Igor Butman
| Igor Butman | |
|---|---|
 Igor Butman in 2000 |
|
| Background information | |
| Born | 27 October 1961 |
| Origin | Leningrad(Russia) |
| Genres | Jazz, Classical |
| Occupations | Saxophonist, composer, bandleader |
| Instruments | Tenor saxophone, Soprano saxophone |
| Years active | 1976-Present |
| Labels | Butman Music |
| Associated acts | Oleg Lundstrem`s big band, Allegro, Lionel Hampton Orchestra, Grover Washington Jr., Wynton Marsalis |
| Website | www.igorbutman.com/ |
Igor Butman PAR is a jazz saxophonist born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1961.[1] He is considered to be a virtuoso saxophonist, and a skilled bandleader. American saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr. was instrumental in introducing Igor Butman to American audiences by featuring the Russian saxophonist on his 1988 album, Then and Now. American trumpet player Wynton Marsalis has also been a strong champion of Igor Butman.
Former US President Bill Clinton has called Butman "my favorite living saxophone player."[2]
[edit] Biography
Igor Butman was born in Leningrad, USSR on October 27, 1961.[3] In 1976 he entered the Rimsky-Korsakov College of Music. In 1977, he decided to switch from the classical clarinet to the jazz saxophone. Besides being taught by the remarkable musician and brilliant teacher Gennady Goldstein, he took unofficial lessons from nightly broadcasts of jazz from 11: 15 p.m. to midnight on Voice of America. In 1983, Butman played in Oleg Lundstrem`s big band. In 1984, he was invited by Nick Levinovsky to join the jazz group "Allegro" and played with them for three years. After Igor Butman immigrated to America in 1987, he went on to major in Performance and Composition at Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. While still in the U.S.S.R., Igor was invited to play with touring American musicians, including Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Gary Burton, Louis Bellson and Grover Washington Jr.. Igor appeared as Grover's special guest in concerts at Chautauqua, New York, the Berklee Center in Boston and at Great Woods Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. He is featured on Grover Washington Jr.'s Columbia release Then and Now (1988) soloing on "Stolen Moments", "Stella By Starlight" and Igor's own composition "French Connections".
Moving to New York in 1989, Butman worked with The Lionel Hampton Orchestra. In 1992, Igor recorded with actor/musician Michael Moriarty's Quintet the album Live at the Fat Tuesday's on DRG Records.
In 1993, saw the release of his solo album Falling Out mostly with Igor's own composition, which featured Eddie Gomez on bass, Lyle Mays on piano and Marvin "Smitty" Smith on drums. Next year Butman collaborated with Partners in Time, joined by Gary Burton, in the recording of their album Equinost (Intersound).
When Wynton Marsalis performed in Russia in 1998, he invited Butman to be a guest soloist with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Next year Marsalis was a featured guest with the Igor Butman Big Band at Le Club.
In February 2009, the Igor Butman Big Band toured the United States with Yuri Bashmet, Moscow Soloists Chamber Orchestra and Igor Raykhelson. The tour included performances in Seattle (Symphony Hall), LA (Wilshire Theatre), San Francisco (Palace of Fine Arts), Cleveland (Severance Hall), Washington (Strathmore Hall), Boston (BSO Hall), New York (Avery Fisher Hall of Lincoln Center) and Chicago (Orchestra Hall of Symphony Center).
In May 2009 Igor Butman launched his own jazz label “Butman Music”.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Bernas, Frederick (23 April 2009). "Saxophonist Igor Butman - Russian jazz man for the 21st century". Russia Now. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/russianow/5207454/Saxophonist-Igor-Butman-Russian-jazz-man-for-the-21st-century.html. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
- ^ "Marsalis, Clinton and Others Dissect Jazz at Symposium", New York Times, December 11, 2003.
- ^ "[1]", JAZZ @ THE TEN SPOT, January 4, 2010.
