Dmitry Baevsky

“Down With It”

(Sharp Nine Records)

Dmitry Baevsky is a Russian alto saxophonist now based in New York.  Born in St. Petersburg he learned piano as a child before switching to saxophone and studying at the Mussorgsky College of Music in his home city. He played many gigs and festivals in Russia before moving to New York in 1996 to continue his jazz education at the New School University.

Following graduation Baevsky remained in New York and established himself on the local jazz scene. “Down With It” is his third album as a leader following ” Introducing Dmitri Baevsky” (Lineage Records 2005)” and last year’s “Some Other Spring” (Rideau Rouge Records).

“Down With It” features some of New York’s leading musicians including high profile trumpeter Jeremy Pelt who appears on four of the album’s nine tracks. Baevsky’s core quartet comprises of pianist Jeb Patton, bassist David Wong and the brilliant young drummer Jason Brown. The material comprises of nine covers but they’re an intriguing selection, sourced mainly from the bebop era with the list of composers including Bud Powell, Clifford Brown, Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk in a programme that eschews the most obvious items from that epoch.

From Powell’s opening title track it’s immediately obvious that Baevsky is a fluent improviser with a strikingly pure tone and technique to burn. He breezes his way through the complexities of Powell’s fast moving bop tune with swinging support from the members of his quartet. Patton delivers an impressive solo of his own and Brown enjoys a series of effervescent drum breaks.

Pelt joins the group for a lush reading of Duke Ellington’s “Mount Harissa” that reveals Baevsky’s skills as a ballad player. Patton also demonstrates his lyrical side on a beautiful Ellington tune that allows the quartet to stretch out in a relaxed manner.

Thelonious Monk’s piece “We See” is characteristically quirky, full of tricky rhythmic and harmonic ideas for the quartet to get their teeth into. Delivered in the bebop style the piece is a tour de force for Baevsky with Patton and Brown also grabbing the listener’s attention. 

It’s appropriate that Pelt should enter the proceedings for “La Rue”, a tune written by trumpeter Clifford Brown. Brown was tragically killed in an automobile accident in 1956 aged just twenty six. He remains a hugely influential figure even now and Pelt achieves something of Brown’s celebrated lyricism in his opening solo. In what is essentially a ballad performance Baevsky and Patton are suitably smooth and tasteful with sympathetic support from the superior rhythm section.

Pelt sticks around to double up with Baevsky on the melody of Gigi Gryce’s excellent composition “Shabozz”. He also delivers the first solo, a fine example of fluent, confident trumpet improvising. In a relaxed, swinging atmosphere there are equally strong contributions from Baevsky and Patton.

The trumpeter sits out for Harold Arlen’s “Last Night When We Were Young”, another fine example of Baevsky’s ballad skills augmented by limpid piano and sensitive rhythmic accompaniment.

Sonny Rollins’ “Decision” is a sturdy slice of classic Blue Note era hard bop with forceful solos from both Baevsky and Pelt and with Patton weighing in with some excellent blues/gospel flavoured piano.

Bud Powell’s “Webb City” then ups the energy levels still further with Baevsky taking the first solo, a slippery piece of Parker inspired improvising, his bravado subsequently matched by Pelt on trumpet. Patton channels the spirit of Powell and the horns trade phrases with drummer Jason Brown in a series of fiery and thrilling exchanges.

It might have been appropriate to end the album there. Instead Baevsky and the quartet close things off with the standard “I’ll String Along With You” which gets a little too close to lounge or elevator music for my tastes despite the obvious abilities of the players. It’s all just a little bit too smooth.

Nevertheless “Down With It” is a hugely enjoyable album with some excellent playing from all five participants. There’s nothing new here but a well balanced programme takes some classic tunes and more than does them justice. Baevsky is a great technician and an excellent soloist and the contribution of his group, and that of Patton in particular, shouldn’t be overlooked. The recorded sound achieved by producer Marc Edelman and engineers Joe and Mike Marciano is also a big factor in the album’s success bringing out the full clarity of Baevsky’s playing. 

I would imagine that the group are a highly enjoyable prospect in a live context. They will be making an extensive tour of Europe in Spring 2011 including a planned visit to the UK. Details are in our news pages or at http://www.dmitrybaevsky.com

   

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