Stilmix am Saxofon:
Alex Kontorovich

by Jonathan Scheiner

Mit seinem Judentum, sagt Alex Kontorovich, sei er als Kind in Russland nie wirklich konfrontiert worden. Außer durch die Tatsache vielleicht, dass auf dem Spielplatz in der Nachbarschaft nicht „Wer hat Angst vorm schwarzen Mann" gespielt wurde, sondern das Spiel „Wer hat Angst vorm Juden" hieß. Erst nach seiner Auswanderung in die USA, erzählt der Saxofonist und Klarinettist weiter, habe er die jüdische Tradition und auch die Musik der osteuropäischen Juden entdeckt – wenn auch aus ziemlich schnöden Gründen: „Klesmer war eine gute Gelegenheit, etwas Geld bei Hochzeiten oder Bar Mizwas zu verdienen."

Inzwischen pflegt Kontorovich einen ganz eigenen Stilmix aus Klesmer, Weltmusik und Jazz. Das machen schon die Namen der acht Titel seines aktuellen Albums Deep Minor deutlich. Manche Stücke haben Schtetl-Anklänge wie Sirba, Nossim Hora und Tzitzit; andere, wie Transit Strike Blues und New Orleans Funeral March sind uramerikanisch. Deutlich hörbar ist der Einfluss von Jazzgrößen wie Charlie „Bird" Parker, John Coltrane und vor allem Thelonius Monk. Dessen berühmten Titel Off Minor zitiert Kontorovich im Namen seines Albums Deep Minor.

Eine Art Stilmix prägt auch Kontorovichs Biografie. Er hat Mathematik an den US-Eliteuniversiäten Columbia und Princeton studiert, trägt einen Schwarzen Gürtel in japanischem Kampfsport und durchlief zunächst eine klassische Musikausbildung, bevor er zum Klesmer kam. Eine seiner ersten Bands hieß Klez Dispensers nach den berühmten Pez-Bonbonspendern. Der inzwischen 26-Jährige hat Auftritte mit den Klezmatics und Frank Londons Klezmer Brass Allstars gehabt, spielte sich durch die Post-Revival-Szene mit der Ska- und Reggae-Formation King Django's Roots And Culture Band um Jeff Baker und Aaron Alexanders Midrash Mish Mosh. Kontorovich hat auch das letzte Album der moldawischen Klarinettenlegende German Goldenshteyn (1934-2006) produziert. Kurz nach den Aufnahmen für A Living Tradition, die in einem angemieteten Hotelzimmer gemacht wurden, erlag German Goldenshteyn beim Angeln auf Long Island einem Herzinfarkt .

Begleitet wird Alex Kontorovich auf dem Album von dem Schlagzeuger Aaron Alexander, dem Bassisten Reuben Radding sowie von Brandon Seabrook, der nicht nur wie ein Berserker Gitarre spielt, sondern auch Banjo. Von diesem klassischen Country & Western-Instrument hätte man bislang nicht geglaubt, dass es auch nur einen einzigen Klesmer-Ton zustande bringen könnte. Seabrooks Spiel beweist eindrucksvoll, dass das ein bloßes Vorurteil war. Ein erfrischendes Detail, das auf seine Art repräsentativ für diese exzellente CD insgesamt ist.

Alex Kontorovich: Deep Minor

[Google translation, for your amusement:]

With his Judaism, says Alex Kontorovich, he had as a child in Russia never really been confronted. Except for perhaps the fact that on the playground in the neighborhood is not "Who's afraid of the black man" was played, but the game "Who's afraid of the Jews" was. Only after his emigration to the United States, says the saxophonist and clarinetist further, he's Jewish tradition and even the music of Eastern European Jews discovered - albeit for reasons quite simple: "Klezmer was a good opportunity to make some money at weddings or bar Mizwas to earn. "

Meanwhile Kontorovich maintains its own mix of styles from Klezmer, world music and jazz. That makes even the names of the eight title of his latest album, Deep Minor clear. Some pieces have Schtetl-like echoes Sirba, Nossim Hora Tzitzit and others, such as Transit Strike Blues and New Orleans Funeral March uramerikanisch are. Clearly audible is the influence of jazz greats like Charlie "Bird" Parker, John Coltrane and Thelonius Monk in particular. Its famous title Off Minor Kontorovich cited in the name of his album, Deep Minor.

A kind of styles and shapes Kontorovichs biography. He has mathematics at the U.S. Eliteuniversiäten Columbia and Princeton student, wears a black belt in martial arts and Japanese initially underwent a classical music education before he came to Klezmer. One of his first band was called after the Klez Dispensers-famous Pez candy dispensers. The now 26-year-old has appeared with the Klezmatics and Frank London's Klezmer Brass Allstars had played through the post-revival scene with the ska and reggae band King Django's Roots and Culture Band to Jeff Baker and Aaron Alexander's Midrash Mish Mosh . Kontorovich has also the last album of the Moldovan clarinet legend German Goldenshteyn (1934-2006) produced. Shortly after the recordings for A Living Tradition, in a rented hotel room has been made, succumbed to German Goldenshteyn when fishing on Long Iceland a heart attack.

Alex Kontorovich is accompanied on the album by drummer Aaron Alexander, the bassist Reuben Radding and Brandon Seabrook, not only as a Berserker plays guitar but also banjo. From this classic Country & Western instrument would have been not believe that it is also only one Klezmer sound could bring. Seabrooks game impressively proves that this is a mere prejudice was. A refreshing detail that on his way representative of this excellent CD as a whole.

Apr-May-June 2008 by Michael Rosenstein

Alex Kontorovich
Deep Minor

One listen to the opening track of this release and it is clear that this is a band well versed in treading the line between klezmer tradition and post-Bop freedom. Russian-born Alex Kontorovich's reeds lead the way. He's honed his chops in groups like the Klezmatics and Frank London's Klezmer Brass All Stars so it's no surprise that he plays with such impressive energy. Whether on boisterous clarinet or keening alto, Kontorovich pushes the music with a sense of phrasing and harmony that blends the essence of the songlike Eastern European themes with an edgy freedom. Guitarist and banjo player Brandon Seabrook is an effective foil; tossing off searing electric guitar licks or bringing a Dixie swing on banjo. (Seabrook is a core member of Naftule's Dream, a Boston-based unit that takes a similar tact with klezmer.) Reuben Radding has been popping up with increasing regularity on the Free Jazz scene, playing with musicians like Daniel Carter, Rob Brown, Wally Shoup, and Jack Wright. He brings a stalwart drive to the pieces, driving the improvisations with a coursing pulse. Drummer Aaron Alexander spent time with the groups Babkas and the Hasidic New Wave so he know[s] how to open up the Eastern European meters while keeping true to their dance-like forms. Radding and Alexander spent some time in rock bands and that peeks through as well. The melodies and basic forms are well established and even the strategy of opening them up toward freedom is nothing new. Yet these four attack the music with an ensemble empathy that keeps it fresh.

Alex Kontorovich - Deep Minor 4/3

O's Notes: Alex plays sax and clarinet and is in the center of a Jewish jazz revival. His approach is fresh, keeping essential elements of klezmer tradition but unleashing some serious elements of swing as well. Kontorovich is well respected in the traditional klezmer community and has performed with many of the best there. He is also an astute student of bebop greats as we can hear on "Kandels Burning" which is true to its title. His cohorts are Reuben Radding (b), Aaron Alexander (d) and Brandon Seabrook (banjo). Call it cooking klezmer or modern jazz with a taste of klezmer. Whichever way you go, this music swings along the lines of today's jazz vibe. Nice work.

D. Oscar Groomes
http://www.OsPlaceJazz.com

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/arts/story.html?id=df1c5796-3a20-4f3f-ba09-49af346a6e6e

The best from the fest: our critics pick their favourites
The Gazette
Published: Monday, July 09 2007

Here are the shows Gazette writers on the Montreal International Jazz Festival beat picked as highlights of the 11-day music marathon. Each list is in chronological order.

Irwin Block

1. David Binney Quartet: (June 30, Gesu): Binney leads from up front with his powerful alto sax, stream of ideas and great band: Brian Blade (drums), Craig Taborn (piano) and Scott Colley (bass).

2. Klez Dispensers (July 5, Carrefour General Motors): Playing old songs in a modern jazz format, the group - notably singer Joanne Borts and sax man Alex Kontorovich - kicked up a storm.

3. Ravi Coltrane Quartet (July 6, Spectrum): Never mind his father's legacy, the son of John Coltrane is a formidable tenor sax player. He sent chills up my spine.

...

http://www.browndailyherald.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticle&ustory_id=5b730576-056a-482c-93ed-2f7b89bcc6d9

Math prof doubles as musician
By George Miller
Issue date: 9/26/07

Alex Kontorovich's family has been steeped in math for generations. But he is the only member of his family who studied number theory and also became a musician.

"That was sort of an accident," he said.

Kontorovich, who is 27 and an assistant professor of mathematics, arrived at Brown in September after completing undergraduate work at Princeton University and receiving a Ph.D. from Columbia University. As he said a friend of his pointed out, the Bears were really the only choice after the Lions and Tigers.

Kontorovich is currently doing research in number theory, a branch of mathematics concerned largely with the study of prime numbers - the building blocks of numbers, he said.

There is a vast catalog of unanswered questions in number theory, he explained, some posed millennia ago by the Greeks.

"Most of these problems are hopeless," Kontorovich said. "If these problems have been around for 2,000 years, what says I'm going to be able to completely solve it?" But, he added, there are always partial answers to be found.

A classic example of a number theory problem is the Goldbach conjecture - the assertion that any even number greater than two can be represented as the sum of just two primes. It is still unproven.

Number theory does have practical applications, Kontorovich said, such as in cryptography, which keeps your credit card number safe when you use it online. But Kontorovich is more interested in number theory as an intellectual pursuit.

"When I solve a theorem, I see something with my eyes that humankind has never seen before," Kontorovich said.

Another draw to mathematics was the pure logic of it, he said. "I don't have to go digging for dinosaurs anywhere."

But Kontorovich doesn't spend all his time poring over papers in his office, either. He splits his week between Providence and New York, where he is very much involved in the music scene.

He plays clarinet and saxophone in a number of improvisational jazz, klezmer and other groups. He has an album, "Deep Minor," due out Oct. 5 from Chamsa Records. Kontorovich composed all the music on the disc, with songs like "Transit Strike Blues" and "New Orleans Funeral March" clearly drawn from current events, and others, such as "Kandels Burning," updates of old tunes.

Originally written as a street march, "New Orleans Funeral March" took on a life of its own at a rehearsal and was renamed after Hurricane Katrina. It was "like a hurricane had happened in the music," Kontorovich said.

Kontorovich said he found music in "sort of an accident" when, after seeing a jazz concert in eighth grade, he walked out of the concert air-playing the saxophone. His parents soon got him a horn and lessons.

Though he doesn't mention it in class, Kontorovich's musical half is known to his students, said Danny Klotz '11. Kontorovich is teaching MATH 0180: "Intermediate Calculus" this semester.

Reviews of "Deep Minor" so far are positive, with the Jewish Week calling Kontorovich "an imaginative, thoughtful improviser," and Midwest Record writing that "Deep Minor" is "tasty stuff the open-eared will dig."

Kontorovich defined his preferred genre as anything involving improvisation. His other musical projects have included a series of concerts in Weimar, Germany, with six other jazz musicians from three continents, and some collaboration with King Django, which put him in ska and reggae territory.

Kontorovich spends much more time on tour than in the studio, he said, preferring to see new faces, new cities and go "exploring."

But of course, three days a week he's back in Providence. His post-doctoral teaching gig will end after three years, after which he plans to look for a permanent position in the New York area, Kontorovich said. Until then, he'll be teaching and working on number theory ­­­­­- or something else.

"Just like in music," he said, "you get bored if you're doing the same thing for too long."

http://www.jazzreview.com/cd/review-19434.html

Featured Artist: Alex Kontorovich

CD Title: Deep Minor

Alex Kontorovich makes a sizzling debut as a leader on his CD Deep Minor. The Russian born, New York based reedman cleverly fuses a multitude of influences for an electrifying romp of Afro-Klezmer-Jazz. An expert in martial arts, math professor at Brown University, and classically trained musician, Kontorovich is in high demand, adding to numerous jazz and klezmer groups known in New York and abroad.

The first track on Deep Minor is "Transit Strike Blues", a fiery mix of blues and klezmer misheberach mode with Kontorovich on clarinet and Seabrook on banjo leading the way before Alexander and Radding join in. Seabrook's banjo adds a percussive twang to the mix of Deep Minor, and is utilized in unimaginable ways throughout the CD. "Kandels Burning" is a tribute to the klezmer music pioneer Harry Kandel, on which Kontorovich soars with his saxophone that seems to conjure the spirit of Coltrane. Turning to electric guitar on "New Orleans Funeral March", Seabrook hovers like a ghost as Kontorovich, Radding and Alexander move through a free-jazz whirl before returning to its haunting conclusion. Another highlight of Deep Minor is "Sirba", which not only displays the endurance of Kontorovich, but the impeccable control of time and rhythm by Alexander and Radding as they pass from slow meditative states to all out, heart stopping tempo, and back again, and again. "AfroJewban Suite" is another melding of world styles with modern jazz. Radding and Alexander lay the foundation upon which Kontorovich and Seabrook build imaginative solos. "Tzitzit" is anything but an ornamental piece hanging on the fringe of Deep Minor. It's an in-your-face summation of the whole CD, complete with klezmer and jazz tributes to the great pioneers of both, swirling together in a screaming clarinet, percussive banjo, and the driving bass and drums.

Deep Minor is an offering of world music fused by klezmer music and modern jazz. Alex Kontorovich blends Eastern Europe with New York energy for ride of exciting diversity.

Reviewed by: Jim Shulstad

Alex Kontorovich - Deep Minor

The Radical Jewish Culture Movement doesn't pull in as much press ink as it once did, but that change in profile hasn't curtailed Alex Kontorovich's contributions to the idiom. Adept in both clarinet and alto saxophonone, his credentials also include a blackbelt in martial arts and a doctoral degree in Mathematics. Drummer Aaron Alexander and bassist Reuben Radding gel into a tight rhythm team and the latter man also doubles as the ensemble's sound engineer to fine effect. Brandon Seabrook earns the wildcard assignation in the group, playing both guitar and banjo and also bringing an array of pre-recorded sounds via tapes to keep both his colleagues and listeners guessing.

Klezmer forms from the page of Zorn factor prominently into the program here, but Kontrovich is far from a clone. His approach shares greater similarity to Thomas Chapin in terms of a flair for the dramatic channeled through a sharply deployed improvisatory intellect. "Transit Strike Blues" opens with the odd, but inviting combination of clarinet and electric banjo before Radding and Alexander join the action with a robust rhythm. It's a lively composite revisted on the spirited closer "Tzizit". Seabrook's brittle and often forceful picking gives the band both bite and character, his teeth-rattling arpeggiations on the hora-derived "Kandels Burning" shearing petulantly through resilient revolving groove set up by Alexander and Radding. "New Orleans Funeral March" ties the titular form to Old World elements in a suite-like structure that builds from somber beginnings to a conflagatory finish. Radding's fibrillating bass preface sets a heady stage giving way to another extended improvisation from Seabrook slathered in oscillating waves of feedback.

Named after the song form at its root, "Sirba" sounds initially like a fast freilach in the mold of Naftule Brandwein, but soon morphs into a stomping heavy metal dirge thanks to Seabrook's aggressively amplified guitar. "AfroJewban Suite" bridges Klezmer, funk and Afrocuban rhythms in a manner not dissimilar to that of Steve Bernstein's Diaspora while a delicately-fashioned Piazolla-style waltz taps a rich nuevo tango vein and serves as springboard for liquid clarinet. Even with the rampant genre-hopping at the crux of his compositons, Kontorovich resists the sort of overkill that has sunk projects of similar design. Each of the pieces sounds secure in its piebald construction and the players make the most of each setting in the audible pursuit of creative expression.

~ Derek Taylor
Posted by derek on November 26, 2007

http://www.bagatellen.com/archives/reviews/001849.html

September 16th 2008


Alex Kontorovich
Deep Minor
Shamsa [Chamsa]

From Russia to Israel [actually no, directly] to the U.S., where he plays klezmer clarinet and edgy alto sax. Also teaches math at Brown while researching game theory and stochastic processes—sounds like some of the latter figured into his "New Orleans Funeral March" and "Waltz for Piazzolla." Brandon Seabrook consistently sets him up with guitar and banjo, and Midrash Mish Mosh drummer Aaron Alexander has the beat down pat. A MINUS

Tom Hull

By Robert Doerschuk:

...From here we take an unexpected turn to the place where post-bop and klezmer cross paths. This is not unexplored territory, but on Alex Kontorovich's Deep Minor (Chamsa 010, 54:19) ****, traffic moves briskly through this intersection. The opening seconds, a crackling unison scat between Kontorovich's clarinet and Brandon Seabrook's banjo, make clear that this will be a memorable ride. This impression grows as Seabrook begins comping freely behind Kontorovich and then steps into an extraordinary solo that's equal parts Ornette Coleman and "Swanee River". The modal contours of the melodies and the time-stretching meters are to be expected, though not the consistently engaging and rewarding performances.

http://wc10.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kvfuxzrhldhe

Review by Michael G. Nastos

For clarinetist and alto saxophonist Alex Kontorovich, Russian/Jewish heritage is in his blood, so it would come naturally for him to express his true self in a musical project that is an ethnic fusion of Eastern and Western elements. Modern American jazz is filtered through klezmer or Balkan traditions that are organically derived, and with the addition of the banjo player and electric guitarist Brandon Seabrook, the sound of bluegrass and rock musics are branded on a level that is indeed calculated, but blends in well. Add drummer Aaron Alexander and bassist Reuben Radding, who have much experience and background with this musical mish-mosh, and you have a quartet that can do just about anything in this vein. The CD is bookended by "Transit Strike Blues" and "Tzitzit," both expressing humor and a joyous decorum that at once suggests the cartoonish whimsy of Raymond Scott and the wedding reception band fervor of Ivo Papasov, a kind of Jewish-bop of high order. "Sirba" is the more "traditional" Balkan flavored piece taken at breakneck speed, but with burning electric guitar to fuel it, while the wild ethnic mix of "Afro-Jewban Suite" features Kontorovich's scattered alto opposite Seabrook's clangy amplified strings. The dancing "Kandels Burning," for legendary clarinetist Harry Kandel contrasts the broodingly tango-like to bizarrely seductive "New Orleans Funeral March," while stark romanticism breaks out with Seabrook's banjo on his waltz feature "Nossim Hora." Although Brad Shepik & the Commuters, Matt Darriau's Paradox Trio, and Slavic Soul Party have set prior precedent, Kontorovich may have gone one-up on them all. The combination of disparate elements finding common ground is nothing less than arresting, and makes for a fully realized project, and one that makes you hopeful the next one will be even better. This is a recording well worth searching for.