Album Review: Avalanche from Anton Davidyants

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Album:  Avalanche
Artist:  Anton Davidyants
Label:  Jazzist
Website:  https://bassasylum.com/bass-guitarists/anton-davidyants

Subtle and symphonic, Avalanche, the debut recording from bandleader and bass guitarist Anton Davidyants, is a melodic collection of refined and dynamic instrumentals.  Each track is a descriptive vignette, portraying the lively interaction of the band members, forming a labyrinth of entangling chord patterns and spiraling instrumentation.

Comprised of 6 movements, the suite of Avalanche is a stream of multi-faceted soundscapes, landscaped by Evgeny Lebedov's babbling keys contoured by silhouettes of soaring strings and a plethora of fluttering horns, all supported by the steady grooves of Davidyants's bass and Ignat Kravtsov's drums.  Swirling whirlwinds amass across "Avalanche Part 1," transitioning into the sedate passages of keys and strings twisting and meandering along "Avalanche Part 2."

The whispery sonorous of the keys and strings moving lithely through "Avalanche Part 3" resonate a reflective impression on the listener, traveling into "Avalanche Part 4," a steamy cauldron of coiling bass chords and rippling keys held steadily by the smooth phrasing of the horns and fluid drums.  "Avalanche Part 5" is sparsely layered in fluttering strings and Davidyants's undulating bass chords, switching course in "Avalanche Part 6" with frenzied keys and swirling horns, cresting and ebbing in a melodic formation.

The music is vibrant and harmonious, engaging the listener instantly.  Nimble and kinetic, Davidyants and his band display a symbiotic rapport that gives the suite a natural beauty.

Musicians:
Anton Davidyants - bass guitar
Evgeny Lebedev - piano
Ignat Kravtsov - drums
Stanislav Malyshev - violin, conductor
Inna Zilberman - violin
Irina Chepizhnaya - violin
Darya Filippenko - viola
Olga Kalinova - cello
Mikhail Kalashnikov - cello
Darya Vershinina - clarinet and bass clarinet
Evgeny Solovey - clarinet
Alexey Serov - French horn

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