Dmitry Baevsky: Kids' Time

Dmitry Baevsky is a jazzman in his middle years, a period when many players consolidate youthful influences and put their stamp on the rarefied practices of the mid- to-late 20th century. The alto saxophonist has recorded for several labels, and travels widely as a leader and sideman; to his credit, he continues to give the impression of a work in progress. While Baevsky seldom strays very far from a specific set of stylistic parameters, namely bebop, he does not coast, take anything for granted, or sound particularly reverential. Each of his recordings has its virtues—such as sharp, articulate bands and a discriminating selection of material—and points to his future; there is an implicit assurance that he will always search for something more amid time-honored sounds.

Baevsky's recordings usually consist of lesser-known works by, among others, Cedar Walton, Duke Pearson, Gigi Gryce, and Ornette Coleman and selections from the Great American Songbook. Kids' Time, his release on the Fresh Sound New Talent imprint, is something of a departure in that he composed nine of the twelve tracks. Ranging from a frantic, head-over-heels "Mr H." to the courtly "Morningside Waltz," they are gratifying in themselves, apt vehicles for improvisation, and tailor-made for the sound of his alto and two group configurations—a trio featuring bassist Clovis Nicolas and drummer Jason Brown, and three cuts including trumpeter & flugelhornist Stephane Belmondo.

Nicolas and Brown work well together and are always sensitive to nuances of the material and changes in direction of Baevsky's solos. There is not a single moment on Kids' Time when either of them overplays or makes an insensitive move—a rare thing in an era when excess and heavy-handedness are in vogue. The crisp snap of Brown's snare drum never grows old, partly because of his keen sense of dynamics and a willingness to leave space for Baevsky and Nicolas. He places accents only in places where they mean something, whether that is in the head of the title track or accompanying Nicolas's "MTA" solo.

In addition to Baevsky's skills as a composer and the inspired teamwork of his sidemen, the primary reason to pay close attention to the recording is his prowess as an improviser. At his best Baevsky appeals to intellect and emotions; he reveals different aspects of his talent on various tracks. At the onset of his "Mr H." turn, he makes an appetizer out of a protracted series of truncated phrases, some hinting at the tune's melody. He follows Belmondo's carefully calibrated solo on Jimmy Van Heusen's ballad "Deep In A Dream" by gleefully dancing over Nicolas' unadorned bass line before evolving into a sprint which never leaves the bassist behind. From the beginning to the end of a solo on Dexter Gordon's "Soy Califa," ideas spill out of Baevsky's horn as he gamely works through the changes. Yet, like most of his work, the performance contains an overarching sense of order.

One of the satisfactions of jazz fandom is taking a deep dive into the music of living artists. It is a pleasure to reap the rewards of their efforts, year after year, and to discover things worth thinking about on an ongoing basis. Kids' Time is not the first of Baevsky's recordings to hit the mark, and it will not be the last. It is highly recommended.

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