A gifted, Russian-born jazz trumpeter,
Alex Sipiagin is a dynamic soloist with a harmonically sophisticated approach influenced by the post-bop style of artists like
Woody Shaw,
Freddie Hubbard, and
John Coltrane.
Sipiagin initially came to wider recognition after placing fourth in the
Thelonious Monk Institute's International
Louis Armstrong Competition in 1990. Moving to New York, he quickly established himself as an in-demand sideman, working with such esteemed outfits as
the Mingus Big Band and
the Gil Evans Orchestra, as well as players like
David Binney,
Dave Holland,
Conrad Herwig, and others. As a leader, he has issued a steady stream of highly regarded and hard-swinging albums, including 2001's
Steppin' Zone, 2008's
Out of the Circle, and 2010's
Generations: Dedicated to Woody Shaw. He is also a member of the Criss Cross label's
Jazz Messengers-style group
Opus 5, with whom he has recorded a handful of albums such as 2012's
Pentasonic and 2015's Tickle. His immense skills have brought him accolades including playing on
the Michael Brecker Quindectet's Grammy-winning 2003 album
Wide Angles and the Dave Holland Big Band's Grammy-nominated 2010 album
Pathways. Away from performing,
Sipiagin is also a committed educator, having taught at both NYU and the Groningen Prince Claus Conservatory, Academy of Music, Basel, Switzerland.
Alexei "Sasha" Sipiagin was born on June 11, 1967 in Yaroslavl, U.S.S.R. Growing up,
Sipiagin studied classical trumpet and played in a youth orchestra. At around age 15 he enrolled in a local music school, where he first encountered modern jazz. Inspired to study more jazz,
Sipiagin auditioned and was accepted into the Moscow Music Institute at age 16, eventually graduating with his bachelor's degree in music. After college,
Sipiagin's studies were waylaid for two years of compulsory service in the Soviet Army, after which he enrolled in the Gnessin Conservatory in Moscow.
In 1990,
Sipiagin competed and placed fourth in the
Thelonious Monk Institute's International
Louis Armstrong Competition in Washington, D.C. He not only won a Bach trumpet, presented to him by legendary jazz trumpeter
Clark Terry, but also received much notice by critics and jazz musicians in the States. Buoyed by the attention,
Sipiagin relocated to New York, where he found work with a bevy of ensembles including
the Mingus Big Band,
Mingus Dynasty, bassist
Dave Holland's Big Band,
Sextet, and
Octet groups, as well as a cadre of top-echelon players including
Larry Coryell,
Conrad Herwig,
David Binney, and others. He also made his debut as a leader, issuing
Images in 1998, playing alongside
Binney,
Chris Potter,
Scott Colley, and others.
He then moved to the Criss Cross label and issued 2001's
Steppin' Zone, a hard-hitting acoustic jazz date featuring saxophonist
Potter, pianist
David Kikoski, bassist
Colley, and drummer
Jeff "Tain" Watts. More equally dynamic albums followed for Criss Cross, including 2002's
Hindsight, 2005's
Returning, and 2007's
Prints. He also joined
Michael Brecker on the saxophonist's Grammy-winning 2003
Quindectet album
Wide Angles, and continued his long association with bassist
Holland on the 2005 Big Band album Overtime.
In 2008,
Sipiagin, ever the adventurous journeyman, released
Out of the Circle on Sunnyside, an album with various N.Y.C.-based musicians the trumpeter had not worked with closely before. He returned to Criss Cross in 2009 with the high-energy post-bop of
Mirages, featuring saxophonist
Seamus Blake, pianist
Mulgrew Miller, bassist
Boris Kozlov, and drummer
Johnathan Blake. The trumpeter then paid homage to one of his main influences with
Generations: Dedicated to Woody Shaw in 2010. A year later, he emerged with the sextet date
Destinations Unknown alongside saxophonists
Potter and
Binney.
Potter was also on board for
Overlooking Moments in 2013.
Around this time,
Sipiagin made his debut with the Criss Cross label ensemble
Opus 5, appearing on 2011's
Introducing Opus 5 alongside saxophonist
Seamus Blake, pianist
David Kikoski, bassist
Boris Kozlov, and drummer
Donald Edwards. The group, which is modeled after
Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, has continued to work regularly, issuing 2012's
Pentasonic, 2014's
Progression, and 2015's Tickle.
In 2014,
Sipiagin debuted his New Path ensemble featuring Dutch vocalist Hiske Oosterwijk. The group returned in 2016 with New Path 2. The trumpeter also returned to his sextet work with 2015's
Balance 38-58. Two years later, he issued
Moments Captured with saxophonists
Potter and
Will Vinson, pianist
John Escreet, bassist
Matt Brewer, and drummer
Eric Harland. ~ Matt Collar