Jeff Spevak, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, June 2009

The music is startling, a fusion of Eastern European folk, classical and whatever style of jazz fits the moment. Pianist Razin, vocalist Tatyana Komova and bassist Igor Ivanushkin are landscape painters, drawing visuals from diverse Russian arts. For cultural influences, Razin lists four classical composers, four writers and three painters.

Gregory Bell, Jazz@Rochester, June 2009

Razin's compositions are wild, inventive "universes" that involve the whole of each of the artists instruments. Razin and Ivanushkin use all of their instruments (at times, I thought Razin was going to climb into the piano and Ivanushkin was banging on his bass so much that he knocked his pickup clean off and tore a number of guts on his bow). Komova's contribution to this is a rich, beautiful voice that she uses, without words, to mimic a trumpet or other instrument, scat, or create voice soundscapes. Both Razin and Ivanushkin also vocalized. At times the interplay of vocalizations with Razin's and Ivanushkin's playing seemed like a conversation, but again without words. Most importantly, their music, although incredibly serious and highly sophisticated, was full of wild, slapstick humor. It made for a wonderful musical experience...

Milen Panayotov, Bulgarian national radio, Sofia, "Total Jazz " Magazine, August 2005

If you ask me what impressed me most of all during the festival I will point on the Second Approach trio with no doubt inside. This phenomenon could not be born in Europe or America, and chances are the improvisonal music will follow this way. But maybe not also - because you have to have a great knowledge in the classical music, jazz and folk music of different countries at the same time.

Cyrill Moshkow, "Jazz.ru" magazine, main editor

Jazz of Four Cultures is a new festival that took place in Lodz, Poland's second largest city, on Dec. 14-16, 2001. The festival represented all four ethnical elements that formed Lodz's cultural heritage - Poles, Russians, Germans and Jews… Pianist Andrei Razin and the Second Approach Project represented Russia. One of Russia's most uncommon jazz collectives, it was created in 1998 to perform its leader's music on the sharp edge between jazz and modern classical music, with rich elements of different ethnic influences, brought to the Project's sound by singer Tatiana Komova who mastered Gypsy folk singing tradition.

Yuri Saulski, composer, people's artist of Russia, Moscow Jazz Agency president
Interview to the "Vecherniy Klub"  ("Evening Club") newspaper

...What "The Second Approach" is doing I consider to be folk-jazz. Certainly, that's a conventional term. I mean, the very nature of such games with the audience lies in folklore, but is jazz as well. It's not only what's happening onstage but also what's there going on down in the hall. The more the audience takes part in the happening the more jazz or folk nature it acquires. 
A great deal in "The Second Approach" art depends on the Razin-Komova duet, I should say. I guess Andrei's avant-gardes and Tatyana's ethnics being interconnected count for much as the whole project is based on this interrelation.
In fact, I just like them as a spectator and am interested in as a musician - "The Second Approach" touches my emotions.
As for the trio itself, I truly believe that their presence should be obligatory at any festival, especially at polystylistic ones.

Anatoly Kroll, bandleader, composer, people's artist of Russia
"Polny Jazz" #8

I was very much inspired by the trio. It's amazing how our "national" piano jazz is developing at the time. ...Razin's art gives hope when you're thinking of the music you've dedicated your life to. His music is deep, exciting and conceptual. I'm very surprised at the natural way Tatyana Komova took part in the project, as I used to know her sticking to a completely different artistic line.

Dmitry Ukhov, jazz journalist
excerpt from"Piero" CD review

At the first approximation, let us say, "approach", Andrei Razin's piano may remind of Mikhail Alperin or Sergey Kurekhin; Tatyana Komova's voice may sound like Christian Legrand's ("Swingle Singers").
Arkadiy Shilkloper's French horn could give you an image of transparent Alpine air, which is so characteristic of ECM sound; Vladimir Galaktionov might make you think of Miles Davis. But as a second approach you will differentiate both Indian vocal technique ("Prelude and Toccata"), Northern grace and Southern rhythm energy.
On the whole, "The Second Approach" is another step to the Truth - to the Art unlimited.

Tarek Chafek, Hessische Allgemeine, 5 November, 2001

Sie nennen sich „Second Approach", und schon der Name deutet darauf hin, dass es sich um ein Projekt handelt, um den „zweiten Ansatz", dargeboten von drei Musikern, die alle zwar aus Russland, aber aus unterschiedlichen musikalischen Richtungen kommen. Grandios ist das Spiel des Andrej Razin, der am Fluegel mit seinen praezisen Stakkati ueberzeugte. Voller Melancholie erklingt dazu der weitraeumige Vokalgesang von Tatjana Komova, eine Stimme, die mit ihrer Ausdruckskraft bisweilen an den Gesang von Lisa Gerrard erinnert, der Front-Frau von „Dead Can Dance". Kraftvoll erklingen die Bassfiguren von Igor Ivanuschkin. Der nach ihm benannte „Ivanuschkin Boogie" wird spaeter zu einem groovenden Duo mit Andrei Razin mit Anlehnungen an amerikanische Boogies wie auch an die Melodien russischer Volksweisen.