I had some dear friends who were members of the Siberian jazz scene many years ago. Names like Roman Stolyar, Sergei Belichenko and others produced music equal-to or better than their contemporaries in Moscow and St. Petersburg for a while. Nikolay Smagliev & Dr.Jazz seem to be keeping in that tradition, but adding a more ECM-influenced element into their compositions. Not at all what I expected to hear, but this album is a truly happy surprise for me, and it brings back some fond memories of the old days.
Nikolay Smagliev & Dr.Jazz – Tailagan