By Joshua Myers | Published September 2021
Dmitry Baevsky calls this project his most personal album. And Soundtrack, the alto saxophonist’s ninth offering, delivers on numerous levels. It is a window into the various movements in Baevsky’s life — from his birth and origins in St. Petersburg to his long sojourn in New York and now his current abode in Paris. Jazz, of course, is indeed a soundtrack associated with these cities and settings and the music here reflects the emotions of place.
Baevsky’s quartet consists of Jeb Patton on piano, David Wong on bass and Pete Van Nostrand on drums. Like previous projects, there is an embrace of legendary composers and their works. Some of whom — like Dexter Gordon, whose “Le Coiffeur” is covered here — were also known to connect their musical tapestries to multiple places. There are also originals, like “Balitskaya,” where Baevsky considers the home he left as a 19-year-old. Soundtrack evinces the power of movement and place but as the title of the Ahmad Jamal tune which appears near the end of the album suggests, ultimately it is music that inculcates a level of “Tranquility.” It is both familiar and arresting.
Soundtrack: Evening Song; Vamos Nessa; Baltiskaya; Grand Street; The Jody Grind; La Chanson De Maxence; Over and Out; Le Coiffeur; Invisible; Autumn In New York; Stranger In Paradise; Tranquility. (65:12)
Personnel: Dmitry Baevsky, alto saxophone; Jeb Patton, piano; David Wong, bass; Pete Van Nostrand, drums.
Ordering Info: freshsoundrecords.com
