A real ginger was found in the performance of Anna Koroleva, an emerging star of ladies' sax. The truth is that there is nothing lady-like in sounding of this girl, who came to study in Moscow from Krasnodar. This hard-edged play in modern style - partially borrowed from Eric Dolphy but already presenting original ideas - gives us a hope that we are at the eve of a real discovery.
Anna Koroleva belongs to a new generation that rapidly assimilates the forbears' legacy. With such ease they master it.

And now to the point. I was worried that announced in the program this unknown woman Anna Koroleva, a saxophonist, would turn out to just serve as an effective foil to other jazz "stars". But this young saxophonist - whose play truly stroke the audience dumb - we should call "a discovery of the season", no less.

Evidently, Anna wasn't supposed to be leading in this ensemble, though I would prefer her to be a headliner. She played perfectly, virtuoso-like, devotedly, without irrelevant for "black jazz" clever-cleverness, and every sound here was, so to say, to the point. "Hot" sax improvisations (Coltrane's vigor and his famous "thousand sounds per minute") coupled by a-la Manukyan play reminded the audience, that after all a real jazz is "black."

And in the next set the dancing crowd swarmed to the bandbox. Though a young saxophonist and singer Anna Koroleva (by the way exactly on the "Hermitage" stage she debuted in jazz several years ago; at that time she just moved from Krasnodar to Moscow to study jazz) was elevating energy level of her program bit by bit.

Making start with declaration of love to Charlie Parker (speedy swing rhythm, vibrant sax sounds reminding the great Eric Dolphy), Koroleva rapidly heated the audience by her second composition - a dedication to the recently passed away drummer Elvin Jones. Then came unexpected stylistic shift - swing!

And here comes Koroleva's finale: funk-styled "Allright, OK", where Anya let herself sing out (demonstrating that she is getting on nicely at Afro-American vocal, and - what's more important - matching spirits), and half the garden went rug-cutting. Success. There still are things to work on, but that was a success - no doubts.

Perfect blend: Legendary drummer Jack DcJohnette provided muscle, young pianist Moran provided fiery elegance and Don Byron provided the eccentricity in Byron's Ivey Divey Trio. DeJohnette also laid down the groove for McFerrin's vocal gymnastics and led his own energetic Latin band featuring Byron, conga player Giovanni Hidalgo and pianist Edsel Gomez.

Pure joy: Terence Blanchard's commissioned work — honoring Dizzy Gillespie – featured legends Hampton and Moody soloing over the rhythms set down by Blanchard's sextet. But it was the soaring trumpet of Jon Faddis that brought Gillespie's spirit back to the stage.

International incident: Anna Koroleva of Russia's Open World Jazz Octet improvised on alto sax and then bent down to scat into the sax mike while gesturing at the dead vocal mike — again and again. It turned into one of the wildest solos of the weekend.
 

Double twins: Shawn and Scott McGinty were at the core of a classy set by the Brubeck Institute Jazz Sextet. Remy and Pascal LeBouef tore it up in three separate bunds – the festival High School AII-Slar Big Band and the Clifford Brown-Slan Getz Fellows, and playing their own compositions in the Pacific Collegiate Jazz Combo.

Greene got a run for his money later in the day when the Brubeck Institute Jazz Sextet, directed by renowned jazz bassist Christian McBride (who also filled in on bass), was joined by the Open World Jazz Octet from Russian.

The Russian musicians tore it up especially alto saxophonist Anna Koroleva and 17-year-old pianist Dimutriy Bratukhin, creating a buzz that lasted for the rest of the afternoon.

We've seen how they study. They had absolutely no secrets from us. Together we attended lectures, played in the Big Band together. While preparing for the performance, together we went to Monterey Festival, and together we performed there. We had a chance to feel the aura of an American jazz festival to its utmost. And in fact the aura was just breath-taking. The Festival's territory was immense. It is an open-air festival and events take place at six stages simultaneously, the biggest of them called "Arena." It reminded me a stadium (Anna's laughing). It is situated on the open air, and there are lots and lots of people. There played such musicians as Jack DeJohnette, Bobby McFerrin, Take 6, James Moody, to name the few. Most prominent jazz musicians.

...then together with Dima Bratukhin, a pianist, we slipped in to the backstage, and we managed to talk to Don Byron. Having talked to him, we were about to go back to listen to Regina Carter's performance - but suddenly he called us back. I turned around and glimpsed a CD sliding to my hands right across the stage. It was a record of his new program. And it wasn't released even in the States yet! We were shocked. The guys were happy; each made a copy of that record … That was such a wonderful gesture, such a great gift … We were pleased to realize that we now had this music in Moscow and were the first ones to hear it.

We were catching our breath after performance. By and by coming to ourselves. Then suddenly I noticed someone's taking pictures of me. I glanced …no, it can't be! Somebody's telling me, "Anya, this is Dennis Rowland". And suddenly he did an absolutely incredible thing. He says, "Let's play this thing together." I was so surprised. I thought, no… this can't be… he can't be serious. But still I waited off-stage, because, you know, we kind of agreed on that. Then suddenly he is pulling me to the stage and …

... the duo with Vladimir Cherkasin is the highest level of ensemble performance. Then I really like working with Sergei Manukyan. He is a real professional, a very gifted person, and he plays in ensemble indeed. He listens, he supports. It feels great with him, easy and free. He will always give a helping hand, and he will invent something that won't let you go. I felt really great with Daniil Kramer. While playing we were sending ideas to each other, picked them up, developed and burst out. All while playing. This is so cool, when an idea born in action finds its realization at that very moment. This is very nice, though not everyone could do it and not with everyone. But, if right at the performance you are inventing something, and the attempt is fruitful, and if you can do it at a good professional level - that's the way it's supposed to be.

 "Such a gifted girl, this saxophonist! - a middle-aged celloist shares his impression with his acquaintance. - If she doesn't quit, she's likely to rise."

I liked this girl-saxophonist. She played very lively and easy. And naturally, and beautifully. Well, apparently she knows her business well.

 The saxophonist Anya Koroleva was a discovery for me. Solo composition was just fabulous! As if Anna was speaking with three different voices at the same time. Parker's "Anthropology", starting with a canon - a classy arrangement trick!