Valery Ponomarev Quartet

The first major Russian jazz musician to make an impression in the United States, Valery Ponomarev has always had an attractive tone, a swinging style, and a strong interest in keeping the hard bop legacy of Clifford Brown alive. After playing in Russia for many years, he joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, a perfect outlet for his style, from 1977-1980; he recorded nine albums with Blakey for such labels as Roulette, Timeless, and Concord. Ponomarev has since freelanced, usually leading his own quintets and recording extensively for Reservoir.