Nataliya Lebedeva Ensemble. Paints.

Natalia Lebedeva is called the best jazz pianist in our country. It seems that she does not pay attention to these words and just plays, as no other man (woman?) can. But before, you should have preferably lived in Ukraine, and even better – in Kyiv, to make sure of that relying on your own ears. As till recently, Natalia was not engaged in releasing either her own music, or that within the framework of the "Night Groove" project, so one could hear her only during her performances. Fortunately, this vacuum gradually starts being filled in. You don't need to be an expert to understand that music of such a serious level will find its grateful audience anywhere. If only they were able to listen and hear the fragile, cool and fresh, pungent, spring jazz. From the outside, it is somewhat ascetic, but actually – very sated, meaningful – live. Natalia Lebedeva's plays have internal expressiveness so deep and powerful that it even not always requires expressiveness of external means. And the masterful playing of Igor Zakus and Alex Fantaev only emphasize this quality of it. Probably, therefore personally to me the "Paints" album reminds northern jazz – only a person familiar with the cold is capable of very warm playing of warmth. Only the person who is familiar with silence is capable of at least sporadic seeing music so – transparent. However, only the person who listens can hear. And feel. Thus, listen.

Anton Jozhik Leyba (Hedgehog)

Nataliya Lebedeva – piano
Igor Zakus – bass
Alex Fantayev – drums
Special Guest:
Artyom Mendelenko – soprano sax