Alex Sipiagin

A gifted trumpeter born in Russia, Alex Sipiagin delivers harmonically intricate solos shaped by the post-bop lineage of Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, and John Coltrane. Recognition arrived after he finished fourth at the Thelonious Monk Institute's International Louis Armstrong Competition in 1990. Once settled in New York, he became a sought-after sideman for the Mingus Big Band, the Gil Evans Orchestra, and musicians such as David Binney, Dave Holland, and Conrad Herwig. Leading his own projects, he has produced a consistent catalog of acclaimed hard-swinging recordings, among them Steppin' Zone in 2001, Out of the Circle in 2008, and Generations: Dedicated to Woody Shaw in 2010. He also belongs to the Criss Cross all-star collective Opus 5, contributing to its Jazz Messengers-inspired sessions including Pentasonic in 2012 and Tickle in 2015. His reputation is further underscored by appearances on the Michael Brecker Quindectet's Grammy-winning Wide Angles from 2003 and the Dave Holland Big Band's Grammy-nominated Pathways in 2010. In addition to performing, Sipiagin has taught at NYU and at the Groningen Prince Claus Conservatory as well as the Academy of Music in Basel, Switzerland.

Alexei "Sasha" Sipiagin entered the world on June 11, 1967, in Yaroslavl, U.S.S.R. During his formative years he pursued classical trumpet studies and performed with a youth orchestra. Around age fifteen he entered a local music school, where exposure to modern jazz prompted deeper interest in the idiom. At sixteen he gained admission to the Moscow Music Institute and later received his bachelor's degree in music. Military service in the Soviet Army interrupted his progress for two years, after which he continued training at the Gnessin Conservatory in Moscow.

In 1990 Sipiagin placed fourth at the Thelonious Monk Institute's International Louis Armstrong Competition held in Washington, D.C. The achievement earned him a Bach trumpet awarded by Clark Terry and drew the attention of American critics and players. Capitalizing on that momentum, he moved to New York and secured engagements with the Mingus Big Band, Mingus Dynasty, and Dave Holland's Big Band, Sextet, and Octet, as well as with Larry Coryell, Conrad Herwig, and David Binney. His first leader date, Images, appeared in 1998 and featured Binney, Chris Potter, and Scott Colley.

Joining the Criss Cross roster, Sipiagin released the acoustic post-bop album Steppin' Zone in 2001, which showcased Potter, David Kikoski, Colley, and Jeff "Tain" Watts. Subsequent Criss Cross outings included Hindsight in 2002, Returning in 2005, and Prints in 2007. He also participated in Michael Brecker's Grammy-winning Quindectet project Wide Angles in 2003 and maintained his association with Holland on the Big Band album Overtime, issued in 2005.

Venturing further afield, Sipiagin recorded Out of the Circle for Sunnyside in 2008, drawing on previously untested New York collaborators. Returning to Criss Cross, he delivered the high-energy Mirages in 2009 with Seamus Blake, Mulgrew Miller, Boris Kozlov, and Johnathan Blake. The following year he saluted a formative influence on Generations: Dedicated to Woody Shaw. In 2011 he convened a sextet for Destinations Unknown, again with Potter and Binney, and Potter returned for Overlooking Moments in 2013.

Around the same period Sipiagin joined the Criss Cross ensemble Opus 5, making his first appearance on the 2011 debut Introducing Opus 5 alongside Seamus Blake, David Kikoski, Boris Kozlov, and Donald Edwards. The group, patterned after Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, has remained active with Pentasonic in 2012, Progression in 2014, and Tickle in 2015. Sipiagin launched the New Path ensemble featuring Dutch vocalist Hiske Oosterwijk in 2014; the project resurfaced as New Path 2 in 2016. He also documented sextet explorations on Balance 38-58 in 2015 and assembled Moments Captured in 2017 with Potter, Will Vinson, John Escreet, Matt Brewer, and Eric Harland.