei 'Chapter And Verse' wird, halb animalisch, halb elektronisch, in Noise gestöbert. Slapstick pur, mit Innenklaviergebrumm und Mäusepfiffen, und Schubert schlürft und schrillt kopfüber im Blecheimer. Aus dem dann, opulent und vollmundig melodiös, spritzige Erfrischung geschöpft wird, in die das Cello jaulend glissandiert, Klänge, die man doch wirklich nicht ohne Strom erzeugen kann, oder? Für 'Plangent Cry' liefert Reijseger innenklavier beharften Wohlklang, aber auch ein dopplereffektvolles Summen, das in rhythmische Motive mündet. Aus einer träumerisch zerstreuten Passage entwickelt sich wieder ein temperamentvoll animierter Schweinsgalopp hin zu einem langen, wieder geräusch verliebten Ausklang. 'Giant Lips' sprintet dann ins Ziel, als aufgekratzt sprudelndes Accelerando bis hin zum letzten Ping. 53 Minuten? Es kam mir kürzer vor. [BA 71 rbd] Rigobert Dittmann |
Altrisuoni Blow Up September 2011 Un power trio che la natura ha condotto per necessità a suonare insieme. Tensione creativa perenne, attimi di rilassatezza ricercati al solo scopo di ripartire verso nuovi e sempre differenti scuotimenti. Il piano di Simon Nabatov sa muoversi con eleganza prima di colpire a fondo con rapidità felina. Il cello di Ernst Reijseger perde o acquista l’aura classica a seconda del momento, sospeso tra abrasività e suoni concilianti. Il tenore di Matthias Schubert ama i battimenti sofisticati ma sa esplodere in una nuvola di vitalità quando la situazione lo richiede. Una prova riuscita per tre navigati e non ancora sazi esploratori dell’infinito. Piercarlo Poggio |

"Roundup" Leo Records LR 586 2010
Cadence May 2011 Jason Bivins Allein die Besetzung kann
schon mit der Zunge schnalzen lassen: Simon Nabatov (p),
Nils Wogram (tb), Matthias Schubert (ts), Ernst Reijseger
(cello) und Tom Rainey (dr). Das steht für ein Maximum
an kreativer Energie und Integrationskraft, für die
Gleichzeitigkeit von Chaos und Kosmos, für Farbe, Form
und Offenheit, für die individuelle Entfaltung und
dienliche Zuordnung. Für seine elfte Leo-CD hat sich
Simon Nabatov zum 50. Geburtstag eine echte musikalische
Sternstunde gegönnt, seinen liebsten Partnern sieben
Kompositionen anvertraut und diese zu einem subtil
entrückten, lebendigen Gesamtkunstwerk vereint. Bei
aller improvisierenden Frische und schöpferischen Kraft
überwiegen die leiseren Töne, der pastellfarbene
Hauch und die produktive Balance einer runden
Zwischenbilanz, die mit sich im Reinen ist, zugleich in
keiner Sekunde Müdigkeit vorschützt. So
einzigartig bewegend kann die Lebensmitte sein. Kein
Zweifel! Tobias
Boecker Moment's
Notice December 2010 The Russian-born,
German-resident pianist Simon Nabatov has demonstrated
tremendous breadth as a performer, from witty improvised
duos with Han Bennink to earthy post-bop bands with Ray
Anderson. He's added his own voice to the works of Herbie
Nichols and crafted both vocal settings and tone poems on
Russian literary works. Here Nabatov leads an international
quintet in a series of pieces that testify to his sometimes
startling imagination, for Nabatov is traditionally, even
romantically, lyrical, and just as capable of developing
machine-like power and collective frenzy. At times the
lushly-set melodies here give the impression of a Gil Evans
orchestra (shades of Ellington, Mingus and George Russell
arise as well), making it all the more impressive that he's
playing with a quintet, though a very special group of
musicians - trombonist Nils Wogram (a frequent Nabatov
collaborator), tenor saxophonist Matthias Schubert, cellist
Ernst Reijseger and drummer Tom Rainey. It's a great band
and a fine match for Nabatov's impulses, the opening
"Sunrise, Twice" matching his music-box piano against
Wogram's continuous drone and Rainey's at once sparse and
lively snare drumming. As compelling as the opening is,
though, it's Nabatov's ability, a matter of both technique
and conception, to keep growing an idea beyond where you
think it can go, developing lacy dissonances before the
piece gently disappear into itself. There's even more
movement in "Career Ladder", which grows from eerie dialogue
to roller-coaster momentum. The contrasts of the opening
pieces develop again and again here, as Nabatov's lyrical
reflections give rise to dense exchanges and sudden theme
statements. There's a brilliant collocation between composed
structures and collective improvisation, resulting in a kind
of structured turmoil. The musicians move in and out of
Nabatov's overlapping patterns with both fierce energy and
control, and you get the sense that each member of the group
is simultaneously assuming several roles, as disciplined
(and reading) sideman, empathetic member of a community, and
independent improviser. This is highly distinctive and
valuable work. Stuart
Broomer Vortex
Jazz Club November 2010 Much that
needs to be said about some recordings can be conveyed
simply by listing their personnel, such is the
distinctiveness and originality of the participants; this
album, featuring a quintet led by Simon Nabatov, is one
such. Nabatov himself is a restlessly inventive, virtuosic
pianist, capable of the most delicate lyricism, rollicking
wit and thundering vigour, as required; trombonist Nils
Wogram brings to this most human-sounding instrument a rare
degree of subtle eloquence, softly crooning one minute,
pleasantly blurting the next; Matthias Schubert is a master
of textural variation, sculpting sounds rich in emotive
power from his tenor; Ernst Reijseger has been setting the
bar for resourceful improvised cello for decades; Tom Rainey
might have been specially created for musical situations
such as this, adept as he is at bringing an emphatic,
confident muscularity to ostensibly free music and thereby
bringing out all the subtleties of structure buried within
it. Nabatov's music on "Roundup" ranges from the
tinklingly/sparklingly delicate to brawling free-for-alls (a
contrast epitomised by the juxtaposition of' 'Desfile' and
'No Doubt' at the end of the recording), touching most bases
between for good measure, but it coheres courtesy of the
sheer energy, commitment and mutual responsiveness of his
world-class band. Recommended. Chris
Parker AllAboutJazz
November 2010 "Sunrise,
Twice" - ROUNDUP With
venerable band mates generating a sympathetic framework,
Russian-reared/New York City-based pianist Simon Nabatov
re-fabricates ambiances into slightly fragmented story lines
on the superb Roundup. Featuring semi-structured tone poems
spiked with dissonance, budding grooves, and intriguing
dialogues among the players, Nabatov opens with a
transcendent melody on "Sunrise, Twice." The
pianist's cascading chord voicings and trickling right-hand
patterns spawn a gradual shift to a faintly ominous vibe,
treated with swirling choruses and rhythmic clusters.
Underscored by trombonist Nils Wogram and saxophonist
Matthias Schubert's dissonant contrasts, "Sunrise, Twice"
morphs into an ascending deconstruction via extended notes
and intersecting sub-themes. Finalizing the piece on a
hauntingly harmonious note, this is just the beginning of
Nabatov 's truly captivating endeavor, engulfed in a
cavalcade of polyrhythmic perspectives and fascinating
exchanges by the players. A masterfully inventive pianist,
Nabatov drills his fluid thought processes and clever
inventions into the broad realm of modern-day jazz and
improvisation. Glenn
Astarita Touching
Extremes December 2010 The
initial Sunrise, Twice - cellist Ernst Reijseger and
trombonist Nils Wogram depicting a slow parabola under the
leader's melancholic figures - is already deserving of a
mention among the classics. But Simon Nabatov won't stop
there: he's indeed one of the few piano virtuosos around
that doesn't need to flex his technical muscles, preferring
paths that lead to diverse embodiments of harmonic
consciousness. The quintet, completed by Matthias Schubert
on tenor sax and Tom Rainey on drums, enlivens the listening
environment through comprehensible difficulties, each
instrument furnishing a glorious contribution to a healthy
combination of rationality, sentiment and - when necessary -
bedlam. On the other hand, the principal's huge sensibility
throws everything that's unnecessary out of the house when
the moment is appropriate: Stuck For Good is
permeated by a mixture of dissonant impregnability and
profound reflection, the latter explicated by emotional
passages that recall the earlier work of Rainer Brueninghaus
with Eberhard Weber while touching an entirely different set
of inner strings in those who listen. This juxtaposition of
instrumental nimbleness and alleviating, if pensive serenity
- not forgetting a touch of irony - corresponds to the
concrete foundation of this superb release, ended by the
beautiful ballad No Doubt, which sounds like a
contemporary standard that nevertheless would have made
Glenn Miller proud. Massimo
Ricci AllAboutJazz
Italy December 2010 For his
fiftieth birthday and his eleventh recording for Leo
Records, the pianist and composer of Russian origin Simon
Nabatov packs a strong punch. Here we find all the
elements that led Nabatov to the Olympus of pianism in the
modern music: the prestigious academic background, the
refined touch, the overflowing virtuosity which never
surrenders to pure exhibitionism, interest in various forms
of the vanguard, the improvisational spirit imbued with
great melodic sense, innate curiosity towards new and
greater challenges. But
Roundup highlights even more the writing abilities of the
great pianist - Nabatov strings in a row seven
compositions perfectly tailored to this unique quintet
setup; from the first to the last one they show the
qualities of the real classics. There is a perfect balance
between a sense of narrative, the capacity of the true
storyteller, a syntax full of "accidents", the unexpected,
of furious collective improvisations as well as clean lines,
minimalist mantra-like sequences, as well as
dissonance. The
initial "Sunrise, Twice" is built on crystalline cascades of
notes from the piano, a sort of eerie music box that feeds a
climate of agonizing waiting, a kind of "Desert of the
Tartars" music. "Career Ladder" is embodied by a collective
improvisation that slowly but surely comes together and
flows into a splendid ensemble of organized chaos. The final
"No Doubt" is a timeless ballad that warms the heart with a
few strokes bedded with wisdom, infused by a subtle tension
that constitutes the decisive factor. And between those
bookends - a string of pearls to be discovered,
listening after listening. The musicians are all on top of
their game, but Ernst Reijseger deserves a special mention -
he, as always, manages to penetrate the heart of the
performances to bring out the hidden aspects and
characterize them with a touch of genius. Vincenzo
Roggero Jazz a credit Simon Nabatov est un pianiste né à Moscou en 1959. Il émigre avec sa famille à New York en 1979 et va étudier à la Julliard School of Music. Il réside maintenant à Cologne en Allemagne. Depuis son émergence en tant que musicien jazz, on peut l’associer à l’avant-garde jazz, un jazz composé avec des “règles”, mais où l’improvisation débridée est très présente. Il suffit de regarder son imposante discographie pour se convaincre de l’étendu de son talent et de ses intérêts musicaux. Ses collaborations couvrent un large spectre, de l’hommage à Herbie Nichols en passant par la musique brésilienne, de l’octet au trio en passant par le quatuor, etc. Roundup est son 10e album chez Leo, enregistré afin de célébrer son 50e anniversaire de naissance en décembre 2009 lors d’une série de 4 concerts. Cet album nous propose 7 compositions du pianiste dans une sorte de romantisme free. Les pièces débutent lentement, avec introduction d’un ou quelques motifs servant d’ancre pour des lentes progressions harmoniques avant l’éclatement. Le piano répète des motifs simples sur lesquels les cuivres improviseront avant de revenir sur le thème. Il y aura de fortes improvisations, le saxophone et le trombone s’amusant en contrepoint ou de front ensemble. Chaque composition part de sa propre idée ou “procédure” avant d’être élaborée par l’ensemble dans l’improvisation. La polyphonie et la dissonance seront au rendez-vous tandis que Nabatov fustige le piano parfois délicatement, souvent intensément avec des grosses chordes et des cascades. Il rappelle une myriade de styles et de pianistes d’horizons différents (post-bop, classique, free). C’est une musique en ascension constante avec des brisures ici et là après maints paroxysmes. Le violoncelle apporte un caractère “chambré” tandis que la batterie de Rainey se place du coté avant-jazz avec sa folie habituelle syncopée, rapide, franche. Un excellent album m’ayant charmé du début à la fin. Maxime Bouchard JAZZthing
November 2010 - January 2011 ...die Besetzung
hält, was die verspricht. Mit einem kaum zu
übertreffenden Sinn an Dramatik inszeniert der Pianist
heroische Klanglandschaften. Wolf
Kampmann The New York Jazz Record November 2011 ...a wonderfully subdued new quintet session from the Russian pianist Simon Nabatov... Kurt Gottschalk JAZZTHETIK
11+12. 2010 ...Sie spielen
ausschließlich Stücke des hochvirtuosen Pianisten
Nabattov, die von einer verträumt-bedrolichen Stimmung,
verblüffender Interaktion und rhythmisch-harmonischer
Raffinesse leben. Rolf
Thomas Jazzflits
Holland November 2010 Op je vijftigste
kijk je eens hoe je ervoor staat. Dat wil de titel "Roundup"
uitdrukken. Pianist Simon Nabatov stelde een topkwintet van
getrouwen samen om het heuglijke feit te vieren: trombonist
Nils Wogram, saxofonist Matthias Schubert, cellist Ernst
Reijseger en drummer Tom Rainey. Het vijftal kent elkaarvan
haver tot gort, en stoeit heerlijk met een zevental
composities van de hand van de leider. En daarin staat het
een en ander genoteerd, maar is er ook voldoende ruimte voor
improvisatie.Want de heren zijn meesters in het switchen
tussen de ene en de andere discipline. Gezamenlijk zorgen ze
voor bijzonder rijke muziek, die vol zit met haast
ondraaglijke naar een climax aanzwellende melodieen en
pakkende grooves. Maar ook met ontregelende momenten, waar
schoonheid bruut wordt verstoord door knallende
klankexploraties. Er is aangrijpende lyriek (die soms Leo
Cuypers-achtige vormen aanneemt), instrumental acrobatiek en
pure verstilling waar bij ieder geluidje met spanning de
aandacht vraagt om te horen waar het heen gaat. Het publiek
in de Keulse Loft (waar het optreden vorig jaar werd
opgenomen) moet een heerlijk avondje hebben
gehad. Herman
te Loo Единомышленники Вереница композиций с диска “Roundup” – это своего рода постмодернистское путешествие, в котором новоджазовые музыканты ведут за собой слушателей по территории стилей – от минимализма и неоромантизма до сонорного авангарда. В условиях постмодерна, когда чистая музыка не в почете и что-то принципиально новое в этой области невозможно даже теоретически, зато в моде теория о конце времени композиторов, Симон Набатов придумывает изобретательные, интересные структуры. Он сочиняет и играет композиции, где всегда в какой-то мере присутствует “воздух” импровизации, и, пожалуй, для постмодерна его музыка слишком эстетична. Скажем, в первом треке “Sunrise, Twice” картина солнечного восхода рисуется модально-сонорными фактурами фортепиано, произрастающими, подобно протуберанцам, из первоначального светоносного до мажора. Этот длящийся мажор в партиях коллег Набатова впоследствии деформируется – как грани церквей на полотнах Аристарха Лентулова, а модальность фортепиано все более приближается к сонористическому звону, и, кажется, в условно взятое абстрактное пространство излучаются волны звукосвета. Все это – красота не в духе постмодерна. Irina Severova
The latest release from the dazzling pianist Nabatov is a bit of a changeup from his recent work, as many of his releases for Leo have focused on his inspirations in literature (the Bulgakov set was particularly memorable). On this release Nabatov continues to explore somewhat similar musical terrain—huge technique that wends its way through bop-derive languages and new music territories in the context of semi-structured play—but does so with greater space for texture and a more free-wheeling approach to harmony. Over the course of a couple evenings at Cologne's venerable LOFT, Nabatov and his longtime colleagues play with great detail and exuberance, flirting with genre (the samba gestures of "Sunrise, Twice," for example) and freedom alike, seamlessly. Instead of long-form conceptually driven suites, the band uses each piece to explore at length a single idea or written fragment. With such invention as these improvisers are capable of, things never seem thin or underdeveloped. Just listen to the nuance Nabatov and Rainey coax from a simple drone and near silence on "Career Ladder," which purposefully avoids expressionism in favor of minimalism. That is, until the riotous five-part rhythm machine that is the main theme emerges. Subtle and brash alike, craggy and fluid, these themes are protean in a way that suits perfectly these improvisers' strengths. From the dense, soaring "Stuck for Good" and "Low Budget" to the restraint of "Now What" and the dancing "Desfile," this is state of the art stuff.
"Jazz Podium" December 2010
As always, Nabatov’s pieces are satisfying little gems, precisely realized movements, which range from moody piano settings supported by Ernst Reijseger’s cello to upbeat, jazzy tunes with the sax and trombone of Mathias Schubert and Nils Wogram, respectively, at the fore.
Новоджазовый пианист родом из Москвы, эмигрировавший в Нью-Йорк в конце 1970-х, а спустя еще десятилетие переехавший в Кельн, Симон Набатов – человек мира. Одиннадцатый его компакт-диск на авторитетном британском лейбле “Leo Records” вышел под названием “Roundup”. В этом проекте, посвященном 50-летию Набатова, юбиляру удалось собрать прогрессивных единомышленников – музыкантов евроджаза: тенор-саксофониста Маттиаса Шуберта, тромбониста Нильса Вограма, виолончелиста Эрнста Рейзегера и барабанщика Тома Рейни. В Москве Набатова знают: в октябре 2003 года он был специальным гостем на пятилетии московского трио “Второе приближение” в ММДМ, в декабре 2005-го играл в дуэте с Нильсом Вограмом в клубах Петербурга и Москвы. Более того, российским любителям нового джаза Набатов известен по главным своим работам, апеллирующим к нашей отечественной литературе ХХ века: Михаилу Булгакову, Даниилу Хармсу, Иосифу Бродскому. Вместе с тем Набатов прочно укоренен в западной культуре, о чем свидетельствует длинный список его творческих контактов (среди прочих в нем числятся Чет Бейкер, Пол Моушн, Кенни Уилер, Фил Минтон, Мишель Годар, Хан Беннинк, Фрэнк Гратковски).
В свое время Симон Набатов учился в Центральной музыкальной школе и Московской консерватории, затем в нью-йоркском Джульярде. Академическое образование очень чувствуется и в его манере игры, и в его музыке (на диске все семь композиций – его авторства). У него замечательное туше, отточенная фортепианная техника и, хотя сам он говорит, что старается как можно дальше отойти от классического мышления, в его музыке довольно много выписанного текста и специфически композиторской работы. Уход от академизма очевиден в подчеркнуто неклассическом типе развития: большинство пьес построено на едином дыхании и представляет один мыслеобраз, одну идею. Такой тип мышления близок минимализму, в частности американскому, отголоски которого в фактурах Набатова нередко слышны.
А вот ирония Набатова вполне в духе нашего постмодернистского времени. Во втором треке начальное хаотическое движение музыкальных атомов постепенно образует цепную реакцию, название этой пьесы – “Career Ladder” (а завершается “Карьерная лестница” мерцающими “потусторонними” звучностями у рояля). Столь же ироничен пятый номер “Low Budget” (“Недостаточный бюджет”) с соло барабанов.
Нельзя сказать, что Симон Набатов в этом своем проекте безусловный лидер: его коллеги по ансамблю создают музыкальную материю с ним на равных, периодически проявляя себя в сольных высказываниях.

"Moods and Modes" NWOG-Records 002
| JazzThing 87 January 2011
Die zwei passen zusammen wie Topf und Deckel. Nils Wogram, schlau-genialer Alleinerbe des Posaunen-Reviers von Albert Mangelsdorff, und Simon Nabatov, verrueckt-genialer Elfenbein-Expressionist ohne festes Hoheitsgebiet, haben sich vorgenommen, gemeinsam Stimmungen und Formen zu kreieren. Zum fuenften Mal mittlerweile - was allein schon Beachtung verdient. So etwas impliziert einen gewissen Grad der Vertrautheit, des Einander-Zulassens, Detailwissen ueber die Staerken und Schwaechen des anderen. Vieles geschieht bei Wogram und Nabatov laengst im unterbewussten, reflexartigen Bereich. Im Gegensatz zu einer alten Ehe haben sich die beiden jedoch zum Glueck eine gewisse Rest-Unberechenbarkeit bewahrt, die eingefahrene Rollenspiele immer wieder neu definiert. Sie verblueffen einander, sprinten, treiben, bohren, kriechen, tupfen, hauchen, treiben Schabernack, zerfransen Themen, laufen auseinander, um sich nach unendlichen Schleifen wieder zu finden. Faszinierend dabei die transzendentalen Faehigkeiten des Posaunisten und des Pianisten, die haeufig erahnen, was der andere gerade im Schilde fuehrt, und den fremden Gedanken noch vor dessen Ausfuehrung kontern. So etwas ist verdammt schwer, klingt aber bei Wogram und Nabatov verblueffend leicht. Grosse Improvisationskunst! Reinhard Koechl |
Jazzdimensions 2011
|

"Simon Nabatov plays Herbie Nichols" PanRec 003 2010
Touching
Extremes November 2010 Simon Nabatov is a gentle
bear of a man who seems to struggle a bit when forced to put
the quintessence of music and inspiration in plain words.
But, when turning to the piano keyboard, his fingers do all
the necessary talking, shutting an enraptured audience up in
the process. A child prodigy born in Moscow in 1959, Nabatov
is a classically trained instrumentalist, a phenomenal
technique gradually developed in long years of study at
prestigious schools such as New York's Juilliard. Once in
the Big Apple, suddenly young Simon's horizon began to
expand and include myriads of different interests and
influences (one of the most important being Paul Bley).
Having to choose, he dedicated himself to jazz and
improvisation completely, ultimately starting a career that
has seen him performing with a literal who's who of
illustrious names: Paul Motian, Kenny Wheeler, Phil Minton,
Han Bennink, Misha Mengelberg, and many
others. Nabatov became interested
in Herbie Nichols's work by listening to Mengelberg's
interpretations and to trombonist Roswell Rudd, a pupil and
collaborator of the influential composer (largely famous for
penning the evergreen "Lady Sings The Blues". In this
concert, recorded at Cologne's Loft in 2009, the pianist
tackles that and other songs by the same author - among
them, "2300 Skiddoo", "Twelve Bars" and the
magnificent "Terpsichore"- with disciplined fervor and
impressive harmonic command. In the short segment (added as
a bonus feature in the DVD) where the Russian explains his
improvisational concept, he refers to a kind of
"mental library" of elements to draw from when the
occasion is right and to the alertness maintained during the
impromptu analysis of the tunes, in order to catch every
suggestion "with the aerials raised". This is very
clear to see over the whole set: the hands don't play a
wrong note throughout, and their owner's face is a joy to
contemplate in its alternance of closed-eyes smiles and
ecstatic strenuousness. The film - shot by Plush
Music and produced by Hayden Chisholm - masterfully shifts
the focus from theartist's physical and technical
expressions to the insides of the instrument, finely
emphasizing the character of Nabatov's logically zealous
renditions while giving us a chance of watching the soul of
a sensitive musician exposed. This gentleman has made the
search for the perfect equilibrium between thrill and
sophistication a raison d'étre. This full hour of
awesome playing combines the best of two worlds, the notion
of virtuosity - an unpronounceable word in these days of
inaudible scrape-and-hiss and artificial posturing -
associated to the performer's ever-cogent infatuation for
the material. Nichols, who died prematurely in 1963 of
leukemia, is certainly nodding a convinced
approval. Massimo
Ricci Jazz Podium December 2011 ... Sensibel und dominant, perkussiv und melodiös fließen musikalische Gedanken Nichols' wie das Lebenselixier des Kammerjazz aus dem Körper von Simon Nabatov, der die Aufregung und die Kultiviertheit dieser Musik wie eine plastische Skulptur zu illustrieren weiß. Klaus Hübner Jazzthetik December 2011 "... Mitscnitt eines Konzertes, in dem Simon Nabatov dem Jazz-pianisten und - komponisten Herbie Nichols Reverenz erweist.... es macht Vergnügen, das Tastengenie Nabatov brillieren zu sehen und zu hören..." hAltma All About Jazz Italy December 2011 ***** Fin dalle prime note si capisce chiaramente che questo concerto in solitudine del talentuoso Simon Nabatov ha qualcosa di speciale e di unico. Il suo svetta come il migliore omaggio discografico che nell'ultimo decennio il jazz ha dedicato ad Herbie Nichols. Chi meglio del virtuoso pianista russo avrebbe potuto rappresentare il lato "oscuro" della logica compositiva nicholsiana, fatto di echi atonali e bartockiani? Maurizio Zerbo
Il repertorio, di per sé, ha un'aura fascinosa dal valore artistico intatto e tutto da (ri)scoprire, se si considera che capolavori come "2300 Skiddoo" e "The Third World" passarono inosservati da parte di pubblico e addetti ai lavori.
È rarissimo oggi riscontrare una pratica improvvisativa fluida ed efficace come quella di Nabatov. Il suo obiettivo è la trasformazione armonica dei temi, che così diventa il parametro prioritario della sua musica. Tecnica superlativa e fantasia traboccante sono al servizio di un processo altamente destrutturante, dove entra in scena un approccio totale al pianoforte. Ecco che le melodie boppeggianti di Nichols si caricano di note infuocate su tutti i registri con una condotta iperattiva.
In questa abbondanza sonora c'è anche spazio per concentrarsi sulla bellezza delle composizioni originali, che talora Nabatov accarezza con un tocco caldo e morbido magari reiterando con ostinati brevi cellule di note. Rispetto alla musica in sé, la visione del concerto aggiunge ancora emozioni rispetto all'ascolto sonoro grazie ad una comunicativa diretta e contagiosa.

"A Few Incidences" Leo Records LR 446 2005
All
About Jazz May 2005 ....Jazz
and poetry collide in a much more dramatic and daunting way
on this recording by staggeringly gifted Russian pianist
Simon Nabatov, always challenging himself and listeners by
working on the borders of jazz, classical and improvised
musics. Nabatov
takes as his launching point the surreal and often violent
poetry of Daniil Kharms, one of many victims of the Soviet
State under Stalin. For Nabatov, Kharms symbolizes the
artist who resists all that is conventional and, in
particular, the apparatus of the state. It is the third of
the pianist's settings of Russian writers - he's also done
Brodsky and Bulgakov - and he once again finds a personal
and adventurous way to "interpret" the text. The poet here
is voiced by the inimitable Phil Minton, who uses a vast
array of vocal techniques to enrich his reading of the
poetry. Together with what was formally Nature Morte - also
including Nils Wogram and Frank Gratkowski - Nabatov
marshals the forces of cello, bass, drums and live
electronics. The music ranges from raucous to meditative
with a world of emotional states in between. The players
combine in different groupings and constantly suggest a
sense of inventive playfulness even when the poetry is
troubled. A revelation is "The Start of a Very Nice Summer's
Day", on which out of a brooding and ominous introduction
blooms a haunting and pointed ballad. The band plays in
unison and is then joined by Minton speaking Kharms' ironic
text. As Stuart Broomer suggests in his notes, Nabatov's
music makes vital and necessary the beauty in the
darkness." Donald
Elfman Jazz
Review Pure genius. The
augmented line-up on this disc puts Nabatov's uncompromising
piano even further into the background, but it's a far more
satisfying conception and performance. Brian
Morton DMG
Newsletter April 2006 For
each of the six discs that Mr. Nabatov has done for the Leo
label, he has used a different number of collaborators, from
solo, duo (w/ Han Bennink), trio, quartet, quintet (Mark
Feldman, Robertson, Helias & Rainey) and here is his
octet project with a stellar and diverse crew. 'A Few
Incidences' is in memoriam to Nikolai Dmitriev and based on
texts by Daniil Kharms. Well-recorded live at Loft in
Cologne in April of 2004. Phil Minton's often ridiculous and
hilarious vocal antics just one part of this marvelous,
creative and well-balanced octet. After a brilliant opening
section of subtle electronics, twisted vocals and the
minimal, thoughtful ensemble parts, they launch into some
intricate charted territories. They use "free" segments at
well-placed punctuation between the fragmentary charts. This
is truly progressive jazz, with a seamless yet invisible
connection between the written and unwritten areas.
Absolutely bewitching. BLG
one final
note March 200 ...Here,
Nabatov turns to the writings of Daniil Kharms, an early
20th Century underground Soviet writer who created works
that ranged from skewed children's poems to dark short
pieces that share an absurdist sensibility similar to
authors like Beckett or Ionesco (though he pre-dated both.)
The pianist has cultivated a group of musicians well-versed
in his strategies and this time he fills the ensemble out to
an octet. Minton, Gratkowski, and Wogram return, and cellist
Ernst Reijseger, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Michael
Sarin are added. But the real master-stroke is the inclusion
of Cor Fuhler on live electronics and keyolin (a
keyboard-driven violin invented by Fuhler) to broaden the
timbral range. With this
crew, Nabatov is able to assemble settings that move freely
from jazz-based forms to blizzarding counterpoint to
collective improvisation. These are orchestrated frameworks
that are then collectively deconstructed and dynamically
reassembled. Nabatov cannily uses the text as signpost and
compositional element, rather than simply creating musical
set pieces. There are sections where Minton's readings of
the text are central and others where his lithe scat and
vocal extremes simply hint at the underlying
text. But each
of the musicians can dive in at any moment to shadow or
comment on the text. Wogram's braying smears, Gratkowski's
searing reed playing, and Fuhler's skittering electronics
are all perfect foils for Minton. The leader uses his piano
to block out the direction and forms, but never boxes in the
constantly morphing pieces. He is aided here as well by
Penman and Sarin, who know how to propel the improvisations
with implied pulses and constantly shifting
momentum. The group
can fly in to querulous cacophony only to slip in to tight
hocketed lines that ping-pong around the ensemble. There are
even flashes of lushness, making the most of the string
section to fill out the ensemble sound, or opening up for
Minton's crooning voice that wells along, riding right at
the edge of wild abandon. Wrapping things up, Fuhler
stretches and warps a recording of a Russian actor reading
one of Kharms "children's" poems. He refracts and blurs it
in to static against the jumpcut swagger of the ensemble,
sounding like he is pulling in a signal from deep space and
finally scumbling it into stuttering blasts of noise. As
good as Nabatov's previous recordings are, this one eclipses
them all and should not be missed. Michael
Rosenstein Jazzzeitung
2006/06 ...Eindeutiger
Höhepunkt dieser kleinen Auswahl ist das Simon Nabatov
Octet der mit A Few Incidences und Musikern aus der
Spitzengruppe des aktuellen Jazz, zum Beispiel Phil Minton,
Nils Wogram, Ernst Reijseger, Frank Gratkowski oder Cor
Fuhler die Texte seines Landsmanns Daniil Kharms wie
für das Theater inszeniert. Kharms
außergewöhnliche und oft surreale Texte geraten
in Mintons Händen zu bühnengleichen Auftritten,
bei denen sich seine Ideen in ebenso poetische Stimmen der
anderen Solisten verwandeln, zum Beispiel bei dem Saxophon
von Frank Gratkowski, ganz nah an dem Ausdruck der
menschliche Stimme. Ein
Meisterwerk!... Hans-Jürgen
von Osterhausen DUSTED
REVIEWS 2006 Simon Nabatov
is a dazzling jazz pianist whose insane technique and
compositional creativity have long been matched by an
intriguing tendency to synthesize genres (and not just
musical ones). Having made his reputation playing in the
trio format with Mark Helias and Tom Rainey, Nabatov has
since the late 1990s branched out to experiment with
text-based projects. His initial foray was with Joseph
Brodsky's Nature Morte, followed up by the splendid
variations on Bulgakov's Master and Margarita. Here he
appropriates the texts of Russian poet Daniil Kharms,
setting them to fascinating, complex music with the aid of
vocalist Phil Minton (who's at his best on these kinds of
projects), reedist/flautist Frank Gratkowski, trombonist
Nils Wogram, cellist Ernst Reijseger, bassist Matt Penman,
drummer Michael Sarin, and wild card Cor Fuhler on live
electronics and keyolin. Now that's a helluva
band. The
ensemble passages are as fine as ever, brimming with the
rich contrapuntal language that is such a delightful part of
Nabatov's playing (and which is reflected in his
compositions too). Consider, for example, the declamatory
pulse track that evolves slowly from "And That's All" the
wending lines of "An Encounter", or the occasional
bluesy abstractions that waft up from the skittering improv
passages. Further, Nabatov's writing includes more playful
settings for text, taking perhaps better advantage of
Minton"s capabilities than even the fine Nature Morte. The
unpredictable rhythms and sudden shifts in these pieces are
rooted in Kharms' musings, and there's a real freshness to
the sound. ...the
nine pieces each brim with specific feelings, as with the
elegiac "Kalindov" or the gorgeous "The Start of a Very Nice
Summer's Day", which overflows with joy and lyricism during
a jaw-dropping passage for Wogram and Minton. But while it's
exhilarating to hear this band in full voice, Nabatov has
taken care to ensure that - even with an expanded group - he
provides ample room for sub-groupings to flourish. It's here
where the band really mixes it up, blending barnyard
cacophony with refined bagatelles. Of these sub-groupings,
those involving Fuhler, Minton, and Gratkowski are
particularly satisfying, though one highlight is surely
Reijseger's cello in the lovely chamber excursus "On
Equilibrium". ...That the 80 minute-long disc is so
compelling and leaves such a powerful impression is a
tribute to Nabatov's skill and his
importance. By
Jason Bivins
"Master and Margarita" Leo Records LR 322/323 2001
DOWN
BEAT May 2002 ****1/2 Besides
his exceptional technical faculties, Russian pianist Simon
Nabatov has demonstrated his laudable compositional
talents... With his second outing for Leo...Nabatov scores a
glowing portraiture to Russian novelist Mikhail Bulgakov's
The Master and Margarita...It quickly becomes evident that
the artist strikes a delicate balance often consisting of
avant-garde etchings intertwined with listener-friendly
melodies. Otherwise, the instrumentalists spawn or
regenerate sub-themes, where fragments are interleaved into
a slightly concealed framework that naturally falls into
place...Nabatov anchors the ensemble with either fluent
right-hand leads, well-placed harmonics or daintly
formulated chord voicings, while also assisting with some of
the asymmetrically devised rhythmic structures...The
ensemble links...moments together via a series of majestic
decrees and breezy swing vamps amid a wealth of gorgeously
executed interludes and animated exchanges. The musicians
occasionally meld waltz motifs with inharmonious anarchy, as
Nabatov's commissioned translation of this classic tome hits
the mark in a rather huge way. Glenn
Astarita ...This
is truly remarkable music, a bit jazzier than one might
expect from the avantgarde label Leo: there's nothing here
that would scare anyone accustomed to Dave Douglas or Joe
Lovano. And it is, quite simply, one of the loveliest albums
of 2001. It draws together everything from delicate,
classical-influenced themes to hard-driving postbop to
touches of free jazz; the choice of players seems to have
been made with considerable attention to sonority, as the
combination of trumpet and violin is often extraordinarily
beautiful, and Tom Rainey is one of the most vibrantly
coloristic of drummers this side of Gerry Hemingway. The
tracks are all about 10-15 minutes long, and they cover a
lot of territory, in a logical yet surprising way. I can
think of few more rewarding jazz discs from the past year:
highly recommended. Nate
Dorward This
lean, supple unit moves effortlessly between freely
improvised and precisely notated passages; out-of-tempo
storms of sound and tight, dancing grooves; sedate, elegant
moods; wails of torment and confusion; and even playfulness
on occasion. Each track is an epic of its own, often
encompassing all these contrasts and more. To help orient
listeners, Nabatov, in the liner notes, provides his own
track-by-track plot summary. This is avant-garde jazz's
answer to classical "programme" music, a particularly strong
and ambitious entry in a growing genre. David
R. Adler
"Steady Now" Leo Records LR 463 2006
Jazz
Review 2006 Nabatov's discography is
becoming an embarrassment of riches. His seventh for Leo is
his second duo set, with drummer Tom Rainey a wothy and
full-on partner in the enterprise. All nine of the tracks
offer some hair-raising twists and turns of both jazz
procedure and musical imagination... They are masters of
time, sound and space, and they're going to prove
it! Richard
Cook Jazzwise
October 2006 ...There's a real
telephatic joy emanating from the musical unfoldings taking
place on this collection of dense, quicksilver
improvisations...Huge fun! Daniel
Spicer signal to
noise 2006 ...This set of duets
builds on their deep mutual understanding, the players
rarely engaging in back-and-forth jousting but instead
concentrating on repurposing familiar musical genres and
devising new tunes on the fly...the album offers a fine
blend of keyboard wizardry and neatly turned instant
compositions. Nate
Dorward CODA
Magazine Issue 330 Reducing
their 15-year association in larger groups to its essence,
Russian-American pianist Simon Nabatov and American drummer
Tom Rainey combine for this nine-track recital, which skirts
keyboard glibness to exhilarate. Prodigiously educated,
Nabatov so dominates his instrument - which here is extended
with preparations and primitive electronics - that it's
often difficult for him to hold back. Considering he's held
his own with heavy hitters like German trombonist Nils
Wogram and Dutch drummer Han Bennink that's no surprise.
Resonating note clusters, slinky vamps and contrapuntal
passing chords ooze from his fingers along with key
clipping, basso explorations plus struck and strummed
internal string patterns... Ken
Waxman All About
Jazz Free jazz is somewhat of
a misnomer for Steady Now, the recent collaboration
between pianist Simon Nabatov and drummer Tom Rainey.
Perhaps it is due to each player's crisp attack, their clear
musical intimacy (facilitated in this format) or the
configurable nature of their tandem sounds. There is a tight
structure at work here but these nine individual cuts do
however develop against an open improvisatory landscape and
there is plenty of freedom to satisfy the most musically
anarchistic listener. Still, it is for the most part what
this duo constructs as a unit that gives this date its
urgency. Pieces tend to begin with a sonic groping that lead
into allout bimodal assaults and then return to a more
gentle exploration. Nabatov is acutely adept at
mood-inducing chordal figures that, when played with these
rhythmic diversities, can build from sparse to
frenetic... Allmusic
The team of pianist Simon Nabatov and drummer Tom Rainey engages in ferocious free-form interplay leavened by quieter if no less dissonant passages. Sometimes Nabatov's use of "small objects" and what is called a "cracklebox" has similarities to some of the more esoteric moments of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, while other pieces are mostly sound explorations. However, there are sections of the piano/drums duets that are more playful, most notably "Nao Olhe Para Tras," which sounds like a Cuban piano piece that is fighting a losing battle to hang on to tonality. The performances on this CD certainly keep one guessing and generally succeed at holding on to one's interest.
Scott Yanow
"Chat Room" Leo Records LR 378 2003
Allmusic
Francois Couture |
Jazzword Containing the bear has been used as an expression to describe putting a brake on Russia's imperial advances from the time of the czars through the heyday of the expansionist Soviet Union. But what animal characterizes the Netherlands the way the bear symbolizes Russia? What this metaphoric query has to do with the CD is clearer than it appears at first once you listen to it. From his earliest playing days, Dutch drummer Han Bennink has seemed to have imperial ambitions -- his bombastic percussion attack could take over any session more quickly and efficiently than Stalinists ever subdued a Eastern European satellite. His drumbeats can easily mask the sounds of associates, up to and including the members of a big band. CHAT ROOM, his duo with Russian-American pianist Simon Nabatov, in contrast, is a monument to balance. One could ascribe Bennink's cooperation to age, though he hasn't shown a lessening of power elsewhere. Perhaps it's because the Russian bear -- in this case Moscow-born Nabatov -- improvises aggressively enough himself that he can contain the Dutchman's musical imperialism. Frankly the real reason is probably that Bennink is enamoured enough with the pianist's conception that he wants to aid rather than upset it. Nabatov's internalized understanding of jazz history -- modern and pre-modern as well as avant -- dovetails comfortably with the drummer's predilection for earlier jazz styles. At the same time, neither improviser falls into the neo-con trap of imitation rather than picking and choosing -- plus mixing and matching -- their influences. "Es läuft!" for example featuring Bennink producing some Baby Dodds-like, bouncing snare, tom and cymbal work as well as vocalized hoots, whistles and shouts. Nabatov then introduces a sort of Tartar-modified stride piano line, spurring the drummer to abandon his rickety-tick beat for Kenny Clarke-like bebop cymbal moves. "Sorrow", on the other hand is a simple shuffle that gradually accelerates into a finger-snapper that could come from Wynton Kelley and Jimmy Cobb playing Birdland, circa 1958. The pianist exhibits some stylish, almost effortless, dramatic blues variation featuring high-pitched tremolos and right handed dips, while the drummer seems to be alternately swiping at and wiping the snares with his brushes. "Don't Bother" may be dedicated to Bennink's old sparring partner pianist Misha Mengelberg of the ICP Orchestra, but Nabotov approaches the keyboard much differently. His high frequency note placement is much closer to busy 1950s modernists like Herbie Nichols, then to Mengelberg's more hesitant style. Using plenty of left-handed accents he lets the drummer roll and ruff to his heart's content. "Unperturbed" -- boy are these titles descriptive -- honoring the pianist's friend and influence Paul Bley, shows how different the Russian-born is from the Canadian-born pianist. While superficially Nabatov's clustered harmonics played adagio, silences and Impressionistic single note timbres may resemble those of the older keyboardist, the sustained intensity he gets from high frequency pedal work is much different. Than again this sustain is needed to locate his nexus in a soundfield alive with hard strokes and rebounds, cymbal cracks and idiosyncratic snare syncopation arising from the percussion stool. It does force Bennink back to brushes the end. Nabatov, whose other playing partners have included German trombonist Nils Wogram and German reedist Frank Gratkowski isn't merely reactive in his improvising. With a profound knowledge of modern, so-called classical music -- and no commitment to orthodoxy -- he can sound one precise note à la Count Basie on the same track he uses a length of metal pipe wrapped in layer of tape to knock around under the piano's cast iron skeleton and bottom board. Another piece finds him pressing Styrofoam blocks against the copper and steel strings for the proper metallic sound -- that often sounds like dripping coffee in the Maxwell House commercial -- as he snakes on top of and behind the keyboard. Bennink, whose list of piano partners stretches from Belgian Fred Van Hove to American Myra Melford, is, as always, unperturbed, reacting with a cymbal thwack response to one movement and a steady reverberating bounce to the other. His brushwork also sets up "The Lost One", the session's most distinctive collaboration. Definitely two-handed here, the pianist ranges all over, using tremolos to emphasize different note clusters or rumbling in the bass clef. Later, sharp, Monkish arpeggiations and more formalistic EuroImprov echoes reconstitute themselves as brief motifs that gradually coalesce like short stories of sound into the musical anthology that is this instant composition. Ken Waxman |
"Sneak Preview" hatOLOGY 548 2000
DOWN BEAT
Pianist
Simon Nabatov enlivens the traditional piano trio format
with this ambitious new effort titled, Sneak Preview.
Along with the world beating rhythm section of bassist Mark
Helias and drummer Tom Rainey, the Estonia native pursues
Monk-ish accents and odd-metered rhythmic structures on the
playful yet complex piece dedicated to soprano saxophonist
Steve Lacy aptly titled, "For Steve". Here, Nabatov exhibits
muscularity and fluency while directing the band through
subtle shifts in tempo and catchy hooks while Helias and
Rainey provide the solid and thoughtful underpinnings. The
pianist is somewhat frisky as he mimics Helias' angular
lines with a lower register attack while the band alternates
between bright, orderly frameworks and keen improvisational
speak via lush patterns and refined melancholia. On "The
Lake", Tom Rainey provides soft textures via his sensitive
utilization of cymbals as Nabatov reaffirms the implied
serenity with delicate block chords and intersecting lines
as each player adds warmth and accent to the embodiment of
this most intriguing composition. The title
track, "Sneak Preview" while dedicated to Mark Helias boasts
a mid-tempo swing groove amid linear chord progressions that
loosely mirrors traditional Kansas City R&B motifs
augmented with Bill Evans-like modern jazz piano voicings.
Throughout, Nabatov works the inside and outside while
consistently evolving and reinventing the respective themes
with panache, color and glistening technical savvy amid the
upbeat hustle and bustle of a sympathetic rhythm
section. With
Sneak Preview these musicians extend familiar
concepts while enabling the listener to grasp the atypical
or novel approach in somewhat of an auspicious manner.
Hence, we are presented with cunning and serious-minded
invention that traverses a transparent course as it all
sounds so unaffected! Recommended. Glenn
Astarita Jazz
Times December 2000 On Sneak Preview, pianist
Simon Nabatov demonstrates why his playing has proven so
simpatico with Steve Lacy's: a penchant for juxtaposing
disparate musical elements, for melodies that scramble
across the changes, often using a tritone as a walking
stick. These perfromances bring Nabatov, the composer, to
the fore. Bill
Bennett ...Immer weiss dieser
Wunderpianist mit den verschiedenen formalen Mitteln
zwischen sensibel-lyrischen Klangfigurationen und emotional
und agressiv wirbelnden Tonkaskaden und Akkordballungen
überzeugend und kompetent umzugehen, alles mit einem im
Untergrund stets spürbaren Puls zu
durchtränken. Johannes
Anders Stadt
Revue June 2000 ...Der Jazz wird hier
aufrichtig geherzt und geliebt: mal mit impressionistischen
Tondichtungen, dann wieder mit geglücktem BeBop...Es
ist so klar und mühelos gespielt, dass man sich
unwillkürlich fragt, warum es nicht mehr davon
gibt. Bruce
Carnevale

"Around Brazil" ACT Music 2006
"Tough Customer" (Enja)
For a
sterling piano trio, try Russian-born Simon Nabatov's
"Tough Customer" (enja), with bassist Mark Helias and
drummer Tom Rainey. These three are so close, it's almost a
crowd. Nabatov, Ray Anderson's regular pianist, was Moscow
Conservatory-trained, but he swings anyway, with great
articulation and diamant-hard attack even at insane
tempos."Tough Customer" features snaky bass vamps, fiendish
metrical intricacies and a frequently shifting landscape.
...you'll dig this. Kevin Whitehead
Village Voice, July 1993
"Loco Motion" (ASP Records)
"Cadence",
October 1992 "While
previous Nabatov recordings have impressed me, nothing has
been as satisfying as this disc. With ideas galore and
enough tools to get the job done, Simon Nabatov is a pianist
of prodigious powers. "Loco Motion" is a fine effort by this
original and inventive keyboardist.Nabatov blends stride,
bop and free styles as if the improvising piano tradition
were merely one long stream of symbiotic chain-links, which
of course it is. Fortunately, the recording and the
instrument were equal to the musicianship on this session.
Is it too much to ask that the compositions be winners as
well? No, it's not and they are.The result is an outstanding
release. Baugher
"Stadt
Revue", March 1992 Eine
enorm virtuose Piano-Solo Aufnahme des in Köln
ansässigen Simon Nabatov von 1988 auf einem jungen
Kölner Label.Ein spielreicher Bogen von kraftvoll
swingenden Nummern mit einigen Free-Splittern bis hin zu
ruhig-gefühlvollen Stimmungen.Ganz
hervorragend! Mertens
"Jazz
Podium", April 1991 Simon
Nabatov ist ein ...Energiebündel sondergleichen, der
schwierigste Technik-Anforderungen locker bewältigt,
über viel Humor verfügt, mit Drive und Verve die
Tasten bedient und in seinem ausdrucksstarken Spiel
Emotionalität und Intelligenz verbindet. Nabatov
erweist sich auch auf dieser CD als virluoser Pianist der
Extraklasse... er ist eine Bereicherung und ein
Glücksfall für die aktuelle deutsche
Jazz-Szene. Klaus
Schmidt
Perry Robinson Quartet "Call To The Stars" (West Wind Records)
"Coda"
Magazine, September/October 1999 ...It
wasn't until 1986 that Robinson formed another long-term
working band,a stellar quartet featuring the Russian pianist
Simon Nabatov...Nabatov,who has several recordings of his
own on Enja,is a fiery improviser and accompanist who
brought out shades and energies in Robinson's music not
previously heard... Matthew
Snyder
"Review
of P. Robinson Quartet at the Knitting Factory", December
29,1995 ...And
when Perry finished soloing,along came Simon Nabatov to blow
everyone's minds! This cat has a happening career in europe,
but SOMEBODY in the U.S. has to sign him, because he could
cut probably 90% of all "name" pianists. And he does
classical too!... Matthew
Snyder
Ray Anderson Quartet "Every One Of Us" (Gramavision)
"Down
Beat" ****, December 1992 ...The
redoubtable duo (Ch.Haden and Ed Blackwell) is at it's
classiest, and Nabatov is a comer with his own
ideas... Howard
Mandel
"Shall we dance " (2nd Floor Edition)
"Lichtung"
#4, October 1999 Leidenschaftlich
läßt der...Virtuose seine Finger auf der Tastatur
seines Flügels tanzen. Dreht, wirbelt, hält inne,
um zart und innig den Brahms'schen Walzer op. 39 auf eigene
Weise auszudeuten. Gleichermaßen eigenwillig und
emphatisch nähert er sich Tanzstücken Bachs,
Chopins und Prokofieffs, variiert sie inspiriert und voller
Feuer und steht damit seinem berühmteren Kommilitonen
Ivo Pogorelich in nichts nach. Ungewöhnlich ist die
Bearbeitung der Melodie einer südindischen
Tempelprozession für Solopiano. Zusammen mit drei
eigenen Kompositionen "ein Tanzvergnügen der besonderen
Art. Michael
Scheiner
"Jazz
Podium", December 1999 Nabatov,
Grenzgänger zwischen komponierter und improvisierter
Musik, fordert zu einem Gang durch seine Musikweit auf, und
dies, wie schon der Titel sagt, auf leichte und
unübliche Art für einen Schüler des Moskauer
Konservatoriums: "Shall We Dance?"... Eine nicht nur
intelligente, sondern sehr einfühlsame und brillante
Kombination seiner eigenen Ideen im Zusammenhang mit den
großen Werken der klassischen Musikliteratur
entwickelt er...und präsentiert noch ein musikalisches
und tänzerisches Selbstporträt ("Simple Simon") im
Dialog mit der Musik Afrikas, das Keith Jarrett neidisch
machen könnte.Insgesamt ein sehr überzeugendes
Porträt der Welt des Simon Nabatov. Hans-Jürgen
von Osterhausen
"For All The Marbles" (ASP Records)
"Stadt
Revue", April 1992 Eine
ebenso brilliante Einspielung wie das Solo-Album des
Pianisten ("Loco Motion").Im Trio begleiten ihn Mark Helias
(b) und Barry Altschul (dr).Sie spielen überwiegend
sehr spannungsreiche,boppig-groovige Titel,verstehen es aber
auch,prächtig gekonnte Klangteppiche zu knüpfen
(z.B. in "Phobia").Unbedingt hörenswert! Stephen
Mertens
"Jazz
Podium", April 1991 ...Diese
Aufnahme zeigt den Absolventen des Moskauer Konservatoriums
und der New Yorker Juilliard School von seiner allerbesten
Seite: Nabatov ist nicht nur ein virtuoser Instrumentalist,
sondern auch ein ambitionierter Komponist... Improvisation,
harmonische und rhythmische Struktur fließen so eng
zusammen, daß es fast unmöglich erscheint, die
improvisatorischen Elemente von den auskomponierten Passagen
zu unterscheiden... Die Triobesetzung bringt die
Qualitäten Nabatovs am Besten zur Geltung, hier kann er
den Eindruck vermitteln, der entsteht , wenn man ihn "live"
hört... Peter
Schlebusch
Nils Wogram Quartet " Speed Life" (Enja)
"Jazz
Zeitung" Claus
Lochbihler
mail: simon@nabatov.com
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