# Simon Nabatov

Simon Nabatov (born 11 January 1959) is a Russian-American jazz pianist.

## Early life

Nabatov was born in Moscow on 11 January 1959. His parents were Leon, a professional pianist and choir conductor who was a native of Belarus, and Regina. Nabatov began playing the piano at the age of three and his first composition was at six.
He attended a Duke Ellington concert in Moscow in 1971 and his determination to become a jazz musician was reinforced a year later at a Thad Jones–Mel Lewis Orchestra performance. By the age of 17 he was playing bebop with other musicians in Moscow. His formal education in music was at the Central School of Music and then the Moscow Conservatory.
Nabatov and his parents were permitted to leave the Soviet Union in 1979. This was ostensibly to join family members in Israel, but the Nabatovs instead flew to Italy and applied for visas to enter the United States. While waiting for a visa, Nabatov gained experience by becoming the house pianist at the Mississippi Jazz Club in Rome and was helped and encouraged by clarinettist Tony Scott. The family eventually reached the United States and settled in LeFrak City in Queens, New York City.

## Later life and career

Nabatov attended the Juilliard School from 1980 to 1984. In 1981, he accompanied avant-garde dancer Kazuo Ohno in performances in New York. In 1984, the magazine Keyboard named him Best Pianist. After graduating, "he played chamber music and accompanied choirs and former Soviet singing stars touring the growing circuit of Russian communities in the United States." He became an American citizen in 1986. That year, he recorded a trio album, Circle the Line, with bassist Ed Schuller and drummer Paul Motian. Often travelling to Europe, he was a member of bands led by Ray Anderson, Arthur Blythe, Steve Lacy and Perry Robinson, and played with the NDR Hamburg radio big band. Nabatov also toured Germany with Matthias Schubert, "with the drummer Ernst Bier, and with a tap-dance group". In 1989, he and his German partner settled in Cologne.
Nabatov made his name with a series of inventive trio albums with Mark Helias and Tom Rainey; he also often works with the trombonist Nils Wogram in duet or in larger ensembles. His most important work so far, however, has been a series of albums on Leo devoted to jazz tone-poem responses to Russian authors. Nature Morte is based on a poem by Joseph Brodsky; The Master and Margarita is a suite inspired by the novel of the same name by Mikhail Bulgakov, and the 2024 Raging Bulgakov focuses on that writer's earlier short works. A Few Incidences and No Kharms Done both consist of settings of the enigmatic texts of the poet Daniil Kharms. Crucial to the vocal discs have been the contributions of British singer Phil Minton.
Nabatov has taught at several institutions, including the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen (1989–91), the International Jazz and Rock Academy in Remscheid (1991–93), and the Musikhochschule Luzern.

## Discography
### As leader/co-leader

| Year recorded | Title | Label | Personnel/Notes |
| 1989? | Solo–Duo–Trio–Quartet | 2nd Floor | With Michael Moore, Frank Gratkowski, Nils Wogram (trombone), Phil Minton (vocals) |
| 1986 | Circle the Line | GM | With Ed Schuller (bass), Paul Motian (drums), Arto Tuncboyaci (percussion) |
| 1989? | Inside, Looking Out | Tutu | Quartet with Ed Schuller (bass), John Betsch (drums), Arto Tuncboyaci (percussion) |
| 1988 | Locomotion | ASP | Solo piano |
| 1989? | Six by Two | Terrace | Duo with Ronan Guilfoyle (bass guitar) |
| 1990 | For All the Marbles | ASP | Trio, with Mark Helias (bass), Barry Altschul (drums) |
| 1990 | Dancing on the Edge | Klavins | Solo piano |
| 1993 | Tough Customer | Enja | Trio, with Mark Helias (bass), Tom Rainey (drums) |
| 1994 | Shall We Dance? | 2nd Floor | Solo piano |
| 1996 | Swing Kings | ACT | Trio with Wolfgang Schlüter (vibraphone), Charly Antolini (drums); in concert |
| 1999 | Sneak Preview | hatOLOGY | Trio, with Mark Helias (bass), Tom Rainey (drums) |
| 1999 | The Master and Margarita | Leo | Quintet, with Herb Robertson (trumpet), Mark Feldman (violin), Mark Helias (bass), Tom Rainey (drums) |
| 1999 | Nature Morte | Leo | Quartet, with Nils Wogram (trombone), Frank Gratkowski (clarinet, alto sax, bass clarinet, flute), Phil Minton (vocals) |
| 2000? | As We Don't Know It | Kennex | Duo, with Nils Wogram (trombone) |
| 2000 | Starting a Story | ACT | Duo, with Nils Wogram (trombone) |
| 2000 | Perpetuum Immobile | Leo | Solo piano |
| 2000 | Three Stories, One End | ACT | Trio, with Drew Gress (bass), Tom Rainey (drums) |
| 2001 | Chat Room | Leo | Duo, with Han Bennink (drums) |
| 2003 | Autumn Music | Leo | Trio, with Ernst Reijseger (cello), Michael Vatcher (drums); in concert |
| 2004 | A Few Incidences | Leo | Octet, with Nils Wogram (trombone), Frank Gratkowski (clarinet, alto sax, bass clarinet, flute), Ernst Reijseger (cello), Matt Penman (bass), Michael Sarin (drums), Cor Fuhler (electronics, keyolin), Phil Minton (vocals) |
| 2005 | Around Brazil | ACT | Solo piano |
| 2005 | Steady Now | Leo | Duo, with Tom Rainey (drums) |
| 2005? | The Move | BTLCHR | Duo, with Nils Wogram (trombone) |
| 2006? | A Felicidade | Plushmusic.tv | Solo piano |
| 2006 | Jazz Limbo | Leo | Duo, with Nils Wogram (trombone) |
| 2006 | Meeting Point | Audioguy | Duo, with Park Je-Chun (drums); in concert |
| 2007? | Leo Records 25th Anniversary | Leo | Album shared with other musicians |
| 2007 | Spinning Songs of Herbie Nichols | Leo | Solo piano; in concert; released 2012 |
| 2009? | Nicht ohne Robert | JazzHousMusik | Quartet, with Rudi Mahall, Robert Landfermann (bass), Christian Lillinger |
| 2010? | Roundup | Leo | Quintet, with Nils Wogram (trombone), Matthias Schubert (sax), Ernst Reijseger (cello), Tom Rainey (drums) |
| 2010? | Concert "Live" à Bordeaux | Ouhman | Duo, with Touria Hadraoui (vocals); in concert |
| 2010? | Deployment | Leo | Trio, with Frank Gratkowski (alto sax, clarinet), Marcus Schmickler (computer) |
| 2011? | Moods and Modes | NWOG | Duo, with Nils Wogram (trombone) |
| 2011? | Square Down | Leo | Trio, with Ernst Reijseger (cello), Matthias Schubert (tenor sax) |
| 2012? | Nawora | Leo | Trio, with Nils Wogram (trombone), Tom Rainey (drums) |
| 2012 | 21-9-12 | Leo | Trio, with Oğuz Büyükberber (clarinet), Gerry Hemingway (drums); in concert |
| 2013? | Descriptions | Leo | Duo, with Matthias Schubert (sax); in concert |
| 1995–2013 | Monk 'n' More | Leo | Solo piano, electronics; released 2016 |
| 2014? | Encounters | Leo | Trio, with Luc Houtkamp (sax), Martin Blume (drums) |
| 2010–14 | Lubatov | Leo | Duo, with Gareth Lubbe (vocals) |
| 2014 | Projections | Clean Feed | Duo, with Mark Dresser (bass); in concert |
| 2015? | Leo Records, 35th Anniversary, Moscow | Leo | Quartet, with Frank Gratkowski and Alexey Kruglov (sax), Oleg Yudanov (drums) |
| 2015? | Equal Poise | Leo | Trio, with Mark Dresser (bass), Dominik Mahnig (drums); in concert |
| 2016? | Picking Order | Leo | Trio, with Stefan Schoenegg, Dominik Mahnig (drums) |
| 2016? | Wobbly Strata | Trytone | Duo, with Oğuz Büyükberber (clarinet) |
| 2017? | Mirthful Myths | Leo | Duo, with Frank Gratkowski |
| 2017? | Free Reservoir | Leo | Trio, with Max Johnson (bass), Michael Sarin (drums) |
| 2017 | Tunes I Still Play | | Solo piano; in concert |
| 2017 | Not Seeing Is a Flower | Leo | Quartet, with Akira Sakata (alto sax, clarinet, vocals, percussion), Takashi Seo (bass), Darren Moore (drums, percussion); in concert |
| 2018 | Luminous | NoBusiness | Trio, with Barry Guy, Gerry Hemingway |
| 2020 | Dance Hall Stories | Leo | Trio, with Frank Gratkowski, Dominik Mahnig |
| 2020 | PLAIN | Clean Feed | With Chris Speed, Herb Robertson, John Hébert, Tom Rainey |
| 2021 | Voluptuaries | Leo | Duo, with Brandon Seabrook |
| 2021 | Live in Matsuyama | Lao Ban | Trio, with Darren Moore, Takashi Seo |
| 2021 | Brooklyn Mischiefs | Leo | Duo, with Michae͏̈l Attias |
| 2021 | LOVES | Leo | Eleven-piece ensemble |
| 2022 | No Kharms Done | Leo | With Phil Minton, Matthias Schubert, Wolter Wierbos, Jim Black |
| 2023 | Extensions | Unbroken Sounds | With Sebastian Gille, Shannon Barnett, Reza Askari, David Helm, Mária Portugal |
| 2023 | Verbs | Clean Feed | With Leonhard Huhn, Philip Zoubek, Stefan Schönegg, Dominik Mahnig |
| 2024 | Raging Bulgakov | FS | |

### As sideman

With Perry Robinson
* Nightmare Island Live at the Leverkusener Jazztage (West Wind, 1989)
* Call to the Stars (West Wind, 1990)
* Angelology (Phonector, 2006)
With Nils Wogram
* Round Trip (Enja, 1996)
* Speed Life (Enja, 1998)
* Odd and Awkward (Enja, 2001)
* Construction Field (Altrisuoni, 2003)
* The Move (Between the Lines, 2005)
* Portrait of a Band (Enja, 2007)
* Moods & Modes (Nwog, 2010)
With others
* Franco Ambrosetti, Music for Symphony and Jazz Band (Enja, 1991)
* Ray Anderson, Every One of Us (Gramavision, 1992)
* Michael Gibbs & NDR Bigband, Back in the Days (Cuneiform, 2012)
* Alfred 23 Harth, POPendingEYE (Free Flow Music, 1993)
* Rolf Liebermann & NDR Big Band, Concerto for Jazz Band and Symphony Orchestra (Naxos, 2002)
* Rudi Mahall, Nicht Ohne Robert Vol. 1 (Jazz Haus Musik, 2009)
* Paul Motian, Circle the Line (GM, 1988)
* Marcin Oles, Walk Songs (Fenommedia, 2006)
* Daniel Schnyder, Winds (Koch, 1991)
* Sources