Russian-American jazz project plays Moscow

Under the patronage of renowned Russian jazz musician and culture bearer Igor Butman, the fourth Aquajazz festival will open in Sochi on Aug. 1, as part of the cultural program leading up to the Winter Olympics. Before arriving at the festival, a group of American jazz artists will make a 3-day stop in Moscow to play at the Igor Butman Club.

The Aquajazz festival in Sochi will showcase Russian performers from different cities — from Rostov and Novorossiysk, to Chelyabinsk and Yekaterinburg — along with American stars. Before heading to Sochi, an American contingent will disembark in Moscow and play at the Igor Butman Club at Chistye Prudy.

On Aug. 1, visitors to the Moscow club will be able to hear the quintet of one of the most resonant jazz names in the United States: Delfeayo Marsalis. His brothers, the saxophonist Branford and the trumpeter Wynton, are gradually becoming the patriarchs of mainstream jazz.

Delfeayo is a bit more modest; not as many people know about him, even though he has earned numerous accolades from critics and worked with eminent jazz musicians.

Unlike his famous brothers, Delfeayo, who plays trombone, still lives in his birthplace — the cradle of jazz, New Orleans. Like his brothers, though, he plays in the mainstream. In addition, similar to his brother Wynton, he has educational interests, as well: He writes jazz songs for children.

His most recent work is an interpretation of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s classic suite “Such Sweet Thunder.”

On Aug. 2, the Russian-American “Future of Jazz” project will take the stage of the Igor Butman Club. The project has recently been actively encouraging young jazz musicians from different countries to meet and play together.

In this case, two Americans — bassist and singer Kate Davis and drummer Mark Whitfield—will team up with pianist Roman Dmitriev. Davis is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (in addition to bass, she plays the violin brilliantly). Whitfield, son of the renowned guitarist Mark Whitfield, took up the drums in early childhood.

Closing out the three-day marathon will be a performance by the virtuoso male vocal ensemble Take 6. This sextet is recognized in the realms of jazz, soul music and pop. The ensemble has been around for over 25 years.

Over the course of almost three decades, the singers have experimented a great deal, recorded with instrumentalists and other singers, and combined styles. Still, the sextet has tried to never stray from the tone they chose at the start — one that contains faith, ardor and humor.

First published in Russian in Kommersant.

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