Clair-Obscur Sax Quartett - Nikolai Kapustin: Saxophone Chamber Music

It might seem initially surprising that a pianist born in the Soviet Republic of Ukraine, and trained in the classical Russian school of pianists, should compose exclusively in the jazz idiom. But jazz was more prevalent in the Soviet Union that might be supposed. Oleg Ludstrem was already touring the UdSSR with his Big Band in the 1930s, and Nikolai Kapustin subsequently worked for many years with the band as a pianist and arranger. �What interests me most is the fusion between classical music and jazz, and between the classical form and the jazz idiom. Here, the classical portion has more weight for me. The jazz style is merely colour.� � Nikolai Kapustin