Russian pianist Simon Nabatov is a fascinating performer, a hurricane of a free player at times, but one who knows orthodox jazz history inside out and is also a spikily innovative explorer of contemporary-classical languages too. This set mght superficially appeal primarily to improvisation fans (particularly those who don't panic at the flatulent, gobbling-turkey sounds of free-improvising trombonists like Nils Wogram), but Nabatov's abstractions are constantly veering into effortlessly urbane Teddy Wilson-like swing piano, stride and boogie, before being peremptorily driven back to the outlands by sudden slamming discords, or a startled shout.
Some of the fast unison passages and improvised dialogues on tortuously curling melodies are stunning. There's some surprisingly tender and haunting slow music (occasionally almost Ellingtonian), free-playing of darting, impulsive fertility, and enough louche, lazy jazziness (like the slowly swinging For Herbie) for the fainter-hearted to recognise where they are. - John Fordham
Tracks
01. Less Is Little (Wogram)
02. The Mistake (Wogram)
03. The Wheel Of Misfortune (Nabatov)
04. Groofta (Nabatov)
05. Integration (Wogram)
06. For Herbie (Nabatov)
07. Keep Going (Nabatov)
08. Starting A Story (Wogram)
09. Practise Makes Poifect (Nabatov)
10. It It (Wogram)
11. East 117th Street (H. Nichols)
SIMON NABATOV piano
NILS WOGRAM trombone
Recorded March 20-27, 2000 at WDR Studio, Köln
ACT Music – ACT 9402-2 (Germany)