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Alex Sipiagin: NoFo Skies

By Mike Jurkovic
May 30, 2019
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An active veteran of touring stages around the world, Russian trumpeter

Alex Sipiagin

trumpet
b.1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Alex Sipiagin has sessioned with, among many,

Dr. John

piano
1940 - 2019

" data-original-title="" title="">Dr. John,

Elvis Costello

vocals
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Elvis Costello,

Dave Holland

bass
b.1946

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Holland's Big Band,

" data-original-title="" title="">Michael Brecker's Sextet and Quindecet, plus the Mingus Big Band, Dynasty Band, and Orchestra. For NoFo Skies, his first disc on Blue Room, Sipiagin reassembles his crackling three-horn septet from the loudly-acclaimed Moments Captured (Criss Cross, 2017) and delivers a crackling, ten-song set of smartly-crafted, sweet-listening originals.

Sipiagin and company waste no time laying down the blueprint. Fronted by a flurry of exhilarating staccato lines, tenor saxophonist

Chris Potter

saxophone, tenor
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Chris Potter, Sipiagin, and alto saxophonist

Will Vinson

saxophone, alto
b.1977

" data-original-title="" title="">Will Vinson, along with the ever muscular

Eric Harland

drums
b.1976

" data-original-title="" title="">Eric Harland on drums, "Rush" in. Keyboardist/pianist

John Escreet

piano
b.1984

" data-original-title="" title="">John Escreet flavors the title track with an airy, playful fusion. Potter continues his acrobatics when the song breaks into a tightly-choreographed Sipiagin/Harland conversation, giving way to more trade-offs between the horns. And though it feels disruptive to the flow and vibe and holds the disc back from a higher star rating, "Recovery" is a mellow stop and the first of four tracks that return the breathy stylings of vocalist/lyricist

Alina Engibaryan

vocals
b.1993

" data-original-title="" title="">Alina Engibaryan to the otherwise bubbling mix.

Sipiagin moves away from the percolating and propulsive with the ambient minimalist explorations of "Sky 1" and "Sky 2." Harland is a skittery presence, his brush work and atmospheric cymbal work giving balance to clouds of synth and the resonant depth of bassist

Matt Brewer

bass
b.1983

" data-original-title="" title="">Matt Brewer, who un-demonstrably, holds the whole of NoFo Skies quietly together.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Rush; NoFo Skies; Recovery; Savoir; Sky 1; Shadows; Start Of . . .; Sky 2; Between AM's; For You.

Personnel

Alex Sipiagin

trumpet

Alex Sipiagin: Trumpet; Chris Potter: Tenor Saxophone; Wiil Vinson: Alto Saxophone; John Escreet: Piano and Keyboards; Matt Brewer: Bass; Eric Harland: Drums; Alina Engibaryan: Vocals (# 3, 6, 9, 10).

Album information

Title: NoFo Skies | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Blue Room

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