Makar Kashitsyn - Jazz Animals

On Jazz Animals, the 19-year-old prodigy from Moscow showcases his huge sound, no-limits chops and keen improvisational logic. Jazz Animals presents five tunes penned by Kashitsyn, and a tune apiece by acclaimed tenor saxophonist Chad Lefkowitz-Brown and fellow Russian musician Nikita Mochalin, who also contributes four dynamic arrangements. Kashitsyn’s front line is made up of American rising stars Lefkowitz-Brown and trumpeter Josh Evans (most widely known for his inspired playing in Christian McBride’s New Jawn Quartet). Dutch vocalist Hiske Oosterwijk lends her voice to two tunes and contributes a poetic lyric to the album’s finale. Four Russian musicians join including guitarist Alexey Polubabkin, dubbed by Kashitsyn as “the Russian John Scofield, album producer, and drummer Sasha Mashin, bassist Makar Novikov, and veteran pianist-keyboardist Alexey Podymkin, a frequent bandstand presence when star American soloists tour Russia. Makar Kashitsyn - alto sax Chad Lefkowitz-Bro