Raykhelson, Igor - Jazz Suite / Little Symphony - Bashmet, Yuri (viola)

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Igor Raykhelson (Piano), Igor Butman (Saxophone), Yuri Bashmet (Viola), Yuri Goloubev (Double Bass), Eduard Zizak (Drums)

Moscow Soloists / Yuri Bashmet

Born in Leningrad in 1961, Igor Raykhelson studied as a pianist before moving to New York in 1979. He has pursued a varied and successful career as a concert pianist, playing both jazz and classical repertoire. This is the first in a series of discs of his compositions, many of which were inspired by violist Yuri Bashmet.

His style, as one would perhaps expect, is a combination of gritty Russian modernism, tempered with American charm. There are resonances of Schnittke and Shostakovich, but with a strong jazz element. He states in the sleeve-notes that melody is his main focus, and there is certainly a sense of that in his music.

The Little Symphony is a four movement work and essentially a classical piece. It is lightweight; emotionally touching but refreshing. I particularly liked the harmonies of the introduction of the fourth movement. It has a jovial feel and could easily have been written for a film. There are some wonderful quotations in the finale which add a further hint of amusement.