Trumpeter Alex Sipiagin, a native of Yaroslavl, Russia, and a longstanding member of the Mingus Big Band, assembles some all-star colleagues for his ninth outing on Criss Cross. With tenor saxophonist Chris Potter and alto player David Binney joining Sipiagin on the frontline, the stellar sextet is rounded out by pianist Craig Taborn, bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Eric Harland. Together they tackle Sipiagin’s potent postbop originals like the brisk opener “Next Stop-Tsukiji,” “Tempest in a Teacup” (with Taborn on Rhodes) and the turbulent “Fast Forward” with killer instincts, providing solo fireworks along the way. Sipiagin plays some beautifully lyrical flugelhorn on his harmonically sophisticated “Videlles” and on the aptly named “Calming,” and these heavy hitters turn in a relaxed reading of Toninho Horta’s gorgeous “Meu Canario Vizinho Azul” to close the program.
Originally PublishedAlex Sipiagin: Destinations Unknown
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