Igor Butman Big Band "Moscow @ 3 a.m."

«Moscow @ 3 am» is a new album by Igor Butman Big Band which features music by Nick Levinovsky, one of the most gifted contemporary composers. Nick Levinovsky is known not only as a groundbreaking composer, he’s a pianist and creator of the famous USSR jazz band called “Allegro” in which Igor Butman used to play in 1983-87 till his departure to the US. Levinovsky moved to New York in 1990, and Butman moved back to Moscow in 1995, but this fact doesn’t prevent the musicians from successful collaboration lasting for already 27 years! «Moscow @ 3 am» is a long-expected fruit of partnership between outstanding composer and the hottest Russian jazz orchestra, Album was recorded in 2007 in Moscow, mastered and edited at Avatar studio in New York. What makes the record even more valuable is participation of the world’s most famous jazz musician, amazing Wynton Marsalis!

Igor Butman Big Band was founded 10 years ago by a renowned saxophone player Igor Butman and arranger Vitaly Dolgov. SInce 1999 Big Band has frequently toured Russia, Europe, and the USA, appearing at the world’s most prestigious jazz venues, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, “Birdland” and others.

A special collaboration between Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra led by Wynton Marsalis and Igor Butman Big Band which opened 2003-04 season at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York in September 2003 caused a sensation in the whole jazz world! New music by both bandleaders and arrangements of Russian folk songs concerts were premiered by two big bands. The New York Times called the performance of Igor Butman Big Band “a show of great competence and fluency.”

The first Big Band’s album “eternal Triangle” featuring Randy Brecker was recorded in Moscow in August 2003 and engineered by the best American jazz sound engineer James Farber in November 2003 in New York. “eternal Triangle” set a very high level of performance and quality of sound for all Russian jazz. The proof for this is that many Us jazz radio stations rotated the music from “Eternal Triangle” even before the album was released!

Internationally renowned jazzmen were excited by performing with Igor Butman Big Band, among them are Dee Dee Bridgewater, “New York Voices”, Kevin Mahogany, George Benson, Gino Vanelli, Wynton Marsalis, Larry Corryell, Billy Cobham, Bill Evans. Joe Lovano, Gary Burton, Toots Thielemans. Igor Butman Big Band and a famous Russian pop star Larisa Dolina (pictured above) created a jazz extravaganza “Carnival of Jazz”, and toured Russia, Ukraine, Israel and the UsA with this program. In 2003 a double album “Carnival of Jazz” recorded live at “Rossiya” concert hall was released. The premiere of a new program “Carnival of Jazz 2. No comments” was held in July, 2008 at Jazz at Lincoln Center within JVC jazz festival and caused a stir among jazz lovers: Rose Theatre hardly seated all comers!

Igor Butman, the leader of the Big Band, enjoys pushing the boundaries of jazz mainstream and create crossover projects. Big Band often performs with American pianist and composer Igor Raykhelson, “Grammy” winning altoist Yuri Bashmet and his chamber ensemble “Moscow soloists”. A big Us tour with these remarkable musicians took place in the most celebrated venues of the country (including Seattle symphony Hall, Wilshire Theatre, Severance Hall, Strathmore Hall, Boston symphony Orchestra Hall etc.) in February and March 2009 and gathered non less than 20000 listeners!

In June 2009 Igor Butman Big Band’s brand new album “Moscow@3am” was released by a new jazz label Butman Music! On this CD the Band featuring a very special guest Wynton Marsalis plays music by an outstanding composer and pianist Nick Levinovsky! some tracks from the CD are already played by WBGO!