Although Yakov Okun takes his place within the modest number of truly distinctive jazz pianists in Russia, hearing him performing on stage was an only chance to meet his composer’s talent till recently. In February 2011 he finally released his debut album in a spectacular trio of himself on piano, Ben Street on bass and Billy Drummond on drums. Okun’s originals and interpretations of Sonny Rollins, Fats Waller and John Coltrane was embodied into a Criss Cross Jazz release that got the title New York Encounter. Okun is the one who introduces a purely New York modern jazz sound into the Russian jazz scene. You can find him on stage of a variety of philharmonic halls and clubs throughout the country with his trio every month, featuring American musicians, such as Johnny Griffin, Lew Tabackin, Deborah Brown and the likes.
Born to a family of a prominent Soviet jazz pianist Mikhail Okun, Yakov quickly adopted interest in music. Having a chance to hear his father’s record collection that included records of American jazz icons (extremely rare for USSR), he grew up to switch from classical music to jazz by entering the variety jazz department of Gnesin college of music in 1988. After graduating in 1992, Okun started his professional career in the arduous times when jazz music experienced total oblivion. However, finally he found himself as sideman of a number of distinctive bands, and flugelhornist German Lukianov’s legendary Kadans among them. Touring around practically all former Soviet Union countries, Yakov Okun returned to Moscow and found his trio, MosGorTrio (acronym from Moscow City Trio), with two young though skillful musicians, Makar Novikov on bass and Alexander Mashin on drums. Since then, Yakov becomes one of the most distinguished pianists of Russia and one of those who introduces high-quality jazz to public by backing American soloists — James Spaulding, Larry Schneider, Gary Smulyan, Steve Slagle, Craig Handy and Jeremy Pelt are among them. As it has been said in the liner notes of his New York Encounter, Okun as a «bebop devotee who doesn’t play licks, inhabits a broad timeline of vocabulary with deep soul, a sense of humor, and an endless will to swing, and executes his ideas with crisp authority, nuanced touch, and imaginative flair». Speaking of Yakov Okun, you couldn’t put it better.
However, there is no surprise that Okun, whose last name literarily means «perch» in Russian, speaks of fishing as his main hobby, and leaves the piano to sit in front of the drums from time to time (though it is not the kind of thing you might expect from a person with such an austere style and look). After you hear swift passage notes coming through Okun’s stunning improvisations, you would be thrown into confusion when you recognize him playing «Kind Bug», a non-sincopated song from the 1947 Soviet cinema classic Zolushka (Cinderella).
When and where did your debut take place?
When I was 5, I played violin on stage of the Grand Hall of Moscow State Conservatory with the junior violin ensemble. We were performing Vivaldi concerto in G minor.
What amuses you as much as music, or even more?
Fishing.
What projects are you currently working on?
I’m not interested in «projects» — let it be architect’s terms of reference. I simply prefer to play in a good company – on drums or piano.
Listen to Yakov Okun:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Yakov Okun and MosGorTrio — Eric Dolphy’s Tomb (Y.Okun). Yakov Okun (piano), Makar Novikov (bass), Alexander Mashin (drums).
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Yakov Okun on Web:
Yakov Okun – New York Encounter (Criss Cross Jazz)