Vyacheslav Guyvoronsky: Pieces for String Trio and Trumpet

Longtime Leo Records recording artist, trumpeter Vyacheslav Guyvoronsky leads a string trio on this curiously interesting and immensely entertaining venture, where chamber music, jazz improvisation and European folk attain a synchronous coexistence. Here, the trumpeter divulges the precision of a classical soloist with unorthodox voicings, all enacted by a jazzy impetus. With a fluid attack on the front end, Guyvoronsky accents, underscores and solos atop the string section's intuitive interplay.

The album features introspective and somber interludes to coincide with an upbeat and adventurous fusion of contemporary chamber music, progressive jazz and tidbits from other genres. On "Pastoral Fugue," Guyvoronsky forges an eerie climate by making his trumpet mimic a colossal woodwind instrument. But the musicians offer a contrasting vista during "Sol-fa in Tibetan Style," where the ensemble conjures up a foreboding sequence of events, instilled by the string section's droning lines and levitation-like patterns. But the real fun starts when they abruptly launch matters into a vibrant and lyrically resplendent Russian folk extravaganza. Guyvoronsky also intertwines melancholic statements into thought-provoking subplots while transmitting a broad jazz vernacular along the way.

He's an exceptional musician and visionary, as also evidenced by his hefty discography for the label. Guyvoronsky emerges as a modern day ambassador for Russia's freethinking and risk-taking musicality via the breadth and scope of his compositions. Ultimately, the artists project a stylization and mode of execution that sounds like it was meant to be.