Igor Butman

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Igor Butman is a jazz saxophonist born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1961. He is considered to be a virtuoso saxophonist, and a skilled bandleader. American saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. was instrumental in introducing Igor Butman to American audiences by featuring the Russian saxophonist on his 1988 album, Then and Now. American trumpet player Wynton Marsalis has also been a strong champion of Igor Butman.

Former US President Bill Clinton has called Butman "my favorite living saxophone player."^[1]

[edit] History

Igor Butman, saxophone virtuoso, bandleader, club owner and television host, is Russia's number one jazz personality. Born in 1961 in Leningrad (now St.Petersburg), Igor Butman started playing the clarinet at the age of 11. In 1976 he entered the Rimsky-Korsakov College of Music, where during his second year he dropped the classical clarinet for the jazz saxophone. Besides being taught by the remarkable musician and brilliant teacher Gennady Goldstein, he took unofficial lessons from nightly jazz broadcasts on the Voice of America radio station. In the mid-eighties Igor started playing in renowned Soviet jazz bands: Oleg Lundstrem`s Big Band, and "Allegro", and soon after that got wide recognition in the USSR. Igor became known as the best tenor saxophonist, placing first in the Soviet Critics' Polls and recording some albums for “Melodiya” label.

After Igor Butman immigrated to the USA in 1987, he went on to major in Performance and Composition at Berklee College of Music. While still in the U.S.S.R., Igor was invited to tour with Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Gary Burton, Louis Bellson, and Grover Washington Jr. So, by the time Igor arrived in the United States he already had friends among the US’ most respected Jazz artists. Being a student at Berklee, he led his own group with Rachel Z. at Boston's “The Regattabar”, and was a featured soloist with Billy Taylor Quartet, Walter Davis Jr. Quartet and Monty Alexander Quintet. Having graduated from Berklee, Butman moved to New York, and started working with Lionel Hampton Orchestra and Michael Moriarty's Quintet.

In 1993, Butman’s first solo album “Falling Out” with mostly his own compositions was released. The album featured Eddie Gomez on bass, Lyle Mays on piano, Marvin "Smitty" Smith on drums, and received good reviews in the most respectable jazz magazines. In 1994, Igor Butman recorded the “Equinost“ (Intersound) album with “Partners in Time”, joined by Igor’s professor Gary Burton, and moved back to Russia, where he set up his own quartet. During the following years he became "a jazz bridge between Moscow and New York", touring throughout Russia with Eddie Gomez, Lenny White, John Abercrombie, Joe Lock, and other musicians. Next Igor’s solo album “Nostalgie” was recorded at RPM Studio in New York and released in Russia in 1997. Ira Gitler commented on the album: "Butman showed the fire and depth of his world-class improvisational talent". Butman's video clip “Nostalgie” reached the second place on the Canadian TV network Bravo!Canada.

\In 1998, great trumpet player Wynton Marsalis invited Butman to be a guest soloist with Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Next year Igor got together his renowned Igor Butman Big Band involving best jazz musicians from all over Russia. Soon after that Marsalis was a featured soloist with the band. Butman’s world-class Big Band also performed with a number of outstanding musicians such as Dee Dee Bridgewater, George Benson, Gino Vanelli, Joe Lovano, Billy Cobham, “New York Voices”, Randy Brecker, and many others. In September, 2003 Jazz at Lincoln Center opened its 03-04 season with a special collaboration between Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and Igor Butman Big Band.

Butman`s marvelous combination of soul, sound and technique was highly praise by the former American President Bill Clinton, one time tenor man, at a state dinner hosted by the head of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin at the Moscow Kremlin. Clinton stated that Igor Butman is "may be the greatest living jazz saxophone player, who happens to be a Russian."

One of the Butman’s accomplishments as a producer is "The Triumph of Jazz", a tremendous festival which takes place annually in the biggest concert halls of Russia. Every time the great program thrills audiences with the participants of the fest, among them: TAKE 6, Elvin Jones' Rhythm Machine, Gary Burton, Gino Vanelli, Toots Thielemans, Larry Corryell, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Joey DeFrancescoto etc. In June 2003 Igor's solo album “Prophecy” was released by Universal Music Russia. The album’s presentation took place at Birdland jazz club in New York. “Prophecy” received an enthusiastic welcome by both Russian and US press. In 2003-04, Igor Butman performed as a special guest with Ray Charles, George Benson and Al Jarreau bands.

In 2006 Igor Butman started recording his new album based on music from Soviet cartoons and movies featuring Chick Corea on piano, John Patitucci on bass, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Stefon Harris on vibraphone, and Jack DeJohnette on drums. In 2007 Igor signed a contract with Sony BMG Russia.