Butman, Igor Mikhailovich

Born in 1961 on October 27 in Leningrad in the family of construction engineer Mikhail Solomonovich Butman (1937–2009) and Mariula Nikolaevna Livanova (born 1939). He graduated from the music school and music school named after M. Mussorgsky. The school was fascinated by the saxophone . His teacher was Gennady Holstein. In 1978, Igor jazzman David Goloshchekin invited Igor to his ensemble.

At the end of 1978, he gathered his first quartet from the college students (Volkov, Rachilson, Glonti), which caused a sensation with his very first performance at the Kvadrat club in February 1979. They later played at the opening of the season in the “Square” (October 1979). Over the next year, Butman performed both solo and with the big band of the school and sometimes jammed in the “Square”. In April 1981, with the quintet of Sergey Kuryokhin, Butman took part in the “Spring Concerts of the New Jazz” of the Efim Barban and Alik Kahn Club of Contemporary Music ^[11] .

In 1981, after graduating from college, Igor took the post of alt-saxophonist in the jazz ensemble of David Goloshchekin, and a year later received an invitation from Moscow, becoming the first viola in the orchestra of Oleg Lundstrem ^[11] .

After working for Lundstrem for two years, Igor Butman returned to Leningrad and gathered his quartet, which included Alexander Berenson (ex-Lesnoy Prospect), a pipe; Dmitry Kolesnik, double bass, and Evgeny Huberman (ex- “Mania”, “The Pack”, “ Aquarium ”, “Zarok”, etc.), drums. At the regular "Spring Concerts", guitarist Alexander Pumpyan (ex- "Fram") performed with them, and after pianist Yevgeny Maslov joined his ranks, the quartet turned into a quintet ^[11] .

In 1983-1985, Butman’s quintet performed at festivals in Moscow, Riga and on three “Autumn rhythms” in Leningrad. In the same years, Igor Butman took part in the recording of the “ Aquarium ” albums “ Tabu ” (1982) and “ Radio Africa ” (1983), and also played solo in the song “ Trolleybus ” on the album “ Kino ” “ Chief of Kamchatka ” (1984) . Since the spring of 1984, he regularly participated in concerts of the Pop Mechanics group ^[11] .

In December 1984, Butman again went to Moscow: the famous Moscow pianist Nikolai Levinovsky invited him and Yevgeny Huberman to his “Allegro”. It was then that Igor replaced alto with tenor sax ^[11] .

In 1987, the musician left "Allegro" and went to improve his education in the United States. He entered the prestigious Berkeley College of Music in Boston, and two years later graduated from it, receiving a diploma as a concert pianist and composer. In the same years, Igor Butman met the American saxophonist Grover Washington. In addition to Washington, Igor performed on stage with Pat Metini , Eddie Gomez, Archie Schepp , Monty Eleksander and others. In 1989, Butman moved from Boston to New York, began playing with his ensemble in local clubs, and also made a European tour with Lionel Hampton Orchestra ^[11] .

The first performance of Butman in emigration in Russia took place in 1992 in Moscow at the international jazz festival. In 1993, Butman released his solo album, which included pianist Lyle Mace, double bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith. In May 1995, Igor Butman spoke in the Kremlin in front of US President Bill Clinton . A year later, the musician left the United States and settled in Moscow ^[11] .

In December 1996, in New York, Igor Butman produced the blues for four album by pianist Andrei Kondakov. Besides them, bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Lenny White took part in the recording. In April of the following year, the quartet toured the cities of Russia. In 1997–1998, independent jazz festivals were held in Moscow on the initiative of Butman. Russian and American jazzmen took part in them. Igor Butman also opened a jazz club at the Taganka Theater and arranged for such performers as Randy Brecker, Billy Cobham , Paul Bollenbek and others to tour Russia ^[11] .

In 1997, Butman released the album "Nostalgia", a year later he noted on the album "Volkov Trio" " Much Better ", and in March 1998 he gathered his big band ^[11] . The big band has repeatedly performed at Carnegie Hall , Lincoln Center , the legendary jazz club "Birdland" and other equally prestigious concert venues in the world. Simultaneously with the big band in 1999, the Igor Butman Quartet also appeared, consisting of: Igor Butman (saxophone), Anton Baronin (piano), Vitaly Solomonov (double bass), Edward Zizak (drums), who immediately called the “trademark” of Russian jazz . In June 2000, the ensemble appeared in the Kremlin before the leaders of the two countries - US President Bill Clinton and Russian President Vladimir Putin . In June 2002, before the PRC Chairman Jiang Zemin .

In February 2002, on the stage of the Russia Concert Hall in Moscow, Igor Butman presented a large-scale gala concert of Triumph of Jazz, which featured his big band and invited performers (Randy Brecker, Dee De Bridgewater , Gary Burton , Alvin Jones , Toots Tillmans , etc.). In the same spring, Butman and Larisa Dolina created a joint program “Carnival of Jazz”, with which they traveled throughout Russia, the near and far abroad ^[11] .

The sensation for the entire jazz world was the joint performance in September 2003 of the Big Band Igor Butman and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Wynton Marsalis at the opening of the jazz season in Lincoln Center in New York. In the same year, the first Big Band album “Eternal Triangle” was created with the participation of the famous American trumpeter Randy Brecker.

Laureate of the “Person of the Year” award of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia (2005). In 2006 he was awarded the honorary title "Honored Artist of Ingushetia". ^[12]

From 1998 to 2005, he conducted his own program “Jazofrenia” on the TV channel “Culture ” ^[13] . In 2006, he participated in the project of the First Channel “Stars on Ice” together with figure skater Maria Petrova . In 2009 she takes part in the project of the First Channel “Ice Age” together with Albena Denkova .

In 2009, he created his own record label, “Butman Music”, which was presented at the Moscow House of Music . At the concert, the Big Band album by Igor Butman “Moscow @ 3 am” was presented.

Since 2014, together with composer Arkady Ukupnik , he has organized the annual World Jazz Festival jazz festival in Riga ^[14] .

In 2018, he appeared in the TV series “ Real Guys ” as a cameo , where he played a melody from the series on the saxophone.

Member of the party "United Russia" since 2008. ^{[3] [4]} Butman explained his choice as follows:

I admit, "United Russia" is not so much good from a saxophonist, but I sincerely want to be to the best of our strength in our country. Sorry for the big words. If the resource of the party is capable of helping to achieve the goal, why not use it? ^[15]

About D. A. Medvedev, Butman spoke:

I am really his supporter. Dmitry Anatolyevich, in an interview with cultural figures, noted recently that it was necessary to oblige business to give money for culture. But just taking and withdrawing money or forcing people to give money may be right for good business. But, on the other hand, people need and be encouraged ^[16] .

February 6, 2012 was officially registered as an authorized representative of the candidate for President of the Russian Federation and the current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ^[17] .

March 11, 2014 signed a collective appeal to the Russian public figures of culture of Russia in support of the position of the President in Ukraine and Crimea ^[18] .

In September 2016, he became a confidant of the United Russia party in the elections to the State Duma of the VII convocation .

In January 2018, he became a confidant of Vladimir Putin in the presidential election of March 18, 2018 ^[19] .

In 2018, he was a confidant of the candidate for mayor in Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin ^[20] .

He has citizenship of two countries (Russia and the United States).

Butman does not deny and fully confirms the existence of US citizenship and the oath of allegiance to the US flag that he uttered. Comments by Igor Butman “ RIA Novosti ”: “I gave this oath, it is given by everyone who takes American citizenship. How many of our outstanding athletes have given this oath and defend Russia's honor in international competitions ... With arms in hand, I don’t need to defend anything, thank God, and I hope this will not come to that. I have dual citizenship. I do not occupy any government positions, but I am a member of a public organization, if they offer a state post, then I will have to choose. ” ^[21]

• Brother - Oleg Butman (b. 07/09/1966 in Leningrad), began with a balalaika, but at the request of his brother, who needed a drummer, he changed his musical profile and graduated from the school to them. Mussorgsky drum class. He also played in the big band of the school, performed and recorded with the rock bands “Tele U” and “ Tambourine ”, as well as guitarist Vladimir Gustov. In 1989 he took part in the quartet of Andrei Ryabov and Andrei Kondakov. In 1992 he moved to America, where he played in the big band of Nikolai Levinovskiy , sometimes collaborated with his brother and a number of other musicians ^[11] .

• Real boys (season 10, episode 11) - cameo.

• Official site I. Butman
• Blog and personal page I. Butman
• Igor Butman on the radio "Culture"
• Igor Butman interviews Oldsport.ru website