Master and Margarita

The Master and Margarita is a long suite (two discs) inspired by Mikhail Bulgakov's classic novel of the same name. (It's not the first time pianist Simon Nabatov has tangled with Russian literary figures -- compare 2001's Nature Morte, his encounter with Joseph Brodsky.) For this imaginatively "out" project, Nabatov recruits the finest of players: violinist Mark Feldman, trumpeter Herb Robertson, and longtime rhythm section colleagues Mark Helias (bass) and Tom Rainey (drums). This lean, supple unit moves effortlessly between freely improvised and precisely notated passages; out-of-tempo storms of sound and tight, dancing grooves; sedate, elegant moods; wails of torment and confusion; and even playfulness on occasion. Each track is an epic of its own, often encompassing all these contrasts and more. To help orient listeners, Nabatov, in the liner notes, provides his own track-by-track plot summary. This is avant-garde jazz's answer to classical "programme" music, a particularly strong and ambitious entry in a growing genre. ~ David R. Adler|