Misha Tsiganov - Spring Feelings - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Misha Tsiganov, who lived in Leningrad in the former Soviet Union until he emigrated to the U.S. in 1991, has never shied away from a challenge. That's apparent from the level's of complexity that Tsiganov embeds in the 18 arrangements and 9 originals on his three prior Criss Cross Albums. As written in the liner notes for the album Spring Feelings, Tsiganov has established a signature blend of mixed meters, shifting tempos, changing keys and re-harmonization that he deploys in order to insure 'that something is happening', so the listener doesn't fall asleep. Tsiganov's latest, Misha's Wishes, doesn't eschew technical complexity. But the feel of this sophisticated, emotionally nuanced program - performed by old friends Alex Sipiagin, Seamus Blake, Boris Kozlov and Donald Edwards, with whom Misha Tsiganov feels such simpatico is different than it's predecessors. The Album was recorded September 9, 2021 at the Samurai Hotel Recording Studio in NY. Mike Marciano did the editing, mixing and mastering.

For his third Criss Cross album, pianist Misha Tsiganov presents a nine-tune program of four original compositions and kaleidoscopic arrangements of two Wayne Shorter classics, two Great American Songbook standards, and a Russian folk song. As on Artistry of the Standard (CRC 1367) and Spring Feelings (CRC 1384), the St. Petersburg native, a U.S resident since 1993, teams with trumpeter Alex Sipiagin and tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake, both leaders of multiple Criss Cross dates and internationally renowned practitioners of their respective instruments.Joining Tsiganov for the first time on Playing with the Wind are bassist Matt Brewer (Mythology, CRC 1373, and Unspoken, CRC 1390) and drummer Dan Weiss, who apply their virtuosic chops to Tsiganov's elegant charts with an open, poetic attitude.

Like it's predecessor, Painter of Dreams features two highly reworked standards along with six recent melody-forward compositions, to which Tsiganov applies his signature blend of radical reharmonization, mixed meters, shifting tempos, and changing keys. Otherwise, this ambitious recital presents documents several Inchfirsts.Inch For one thing, Tsiganov expands beyond the saxophone-trumpet-piano-bass-drums , scoring five of the eight selections for either three or four horns. For another, he broadens his tonal palette beyond the almost entirely acoustic soundscape of his prior Criss Cross oeuvre, liberally weaving the Rhodes and Minimoog into the flow, as well as the preternaturally flexible voice of Hiske Oosterwijk, who also contributes two lyrics. Also, for the first time as a leader, Tsiganov augments the luminous trumpeter-flugelhornist (and 13-time Criss Cross leader) Alex Sipiagin on the front line with alto sax titan Miguel Zen¢n, who plays for the entirety of the proceedings, and - on three pieces - the transcendent Chris Potter on tenor and soprano saxophones.