Dmitry Baevsky, Roller Coaster, Fresh Sound New Talent ***1/2

marlbank

2 years ago

Roller Coaster cover art: an ingeniously put together album of standards and simpatico originals

At a glance

Pleasant. Satisfying. Not off putting. The selection of jazz standards is effortlessly classy.

All of the above – my first impressions. As a fan and follower of jazz I recognise most of the names here. But not – to ‘fess up, full declaration your honour – the leader Dmitry Baevsky.

However, listening to a few tracks from the 48-year-old I go back and listen to Over And Out (Plus Loin) on which alto saxist Baevsky led in a line-up that included the US double bassist David Wong. It’s above.

Pretty decent it is too especially the slow, languorous treatment of Monk’s ‘Brilliant Corners.’ It has only taken us a decade to discover Over and Out. Sigh.

Bernstein burns – standards heavy

Anyway this latest besides Wong and the leader notably has modern mainstream guitar icon Peter Bernstein on it. Bernstein incidentally crops up on likeable Brum outfit Stoney Lane Records act David Ferris’ early-2025 septet release of which ‘Grin’ is streaming.

Drummer Jason Brown here on Roller Coaster – the song is a Baevsky original so rid yourself entirely of thoughts of Ronan Keating warbling ‘Life is a Rollercoaster’ (too late, perhaps – don’t fight it) – hitherto we have enjoyed hearing in the upstairs room of a Kentish Town pub called the Oxford now known abysmally to much put upon punters as the Parakeet.

The American who was living in London last time we tracked his movements is best known for his work with Monty Alexander and is on Jamaican great Alexander’s best album in years released for the pianist’s 80th, D-Day.

A winning willingness to swing

Winningly anything with Bernstein on it you know is going to be swinging, mellow, maybe not too demanding (I’m not being funny) but always interesting. To us he is up there with such guitar ”leg ends” in the same style as Monty man Yotam Silberstein, Mark Whitfield or Ulf Wakenius. He is more modernistic a player than John Pizzarelli but not as restless stylistically as Kurt Rosenwinkel. Hark, check out Bernstein’s seraphically fine new album Better Angels that has Al Foster, the Glasperian Vicente Archer and Brad Mehldau on it. Bernstein is also the ”B” with Mehldau and Mark Turner in M. T. B. who reunited triumphantly on the just released Solid Jackson, an album of the week in these pages recently.

Is Better Angels a better album than Roller Coaster? Yes. And I know that comparisons are invidious. But there’s plenty to like here nevertheless including the version of what is often known as the Hungarian Suicide Song, ‘Gloomy Sunday.’

We have heard Branford Marsalis play this live at the Barbican with his quartet and his version is the best we know of, encountering it – as if in a revelation – in the New Orleanian’s sure fingered hands.

The song, first sung in Hungarian, goes back to the 1930s. Don Byas did a version in the 40s on Don Byas and his Tenor Sax but it’s really identified most with Billie Holiday.

Nifty fifties

Baevsky does a good job. Wong bows the bass and the whole thing kicks off with a droning feel. The altoist has a very persuasive non cheesy tone.

St Petersburg born Baevsky in his late teens went to New York to study at the New School and in 2005 released his first CD as a leader *Introducing Dmitry Baevsky* that had Cedar Walton and *Kind of Blue* drummer Jimmy Cobb on it.

A range of well chosen standards

You don’t get the blues, I mean figuratively by listening to the upbeat positive title track original of the Russian’s that swings along amiably – Bernstein is brilliant here as a kind of d’Artagnan to the rest of the musketeers.

In the video recorded at Paris club Le Duc Des Lombards two years ago Baevsky is with Roller Coaster drummer Brown and a bassist called Clovis Nicolas who are playing a piece of the saxophonist’s called ‘The End.’

Will You Still Be Mine stands out

But some of Baevsky’s best soloing is on ‘The Sun Died’. Shoot me but I skipped the treatment of Ray Charles’ ‘A Sentimental Blues’. But I stuck around for a puts-a-smile-on-the-boatrace treatment of Matt Dennis’ 40s song ‘Will You Still Be Mine.’ Standards win the day.

Miles Davis laid down the song in Hackensack days at Van Gelder’s here with pianist Red Garland, bassist Oscar Pettiford and drummer Philly Joe Jones. Pettiford is a huge influence on Christian McBride, one of today’s greatest jazz bassists.

I love Miles’ The Musings of Miles version of the song released in the mid-50s most. Dennis also wrote the tune of ‘Angel Eyes.’

Golson, Duke, Grant Green

Also here is Benny Golson’s ‘Out of the Past’ – Golson sadly passed away this year. It goes back to The Modern Touch in the 50s.

Also here is Grant Green’s ‘Matador’ the title track of a Blue Note album on which Green was joined by McCoy Tyner, Bob Cranshaw and Elvin Jones that whilst recorded in the 1960s had to wait until 1979 for release. Ellington’s Far East Suite piece ‘Mount Harissa’ is also here.

Brown is best on the version of Giant Steps pianist Tommy Flanagan’s Caribbean flavoured ‘Eclypso,’ a piece that Baevsky also recorded for his Somethin’ Special album issued 8 years ago.

Best Bernstein bits

Best, subjectively speaking, is kept to last from a Bernstein point of view and the sax interpretations too found therein of 40s tune ‘Autumn Nocturne.’

We are suckers for a big jazz tune and few can match the Josef Myrow classic in terms of emotional impact. Baevsky recorded this tune of his fellow Russian’s back in the day with departed masters Cobb and Walton.

So, overall, good company especially if you appreciate the jazz sounds of the 1940s and 50s pushed on a bit seen through the lens of a bunch of musicians comfortable with the era and able to make perfect sense of its picture painting and dream weaving.

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