Alexey Kruglov

A milestone present to himself Transfiguration 100 Duos is a three-CD set marking the release of the 100^th album by Moscow based saxophonist Alexey Kruglov since he began recording in 2002. One of the most adventurous Russian sound creators of the post-Soviet era, over the years Kruglov, who is also a poet and actor, has made a point of working with international as well as local musicians. Featuring a variation on the title of his first album, Transfiguration, the set contains 38 tracks and encompasses duets with 15 different partners. On various tracks Kruglov plays alto or tenor saxophones, alto sax mouthpieces, clarinet, alto clarinet, recorder, melodica, gong, waterphone, objects and also recites poetry.

The last is probably the only drawback to the discs for the non-Russian speaker. Intricacies of the words and concepts expressed by the saxophonist and others in spoken word dialogues is lost. Sergey Starostin’s six duets with Kruglov come across an alternately menacing, tender,  conversational and actorly, for instance, and include washboard-like scratches, moderated reed puffs and shrill cries. But like Boris Grebenschikov’s more didactic and dramatic recitation matched with ascending reed split tones and harsh overblowing, the true meaning of them and even Kruglov’s verbal interjections  call out for simultaneous translation.

Duos with vocalists fare better, if only because all sing wordlessly. The saxophonist’s usual partner Karina Kozhevikova is the most Jazzy, with her three outings simply harmonized with sax tones and once Kruglov’s voice. She scats, murmurs, whoops and growls invented and nonsense syllables leading to pennywhistle-like and note-bending reed affiliations. Yet Kozhevikova also exhibits bel canto lyricism. As expected Sainko Namtchylak’s output is most aggressive with rugged yelps, in-the-throat gargles, whispers, coughs and strained near-davening. Responding in kind, Kruglov weaves moos, harsh whistles and mouthpiece sucks into an exposition that is half sheets of sound and half  segmented squeals. The real surprise however is vocalist/violinist Anna Chekasina, who deserves to be heard more in the West. Able to blend lyricism, yodels, retches and whispers together with fissure, she easily matches the saxophonist’s tongue slaps and stops and on “The Rite” emoting so quickly that she suggests orgasmic elation.

But the real nucleus of this set is when the saxophonist trades ideas with others in pure instrumental meetings of minds. A few, such as the three duets with percussionist Pitor Talalay and the five with bassist Vladimir Volkov are notable while remaining firmly in the Free Jazz tradition. Talalay moves from measured beats to rim shots clips and gentling bell-like pings  without neglecting the time-keeping role even as Kruglov’s challenges include triple tongued extrusions, penny whistle-like and treble melodica pressure as well as snarls and altissimo mouth piece squeaks. Volkov is similarly unflappable. His series of “Bass Double Steps” preserve links to mainstream Jazz with walking bass lines and mid-range configurations. Strongly they push the saxophonist’s explosions into honks and even on “Bass Double Steps III” slow down with arco string rubs that create connections following prestissimo squeaks and animalistic reed bites from the saxophonist.

In contrast brass interactions with two players with the same initials are more divided. The three-part “I Know I Believe I Wait” suite with trumpeter Alex Sipiagin judders from stridency to smoothness, with the trumpeter’s strained notes and squeaky triplets more bellicose than the sometimes simultaneously played reed sequences. However the saxophonist’s verbalized Russia is more aggressive seemingly a mixture of polemics and cursing. The three sections of “Beyond the Silently Screaming Graveyard” suite with French hornist Arkady Shilkloper on the other hand includes some poetry, but the general mood is mellow and moderate with the saxophonist’s few peeps and squeaks guided to reflective intersection.

Improvised music and the saxophonist have also evolved in the more than two decade since his first disc. This is proven with three different, electro-acoustic duets with Vyacheslav Ganelin’s computer; Simon Nabatov’s iPad pro; and Alexei Borisov’s live electronics. Mostly it appearance that the latter provides the most exciting and challenging sounds. The crackles, oscillations and hisses produced by Borisov’s machine bring out Kruglov’s most combative soloing with a mixture of doits, split tones, flattement and sopranissimo timbres. This way he sonically wrestles the wave forms into cooperative narratives. Nonetheless it appears that on  “Determination” this determination involves overblowing two saxophones at once.

Ganelin’s programmed whooshes and pipe-organ-like oscillations fill much of the aural space with decorations and vibrations. Yet the saxophonist easily makes common cause with the machine with almost pastoral flutters, and on “Mist” becoming involved in acoustic and electronic antiphony with Ganelin. Known as a pianist, Nabatov somehow isolates some acoustic piano plinks along with his programmed pressures and pauses. Here too speedy reed multiphonics, sometimes altissimo and sometimes basso easily meet the iPad’s quivering oscillations, climaxing as cooperation is emphasized along with the note-bending pressure, pauses and stops.

Although someone accessing Kruglov’s music for the first time may find a three-CD set a bit off putting, there’s plenty of interesting sounds to be found here. As well there are 99 other of the saxophonist’s sessions available for further investigation.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: CD1: 1. Transfiguration I 2. Mist 3. The First Ritual 4. Bass Double Steps I Know I Believe I Wait Suite: 5. Part 1 Describing It is Impossible 8. Part 2 7:25 am 7. Part 3 I Know I Believe I Wait 8. Bass Double Steps II 9. The Second  Ritual 10. The Muse Glorify 11. Bass Double Steps III 12. Just One Question CD2: 1. Transfiguration II 2. From Ritul to Rite I 3. Bass Double Steps IV 4. In A Cage 5. From Ritul to Rite II 6. Leo 7. Dichotomy Beyond the Silently Screaming Graveyard Suite 8. Part 1 Times Flows 9. Escape 10. Beyond the Silently Screaming Graveyard 11. From Ritul to Rite III 12. Branching Out 13. Bass Double Steps V CD3: 1. Transfiguration I 2. Reflection 3.In Search of peace 4. Presentiment of the Rite 5. Aspiration Is It Winter Snowing Again? Suite 6.  Part 1: Is It Winter Snowing Again? 7. Part 2: An Echoing Forest 8. Part 3: A Fairy Tale 9. Part 4: In the Courtyard There is the Power of the Palm Dragon 10. Part 5: A Log to an Ear 11. Part 8: 1-Nedder Mind 12. Determination 13. The Rite 14. Just Peace 15. Postscriptum

Personnel: Alex Sipiagin (trumpet); [1,-5, 6, 7]; Arkady Shilkloper (French horn) [2-8, 9, 10]; Alexey Kruglov (alto, tenor saxophones, alto sax mouthpieces, clarinet, alto clarinet, recorder, melodica, gong, waterphone voice, objects); Vladimir Martynov (piano) [3-14]; Simon Nabatov (iPad pro  [2- 4, 7, 12]; Vyacheslav Ganelin (computer-simulated) [1-2, 12]; Alexei Aigui (violin) [3-3]; Vladimir Volkov (bass) [1-4. 8, 11 2-3. 13]; Pitor Talalay (drums, percussion, metallophone, objects) [1-1, 2-1, 3-1]; Alexei Borisov (live electronics) [3-2, 5, 12]; Sergey Starostin (ethnic wind instruments, percussion, objects, voice) [3-6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15]; Anna Chekasina (voice, violin) [2-4, 13]; Sainko Namtchylak [1-3, 9] (voice); Karina Kozhevikova (voice. percussion, objects); [2-2, 5. 11 ] Boris Grebenschikov [1-10]; Leo Feigin [2-6] (recitation)