Many people in the jazz world associate trumpeter Alex Sipiagin with the
Charles Mingus ghost band, but the albums he has recorded under his own name haven't been especially
Mingus-minded, and that is true of
Destinations Unknown, which finds the Russian trumpeter leading a sextet that includes
Chris Potter on tenor sax,
David Binney on alto sax,
Craig Taborn on acoustic piano and electric keyboards,
Boris Kozlov on upright bass, and
Eric Harland on drums. Any album that features
Potter extensively is usually worth hearing, and this 2011 recording is no exception.
Sipiagin gives
Potter plenty of solo space, which is a definite plus;
Sipiagin was lucky to have
Potter as a sideman. But
Binney is an equally valuable contributor to
Destinations Unknown, and
Sipiagin skillfully oversees a three-horn front line (trumpet and two saxophones) on a session that spotlights original compositions and doesn't contain any standards at all. The post-bop material tends to be on the cerebral side; that is true of "Tempest in the Tea Cup" and "Videlles," as well as "Fast Forward," "Calming," "Next Stop: Tsukiji," and "Fermata Scondola." But like a lot of jazz albums that thrive on complexity and intellect,
Destinations Unknown reveals more and more of its charms with each listen. It should be noted that
Sipiagin employs both acoustic and electric instruments on this album; the trumpeter isn't shy about letting
Taborn solo on electric keyboards as well as acoustic piano. And yet, this release doesn't really venture into fusion territory; despite
Taborn's presence on electric keyboards at times,
Destinations Unknown is essentially a post-bop album rather than a fusion album. It is also a skillful demonstration of what
Sipiagin has to offer as a trumpeter, composer, and group leader. ~ Alex Henderson