Moscow's Butman Jazz Club Sees Return of Ark

By Darya BieleckaJul. 22 2014 20:16 Last edited 20:16
Bass player, composer and band leader Ark Ovrutski performs at the Igor Butman Club on Wednesday with guitarist Roni Ben-Hur and drummer Duduka da Fonseca. Originally from Moscow, Ovrutski moved to the U.S. in 2005.

Q: The most famous Russian jazz musician to do well in the U.S. is trumpeter Valery Ponomarev. Who else has made a mark?

A: I know many wonderful musicians from the former Soviet Union who are highly acclaimed in the U.S.: my brothers from the Russian Academy of Music, Sasha Sipyagin and Boris Kozlov, piano player Misha Tsyganov from St. Petersburg, bass players Ruslan Khain and Dima Kolesnikov, and older cats such as Nick Levinovsky and Victor Dvoskin.

Q: Is it more difficult to build a career in the U.S. than in Russia?

A: In the States there is no hassle. You should be on top of the beat. (Just teasing.) Each success is a combination of talent, luck, wise actions and a huge amount of work.

Q: One cliche says that Russian jazz musicians are snobbish, while Americans are nicer and play brighter, joyful music. Do you think that's true?

A: Snobbish behavior is seen as an old-school feature, but legends are open-minded and frank. They are really spiritual people. I was blessed to work with James Spaulding, Curtis Fuller, Javon Jackson, Victor Lewis. I am friends with Bob Cranshaw, "Tain" and Barry Harris. I was taught by Elvin Jones. All of them are icons of jazz and also models of musician's behavior. The right attitude is key.
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