Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Artiom Krikunov / Ruslan Tustanovskiy: Untitled

4

Artiom Krikunov / Ruslan Tustanovskiy: Untitled

By

Sign in to view read count
Artiom Krikunov / Ruslan Tustanovskiy: Untitled
In 1983, guitarist Joe Pass and tenor saxophone legend Zoot Sims went into a studio and recorded the impressive album Blues for Two. Among those who were most impressed was another guitarist, Artiom Krikunov, who was inspired to pay homage to Messrs. Pass and Sims by recording his own duo album in tandem with Russian-born alto saxophonist Ruslan Tustanovskiy. Perhaps in deference to their illustrious forebears, the album bears no title, simply their names and photos on the front jacket.

Was stepping into such mammoth shoes a sound idea? Well, there was of course only one Zoot Sims, as there was only one Joe Pass. On the other hand, Krikunov and Tustanovskiy prove from the outset that they haven't bitten off more than they can chew. Each of them is technically sharp and spontaneously resourceful, and the result is rather like an agreeable snapshot of Zoot and Joe albeit with a tad less color and charisma. There's a lot of Pass in Krikunov's burnished guitar, while Tustanovskiy makes do with an occasional nod to Sims while displaying his superior command of the alto at any and all tempos.

The duo's choice of material is unerring: four endearing standards from the Great American Songbook breezily rubbing shoulders with Duke Ellington's wistful "Mood Indigo," Oscar Pettiford's melodious "Tricotism" and a trio of bright original compositions, the first of which, "Dewey Square," is based on Zoot's popular theme, "The Red Door" (which is presumably based on something else). The standards, in order, are "There Is No Greater Love," "Stars Fell on Alabama," "I Remember You" and "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" (popularized in the '30s Cary Grant / Kate Hepburn film classic Bringing Up Baby). Krikunov and Tustanovskiy give each of them a pleasurable ride, as they do the others including the earnest "Label 5 Blues" and jaunty "Blues for Rus" (Russia?). On "Label 5" and "Blues for Rus," Tustanovskiy positions his alto near the tenor range throughout the song's exposition and indeed until well into his solo.

No, this is neither Sims nor Pass; it is, however, a credible facsimile of their matchless artistry by a pair of contemporary musicians whose purpose was never to duplicate but instead pay fond tribute to two masters of the genre. In doing so, they have produced a tasteful two-slice narrative that stands well on its own.

Track Listing

Dewey Square; There Is No Greater Love; Label 5 Blues; Stars Fell on Alabama; I Remember You; Blues for Rus; I Can’t Give You Anything But Love; Mood Indigo; Tricotism.

Personnel

Artiom Krikunov: guitar; Ruslan Tustanovskiy: alto saxophone.

Album information

Title: Untitled | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Self Produced

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.