... our life is like jazz improvisation; it should always be spontaneous, always in the moment, and always free. (Nikolai Kapustin) Mission accomplished! After six years of rehearsals, concerts, and productions, all six piano concertos by the Russian jazz wizard Nikolai Kapustin are now available as recordings. Concertos Nos. 1 and 3, along with the no less virtuosic 8 Concert Etudes Op. 40, are released here for the first time, thereby completing this successful cycle. Drawing a parallel to one of the most prominent figures of symphonic jazz, Kapustin is often described as a "Russian following in Gershwin's footsteps." Frank Dupree has tirelessly followed that path, finally presenting us this significant gap in musical history.
