Square Down by Nabatov - Reijseger - Schubert

Jazzreview.com October 2011


Three European improvising heavyweights align for an intriguing expansionist endeavor, where space, dainty subtleties, and asymmetrical underpinnings aid the organic and polytonal output of the band's multifarious developments. With orbital and darting exchanges, the trio also delves into minimalism and free-microtonal interludes amid gradually climactic choruses.
"Run For It," is one of the shorter pieces on the album, but serves as a prime example of the trio's uncanny combination of introspection and aggression. Here, pianist Simon Nabatov and saxophonist Matthias Schubert generate dips and spikes via weaving dialogues to summon a rather ominous string of circumstances. However, they throttle back and explore slopes and sharp turns, abetted by cellist Ernst Reijseger's wily phrasings and sinuous backdrops. And the band runs on various speeds and metrics while intensifying the impact with scorching 3-way improvisational segments. Yet they inject soulful inflections to lighten the load with an elusive and liquefying mode of attack.
As a whole, the album moves forward with the force of rapidly advancing waves to complement the rather pliant musical architecture. No doubt, they project a stress test for the mind, contrasted by cunning rebuilding processes and trickling passages that are akin to a calm-before-the- storm approach to overall course of action.

Glenn Astarita

Simon Nabatov, pianist and composer, was born in Moscow in 1959.
In 1979 he emigrated to the USA, spent in NY next 10 years and 1989 he moved to Germany.
Simon Nabatov played with the "who's who" of the jazz and improvised music community, gave concerts in over 60 countries, appeared on the numerous international festivals, received prizes and documented his music on 30 CD's under his own name.