by Steve Loewy
This solo session of Sergey Kuryokhin, a spectacularly talented Russian pianist who died prematurely in 1996, finds the brilliant avant performer at peak performance. Classically trained, Kuryokhin absorbed a carefully honed aesthetic and an evidently encyclopedic knowledge of the jazz and classical traditions. At once symphonic and majestic, the pianist can suddenly shift to introspective, lighter moods, or clusters of repeated figures. Since his approach is derived primarily from the great Russian tradition of classical piano literature, his improvisations are sui generis. While he only rarely swings, his work nevertheless has the feel of cohesive creativity. Of the four pieces recorded here, the variation on Dave Brubeck's "Blue Rondo" is the most jazz-tinged, but even that is played so densely and powerfully that Kuryokhin makes it his own. The lengthy "A combination of passion and feelings" is a tour de force, romantic, elegant, and totally original.