By Gary Walker, WBGO
Saxophonist Igor Butman is living proof of the power of music to cross-pollinate cultures, break barriers and make folks feel good.
He practically created a jazz culture in Russia — complete with festivals, seminars and developing musicians, like 31-year-old guitarist Evgeny Pobozhly, who recently won the Herbie Hancock International Jazz Guitar Competition; and outstanding pianist and vocalist Oleg Akkuratov, who finished in the top three at the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition a couple of years back.
They’re both part of Igor’s 18-piece Moscow Jazz Orchestra, onstage through Sunday night at the Blue Note in New York. Butman, Pobozhly and Akkuratov were joined by bassist Sergei Korchagian and drummer Eduardo Zizak during a live broadcast on Morning Jazz, sharing such spirited proficiency that it made us wonder what the big band version must feel like.