MISHA ALPERIN (1956-2018). Misha Alperin was a pianist, composer and improviser. She has now died at the age of 61. Misha Alperin was born in Ukraine in 1956. He grew up in rural Bessarabia in the eastern part of Moldavia. While he played in folk music, he also studied composition and piano. He was only 24 when he discovered jazz and heard recordings by John Coltrane and Charlie Parker. Red Garland and Keith Jarrett were his first encounters with jazz pianists. In 1983, Alperin moved from Moscow to meet Arkady Shilkloper, a flugelhorn and french horn player. He soon became close to Shilkloper in a musical effort to “break down borders and borders not just geographically but also historical – the boundaries between epochs.” They then went on their first European tour with Alperin/Shilkloper, and were introduced at Rainbow Studio. The Wave of Sorrow album, which was recorded in 1989, received rave reviews. Thomas Rothschild, a Frankfurter Rundschau journalist, wrote that “Alperin’s compositions cannot be classified in terms of genre.” They are aphoristic pieces that owe as much to Bartok and Schnittke as to Jarrett and Corea. They are truly unique and should be heard. Alperin lived in Oslo from 1993 to 1995, where he taught at The Norwegian State Academy of Music. Many albums feature collaborations between Norwegian musicians, such as North Story with Tore Brunborg or Jon Christensen. Christensen is also featured on First Impression. This documentary documents a spirited and spontaneous encounter between John Surman and Alperin. Anja Lechner, a German cellist, was also a musical partner. She appeared on Night (recorded at VossaJazz festival), Her First Dance and touring with Alperin, Shilkloper, and Trio. The most intimate and personal album by Alperin is At Home. It was recorded solo by the pianist. ECM Records: Improvisation is the paintbrush that allows you to be authentic in the moment.
