Soundtrack (Digipack)

The idea for this album came about as I found myself adapting for a second time to a new life in a new city with a new scene. Moving to Paris made it even more clear to me just how much of my musical identity was forever tied to New York.

But the move also brought back a lot of the feelings I’d experienced many years ago upon leaving my horn behind at the airport in St. Petersburg, along with my family and my life in Russia. Though challenging, it has been these changes as much as anything that have solidified my understanding of who I am as a person and a musician, and how the two relate to one another.

Common wisdom is that as a musician you can only “play who you are.” And in the end, what nurtures your creative tastes the most? Things like where you were born... The culture you grew up in... the people you’ve met along the way... The languages you speak... The music you were exposed to... The ups and downs of your life... We carry these things with us no matter where we are.

With all of this in mind, Soundtrack is the most personal album I’ve recorded so far. The songs included here are musical portraits of my life and an honest look at what I have to offer at this point in time. I sincerely hope that you enjoy the result!

—Dmitry Baevsky (From the inside liner notes)

Tracklist

Album details

Press reviews

"La constance dans la qualité de ses productions est l’un des grands mérites de Dmitry Baevsky, comme il le confirme avec ses deux derniers albums, les 9e et 10e en leader: Soundtrack et Kid’s Time, édités par Fresh Sound New Talent.

Sur Soundtrack on retrouve l’altiste américano-russe en quartet avec deux complices new-yorkais de longue date: les excellents Jeb Patton et David Wong. A la batterie, Pete Van Nostrand a pris la place de Joe Strasser. Rien de bien surprenant: il fait partie du trio de Jeb Patton depuis plusieurs années et possède un pedigree des plus flatteurs (Kenny Barron, Cécile McLorin-Salvant, Aaron Diehl, Gerald Clayton, Eric Reed...). Revenant longuement sur son parcours personnel dans le livret, Dmitry Baevsky dresse ici un portrait musical des trois villes qui ont marqué trois grandes étapes de sa vie: Leningrad/Saint-Petersbourg où il est né et a grandi, New York où il a débarqué à 19 ans pour s’immerger dans le monde du jazz durant vingt-et-un ans, Paris où il s’est établi depuis 2016 et a fondé une famille. Le disque s’ouvre ainsi sur «Evening Song» (1957), une ode à la ville dont elle est devenue l’hymne officieux. Un beau thème qu’on doit au compositeur de musique classique et populaire Vassili Soloviov-Sedoï (1907-1979), figure de la vie artistique soviétique, lui aussi originaire de la Venise du nord. La chanson se prêtant très naturellement au jazz, Dmitry Baevsky en fait son miel, s’exprimant avec une sonorité particulièrement suave et profonde à la convocation de ses racines russes. Un original de sa main, joliment chaloupé, «Baltiyskaya», fait également référence à sa ville natale. On traverse l’océan avec «Autumn in New York» marqué par une longue et superbe intervention de Jeb Patton, dont on ne cesse d'admirer la maîtrise, tandis que sur le «Grand Street» de Sonny Rollins le quartet porte le swing à sa quintessence. Dmitry est plein d’agilité sur «Afternoon in Paris» (John Lewis) où David Wong donne un solo tout en swing et musicalité. L’évocation de Paris passe aussi par Michel Legrand, un cliché musical à lui tout seul. Le compositeur des Demoiselles de Rochefort n’en était pas moins habile et avait en commun avec Vassili Soloviov-Sedoï cette fibre mélodique populaire offrant un terrain favorable au jazz, ce qui donne matière aux musiciens sur «La Chanson de Maxence» (beau jeu d’archer en contrechant du saxophone). Les autres titres, essentiellement des compositions du jazz, permettent tout au long du disque d’apprécier ce quartet de haut vol, y compris le drive de Pete Van Nostrand sur l’autre original de Dmitry, «Over and Out», déjà présent sur l’album du même nom.

On ne peut que recommander l'écoute cette opus de Dmitry Baevsky, musicien talentueux qui s’est bâti au fil du temps un univers bop cohérent."

—Jérôme Partage
© Jazz Hot 2023
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"Given its pervasiveness the modern bop tradition doesn’t seem likely to spring any future surprises, but that’s not really an issue when its practitioners are as persuasive as Dmitry Baevsky, who up to a point springs from the well of Lee Konitz, albeit with a greater tendency for understatement. On works by a range of composers from Ahmad Jamal to Ornette Coleman he leaves the listener in little doubt as to his identity, but what’s also clear is that his art is a work in process, which in many respects is just as it should be.

His own Evening Song is hardly a barnstorming opener, but then such ill-measured goings-on are not what he’s all about. Instead he sets out his stall as a musician of no little consideration, even in his double-timing. The trio of Patton, bassist David Wong and drummer Pete Van Nostrand are with him all the way, though not to the point where the polish obliterates the finer feelings.

Dexter Gordon’s Le Coiffeur receives a sympathetic, finely measured treatment that for all its merits undermines its inherent joy of life somewhat, until Baevsky solos, that is, when almost instantaneously the clouds of everyday life part, and for the solo’s duration the world is a happier place than it is in reality.

Given the state of this world You Must Believe In Spring takes on greater titular substance. The notion of a work in progress that I refer to above is apparent here in the sense that one can almost hear at one and the same time not only Baevsky’s solo but also the potential he has for developing solo structure with some deep listening and the passing of time.

John Lewis’s Afternoon In Paris is loose, lithe, and to all intents and purposes unburdened by cares. Wong’s solo is on the money, and the quartet’s performance overall is that of a group intent on realising the joys of making music together with no agenda in mind other than one of their own devising."

—Nic Jones (January 6, 2022)
https://jazzjournal.co.uk
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"How time slips away. Dmitry Baevsky, that enfant terrible of the alto sax, is now 45. The CD booklet for his ninth album contains a condensed, touching autobiography. Baevsky was born in St. Petersburg, entered the Mussorgsky College of Music at 15, and lived through the exciting, grueling aftermath of the fall of the Soviet Union. He came to New York at 19 to attend a two-week workshop and stayed 20 years. He now lives in Paris with his French wife and child.

Soundtrack is the musical score to his life story. It contains Russian and American and French popular songs, jazz standards, and originals. Their resonance within Baevsky's experience rings true. He renders Vernon Duke's "Autumn in New York" and John Lewis's "Afternoon in Paris" with intimacy and also with assured, unerring grace. He still has the chops of his badass youth but now uses them to portray defining memories. He lets Michel Legrand's "La Chanson de Maxence" flow through him, riding the melody's life-affirming ascent. Yet he imprints himself on every moment of the song, with his luminous saxophone tone (beautifully captured here) and nuanced phrasing.

Complicated emotions attach to his memories. On "Autumn in New York," he glides through the streets of the city he loves. Sometimes he finds himself in concrete jungles. In his liner essay, he writes that New York can be "cruel and lonely." When he burns into place the jagged melody of Ornette Coleman's "Invisible," he must be thinking how strangers in a strange land can go unseen."

—Thomas Conrad (October, 2021)
Stereophile Magazine, USA
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"Dmitry Baevsky is more than an expert swinging saxophonist and composer. He’s also a compelling musical storyteller, completely adept in all the languages of jazz. His new CD, SOUNDTRACK, is pleasing on several levels.

For years now, I’ve thought the terms, “Modern,” “Classic,” “Traditional” were spectacularly useless when describing the music I and others cherish: they were words to suggest primacy, superiority; words beloved of journalists and promoters. So I won’t diminish this restorative new CD by tagging one of those obsolete labels to it. I will simply say that it pleases the ear on multiple playings, and each time I hear it I come away with a feeling that Dmitry, Jeb, David, and Pete have important yet light-hearted things to tell me and other listeners. That’s precious.

Here’s a series of small tastes, full of brightly-colored energy:

On one level, this is musical autobiography —Dmitry is no newcomer and this is his ninth CD— that takes us along with him, from Saint Petersburg to New York to Paris. But fear not: this is not a series of musical snapshots, their meanings only fully evident to the photographer. Dmitry has chosen works by Rollins, John Lewis, Ornette, Ahmad Jamal, Vernon Duke, Dexter Gordon, Horace Silver, and the composers of KISMET. So it isn’t inscrutable postmodernism: “This composition of mine is what I play when I think about my first club date in Greenwich Village,” and each of the songs has a particular flavor, and each is given a tender yet rhythmically alert treatment. The liner notes by Dmitry, which are fascinating on their own, detail the connections between the peregrinations of a traveler and the growth of an artist.

If you want to play the game of WHO DOES HE SOUND LIKE, I leave such capers to you. All I know is that Dmitry has clearly studied both the music in back of him and those melodies yet to be created: he embodies a tradition with its nose to the window, looking to see what’s next. A nimble player with beautiful articulation, he is deeply in love with sound, song, and rhythm. Thus he can be sweetly lyrical on a ballad or ride the rhythm expertly, both following it and propelling it. And each performance has its own quiet drama: Dmitry, encouraged by his brilliantly cohesive bandmates: Jeb Patton, piano; David Wong, string bass; Pete Van Nostrand, drums.

When I first received this CD, I put it in the player without reading the liner notes, and I was entranced by the variety of colors and suggestions. Later, I read the notes and understood it as (in some ways) program music, but I kept going back to the sounds themselves. I think you will, too. You might know the story of Sonny Stitt, on the Jazz at the Philharmonic bus, going up and down the center aisle, playing everything he knew —and that was a great deal— until Lester Young said to him, “That’s very nice, Lady Stitt. But can you sing us a song?”

Lester would have smiled at the songs Dmitry and friends create.

May your happiness increase!"

—Michael Steinman (August 16, 2021)
https://jazzlives.wordpress.com
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"Originally from Russia, a longtime resident of New York and now based in Paris, Dmitry Baevsky has been playing alto-sax since he was a teenager. Along the way he has worked with such musicians as Benny Green, Willie Jones III, David Hazeltine, Peter Bernstein, Cedar Walton, and Jeremy Pelt among many others in the mainstream of jazz. Soundtrack is his ninth CD as a leader.

For this excellent set, the saxophonist is joined by pianist Jeb Patton (who takes many swinging solos), bassist David Wong, and drummer Pete Van Nostrand. The altoist often sounds a bit like Stan Getz during the first few numbers, but his own musical personality shines through.

Baevsky performs a diverse and high-quality repertoire throughout Soundtrack, one with some songs often associated with Russia, New York or Paris. “Evening Song” is a beautiful folk melody in the vein of “Dear Old Stockholm,” Joao Donata’s “Vamos Nessa” is given a stop/start rhythm and, on his own original “Baltiyskaya,” a blues with a bridge, Baevsky gets to cut loose.

Among the other selections are rarely performed songs by Sonny Rollins (“Grand Street”) and Dexter Gordon (the charming “Le Coiffeur”), a welcome revival of Horace Silver’s “The Jody Grind,” a surprisingly hard-swinging version of “You Must Believe In Spring,” Baevsky’s uptempo original “Over And Out”), a warm and relaxed “Autumn In New York,” and inventive versions of such numbers as “Stranger In Paradise,” Ahmad Jamal’s “Tranquility” and “Afternoon In Paris.” Ornette Coleman’s “Invisible,” while having a little freer playing than usual, utilizes the chord changes of the melody and is taken uptempo like a hard bop piece.
            
Each of the 13 selections offers excellent examples of Dmitry Baevsky’s playing, making Soundtrack easily recommended to those who enjoy modern straight ahead jazz."

—Scott Yanow (July, 2021)
Los Angeles Jazz Scene
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"A collection of songs, some of which are likely to be included in aficionados' play lists; interpretations that don't stray very far off the beaten path; and a band of players who share a vision of how the material should be handled. It's the recipe for many recordings—past, present and future— within the mainstream of jazz. So, why does alto saxophonist Dmitry Baevsky's Soundtrack, an entry that readily fits this pattern, stand out from the crowd?

In Baevsky's scheme the melodies of popular songs from the 20th century, such
as "La Chanson de Maxence" (AKA, "You Must Believe in Spring"), and "Stranger
in Paradise," are worthy of special consideration. Though he possesses a jazz
musician's proclivity for reconfiguring a melodic line, oftentimes minimal
modifications are sufficient to put the song across. Two consecutive trips through
"Evening Song" sound as if Baevsky is encouraging the listener to savor the
differences. The often covered "Autumn in New York" succeeds on account of his
deft blend of the melody and bop-influenced enhancements.

The same attention to detail applies to Baevsky's treatments of an array of tunes
by venerable jazz musicians: Sonny Rollins' "Grand Street," Horace Silver's "The
Jody Grind," Dexter Gordon's "Le Coiffeur," Ornette Coleman's "Invisible," Ahmad Jamal's "Tranquility" and John Lewis' "Afternoon in Paris." One distinguishing
characteristic of Baevsky's approach to the jazz material (as well as the popular
songs) is his regard for dynamics. In contrast to many contemporary saxophonists
who sound as if they're demanding to be heard, he's more likely to come way
down in volume then to roar, bark or bellow. For instance, the first time around
"Grand Street" sounds as if Baevsky is revealing a soulful secret. Joined to his
sensitivity to dynamics is the capacity to sound at one with the band on the heads.
The music is all the better for his willingness to forsake being the center of
attention. A couple of prime examples are "The Jody Grind" and "Tranquility."

"Evening Song" and "Afternoon in Paris," the tracks that bookend the record, best
represent Baevsky's virtues as a soloist. The three choruses on "Evening Song"
gradually move away from the haunting melody, as he leans into the medium
tempo pulse, fashions edgy, well-proportioned lines, and integrates the sprinting
runs that are an essential feature of his style. A rendering of "Afternoon in Paris"
with only bass and drums displays a more adventuresome disposition. While the
solo ultimately remains on solid ground, Baevsky scatters pithy comments
throughout and, as if harnessing all his strength, reaches a startling climax at the
beginning of the second chorus.

For all Baevsky's capabilities as a song interpreter and improviser, a considerable
amount of the success of Soundtrack is due to the contributions of a first-rate
band comprised of pianist Jeb Patton, bassist David Wong and drummer Pete Van Nostrand. Their united approach to "The Jody Grind" feels like a deeply grooving assembly of component parts. The breezy Latin quality they bring to "Le Coiffeur" amounts to an invitation to dance. The amiable, medium tempo swing of "La Chanson De Maxence" advances without any signs of stress or strife. Van Nostrand epitomizes good timekeeping, precise sticking, tasteful fills, as well as his placing strokes slightly beneath the bass line. Patton's perceptive accompaniment buoys the ensemble without taking up too much space. Wong's firm, muscular lines make a deep impression while working in tandem with Van Nostrand.

Soundtrack is Baevsky's most accomplished recording to date, a sophisticated,
invigorating piece of work that makes one look forward to his future endeavors."

—David A. Orthmann (July, 2021)
https://www.allaboutjazz.com
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"A native of Saint Petersburg, Russia, alto saxophonist Dmitry Baevsky showed promise at a young age, earning a full scholarship to The New School. Flourishing in the tough environment of New York City, Baevsky’s mastery of his instrument, plus his knack of seeking out the best available players has contributed to his success. For his latest CD, he recruited pianist Jeb Patton (a seasoned veteran championed by Jimmy Heath), bassist David Wong (like Patton, an in-demand Heath alum) and drummer Pete Van Nostrand, who also has a lengthy resumé.

Baevsky avoids the pitfalls of leaders who overwhelm the listener with new compositions that are rarely memorable or a setlist filled with predictable warhorses everyone plays. Instead he draws from music of several continents, genres and styles, focusing primarily on songs that are likely unfamiliar or jazz gems that aren’t played all that often.

One thing that stands out is that Baevsky is confident enough that he doesn’t automatically take the initial solo, putting the spotlight first on the talented Patton. The unusual opening track, “Evening Song”, was written by Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi, a 20th Century Soviet songwriter. The lilting melody seems so familiar and Baevsky’s full tone and brisk setting make it an obvious highlight.

There are works by jazz greats, including a hip treatment of Sonny Rollins’ “Grand Street” with an impeccable groove set by Wong and strong choruses by Patton and Baevsky. The leader’s swaggering rendition of Ahmad Jamal’s “Tranquility” reveals another obscurity deserving greater recognition. The best known piece is Vernon Duke’s “Autumn In New York”, lush alto saxophone savoring every note. Among the originals, Baevsky’s rapid-fire, constantly twisting “Over And Out” is a brilliant salute to the many saxophone greats who preceded him."

—Ken Dryden (June, 2021)
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"Soundtrack, is an interesting collection from alto saxophonist DMITRY BAEVSKY. With the backing of pianist Jeb Patton, bassist David Wong and drummer, Peter Van Nostrand, Baevsky performs a program of 13 selections that trace his journey from his hometown of Saint Petersburg to New York City, where he spent several years before settling in his current home base of Paris. In doing so, he mixes original songs with jazz tunes and sprinkles in a few standards. While he plays alto, he has a Getzian quality to his playing. The support from his trio is outstanding. Patton is truly one of the best pianists on the scene today. If this is the musical Soundtrack of Baevsky’s life, his memories are certainly filled with joy."

—Joe Lang (June, 2021)
Jersey Jazz Magazine
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"Born in St. Petersburg, Russian alto saxophone player Dmitry Baevsky is active not only in New York City but also in Europe. His newest album is dedicated to his father, Michael Yasnov (1946-2020).

The album, “Sound Track,” includes 13 songs recorded by his quartet formed with pianist Jeb Patton (beloved apprentice of Sir Roland Hanna), bass man, David Wong and Drummer, Pete Van Nostrand who are also active in NY.

You must listen to “Baltyskaya” and “Over And Out” which are Dmitry’s two original songs. Because of the dedication to his father, this opus illustrates Dmitry’s very personal portrait of his musical life."

—The Walker's, Japan (June, 2021)
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Séléction "HIT" Couleurs Jazz

"Avec Soundtrack, le neuvième album publié sous son nom, le saxophoniste Dmitry Baevsky revient sur une trajectoire qui l’a mené de Saint-Pétersbourg, sa ville natale, à Paris où il s’installa en 2016 après un séjour de quinze ans à New York.

Le répertoire du disque parcourt cet itinéraire riche en aventures humaines et en expériences musicales formatrices. Est d’abord évoquée la Russie de ses jeunes années à travers le climat mélancolique de Evening Song et de Baltiyskaya, une de ses compositions, et le rythme saccadé de Vamos Nessa de João Donato.

Viennent ensuite des titres significatifs de son parcours américain empruntés à Sonny Rollins (Grand Street), Horace Silver (The Jody Grind), Ornette Coleman (Invisible), Ahmad Jamal (Tranquility) et Vernon Duke (Autumn in New York), Afternoon in Paris de John Lewis terminant l’album par un hommage à la ville lumières.

Tous ces morceaux mettent en valeur la beauté de la sonorité du saxophoniste, le lyrisme naturel de son phrasé et sa manière si personnelle d’exposer un thème en racontant une histoire, celle de sa vie écrite de sa main dans le livret du CD, mais aussi celle de pans entiers de l’épopée du jazz.

Ses accompagnateurs trouvent toujours le ton juste comme des musiciens de haut rang savent le faire. Formant une équipe soudée, ils participent à la réussite de ce recueil qui constitue un point fort de la discographie de Dmitry Baevsky."

—Alain Thomas (30 Juin, 2021)
https://couleursjazz.fr
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"Dmitry Baevsky navigue entre deux cultures, celle de la Sainte Russie, héritée de Saint-Petersbourg, où il est né, et les États-Unis, où il a partagé la scène avec Cedar Walton, Jimmy Cobb, Peter Bernstein ou Benny Green. « Soundtrack » (Fresh Sound Records/Socadisc), son nouveau CD, fait la synthèse de ces deux mondes. Avec son complice indéfectible, le pianiste américain Jeb Patton, David Wong (contrebasse) et Pete Van Nostrand (batterie), le saxophoniste alto navigue entre compositions originales, mélodies russes et thèmes d'Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, Horace Silver, Ahmad Jamal, voire Michel Legrand. Autant d'espaces qui permettent à cet excellent soliste et leader, et à son quartet, d'affirmer son sens de la mélodie, de l'harmonie et du swing véritable. Et de cultiver avec brio et lyrisme ce double acquis musical. En concert à Paris le 21 juin et 17 juillet au Sunside, le 24 septembre au Duc des Lombards, et au festival Jazz à Foix le 28 juillet."

—Didier Pennequin (11 Juin, 2021)
https://www.lequotidiendumedecin.fr
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"Le saxophoniste Dmitry Baevsky présente son 9ème album, «Soundtrack». En treize tableaux, l’altiste brosse l’album photo musical de son parcours de vie. Avec éclat et lyrisme, il parcourt l’histoire du jazz et délivre une musique au pouvoir narratif puissant.

A la tête d’un quartet à la cohésion inébranlable, le saxophoniste Dmitry Baevsky offre avec «Soundtrack», un album saisissant d’énergie et de lyrisme. Sorti le 21 mai 2021, ce neuvième album du leader a été enregistré à New York pour le label Fresh Sound New Talent. Autour de l’altiste sont réunis le pianiste Jeb Patton, le contrebassiste David Wong et le batteur Pete Van Nostrand.

L’album évoque Saint-Pétersbourg, les rives gelées de la Neva, les grandes avenues new-yorkaises, la difficulté d’être un étranger dans une grande ville, les clubs bondés de Greenwich Village, la nostalgie, la beauté de Paris, l’excitation des nouveaux départs. On passe d’une chanson populaire russe à un thème d’Ornette Coleman, de Sonny Rollins, d’une mélodie classique tirée de l’opéra «Le Prince Igor» d’Alexandre Borodine à une chanson de Michel Legrand écrite pour «Les Demoiselles de Rochefort», de compositions de sa plume à un standard qui narre l’automne à New York.

Saint-Pétersbourg

Fils unique d’un écrivain et d’une traductrice, Dmitry Baevsky grandit à Saint-Pétersbourg où il est né (la ville s’appelait alors Léningrad).

«Mon premier saxophone venait de Tchécoslovaquie. Je suis entré dans une école de musique à 14 ans et me suis inscrit pour faire partie du big band. Mon intention initiale était de jouer de la guitare, mais ils manquaient de saxophonistes dans la section des cuivres et je me suis retrouvé avec un alto...» Il se découvre alors une véritable passion pour la musique. En 1991, le jeune musicien intègre le Mussorgsky College of Music à Saint-Pétersbourg et étudie avec le brillant saxophoniste russe Gennady Goldstein.

Au Jazz Philharmonic Hall de Saint-Pétersbourg (l’un des principaux clubs de jazz de la ville), il rencontre Ann et Bob Hamilton, un couple américain qui assiste à son concert et lui propose de l’aider à se rendre à New York pour un stage de jazz de 2 semaines.

New York

Dmitry Baevsky débarque à New York et «Le court voyage prévu s’est prolongé en un séjour de six mois chez les Hamilton.»

Il auditionne pour intégrer le département Jazz de la prestigieuse New School University de New York. Il obtient une bourse pour sa scolarité complète à la suite de quoi il quitte la Russie qu’il ne reverra que quinze ans plus tard. A la fin de ses études, il est un membre à part entière de la scène jazz locale et décide alors de s’installer à New York.

Avec son timbre sombre et chaleureux, sa technique redoutable et un sens évident du drive, Dmitry Baevsky est devenu l’un des saxophonistes incontournables de la scène jazz new-yorkaise. Parmi les musiciens avec lesquels il a joué ou enregistré, on peut citer Benny Green, Peter Washington, Willie Jones III, David Hazeltine, “Killer” Ray Appleton, David Williams, Peter Bernstein, Cedar Walton, Dennis Irwin, Jeremy Pelt, Joe Cohn, Steve Williams, Joe Magnarelli, Jesse Davis, Ryan Kisor, Gregory Hutchinson, Roger Kellaway, Leon Parker, Dena De Rose et bien d’autres encore.

Paris

Dmitry Baevsky a découvert la capitale française au fil de ses tournées régulières en Europe. En 2016, il s’installe à Paris avec sa famille tout en maintenant une forte connexion professionnelle avec New York.

Nouvelle ville, nouvelle vie, nouvelles scènes. Les années passent et avec «Soundtrack», le saxophoniste livre un album très personnel où il offre des portraits musicaux de sa vie.

Au fil des pistes

Avec Evening Song, on imagine suivre le saxophoniste à travers les rues de sa ville natale. Dans un style West Coast, l’alto dessine sur la composition de Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi, une ligne mélodique empreinte de mélancolie qui serpente, irriguée de fulgurances. Le registre médium de l’alto évoque le souffle chaud d’un ténor mais le phrasé très vif de son solo ne laisse aucun doute quant à l’instrument. Sur Vamos Nessa de Joao Donato, le jeu saccadé de l’alto évolue en même temps que celui du piano. Haletant voire même convulsif, il n’en demeure pas moins fluide.

Sur sa composition Baltiyskaya, Dmitry Baevsky manifeste une grande affinité pour le blues mineur. Il fait preuve d’une virtuosité maitrisée et déconcertante pimentée de fulgurances qui ne sont pas sans évoquer celles d’Art Pepper. Dans ce style bop, le pianiste s’exprime avec une grande liberté harmonique. C’est avec souplesse que le saxophoniste adapte ensuite la composition de Sonny Rollins, Grand Street. La sonorité de l’alto est profonde et chaleureuse et son jeu explosif. Le solo du pianiste au toucher précis rappelle nombre de ses influences et la courte improvisation chantante du contrebassiste permet d’apprécier le son boisé de son instrument.

Plus loin, le quartet restitue à merveille sur The Jody Grind, le style funky d’Horace Silver, compositeur du thème. Tel un acrobate, l’alto balance entre emphase et souplesse. Sans transition, le saxophone adopte ensuite une sonorité plus veloutée et un débit déconcertant de fluidité pour interpréter avec une belle élégance, La Chanson de Maxence, composée par Michel Legrand pour son film «Les Demoiselles de Rochefort». C’est ensuite Over and out, un titre du leader que le quartet interprète. Sur ce morceau inscrit dans le plus pur style bop, l’alto saisit autant par sa fougue que par la souplesse de son discours articulé avec dextérité sur un tempo ultra rapide.

Avec délicatesse et sur une rythmique originale, le quartet réactualise Le Coiffeur. Sur ce thème de Dexter Gordon, l’alto s’exprime avec lyrisme et prouve combien il maîtrise l’art de l’accentuation tout au long de ses phrases développées avec souplesse et vélocité. Les quatre complices interprètent ensuite avec fidélité une reprise du thème d’Ornette Coleman, Invisible. Après le chorus fluide et agile de l’alto, le piano tranche par un propos plus insurrectionnel.

Le contraste avec la ballade qui suit, est saisissant. En effet, sur Autumn in New York, le saxophone adopte un son rond et moelleux et son jeu manifestement imprégné d’une influence West Coast, livre une autre facette de son expression. On se souvient alors de Benny Carter ou Johnny Hodges. Un pur délice !

Place ensuite à un autre grand standard avec une reprise de Stranger in Paradise sur lequel le saxophoniste balance entre douceur et énergie, avec une aisance rythmique renversante. Sur Tranquility, le quartet restitue tout à fait l’esprit serein de la composition d’Ahmad Jamal. Le piano groove avec un feeling remarquable puis le solo de l’alto ondule avec une vigueur à laquelle ne manque ni grâce ni nuance.

L’album se termine avec Afternoon in Paris. Après une introduction de l’alto à la sonorité cette fois plus tranchante, la contrebasse offre une improvisation chantante puis, saisit de fièvre, le saxophone se lance dans un solo aventureux plein d’agilité et d’inventivité accompagné par le duo rythmique avec qui il échange avec un plaisir palpable. Un superbe hommage à Paris."

—Nicole Videmann (24 Mai, 2021)
https://www.latins-de-jazz.com
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"You can hear it loud and clear in his music: Dmitry Baevsky is here! The Russian born alto sax has made quite a name for himself since immigrating to New York from his St. Petersburg birthplace nearly twenty years ago. Now a charter member of the world jazz community, Baevsky has proven himself to be a formidable force to be reckoned with, confirming his prodigious abilities in countless appearances with some of the music’s greatest artists. From his very first recording with NEA Jazz Masters Cedar Walton and Jimmy Cobb the altoist has shown himself to be an important new voice on his instrument. Possessing a robust sound, acute harmonic mind and keen sense of rhythm, the young horn man puts it all together in a manner that is appealing in its lyricism, yet intriguing in its originality."

—Russ Musto
The New York City Jazz Record