|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|||
| ALEXEI KOZLOV Alexei Kozlov's ensemble The Arsenal laid the foundations of Russian jazz rock. The group was formed in 1973 and existed in the underground till 1976, when the ban of rock music and jazz rock was lifted and the band began to tour. In the following years they became widely known in the Soviet Union and abroad. The group gave its farewell concert in spring 1998. Boheme Music catalogue contains 4 CDs of The Arsenal. Besides, the recording of Alexei Kozlov playing with the Shostakovich Quartet is currently being scheduled for release. >> MORE >> |
   |
| ANATOLE GERASIMOV Sax and flute player, composer and arranger, Anatole Gerasimov worked with Moscow's best jazz bands. In 1973 he emigrated to the U.S. where he first played for Duke Ellington's orchestra. After the orchestra had broken up, he played with the leading New York jazzmen and composed for the theatre and the cinema (for example, he wrote a song for 1983's blockbuster "Liquid Sky"). In the early 1990s he moved to Paris and in 1997 returned to Russia. He now successfully works in Moscow with his own band of young musicians. Boheme Music catalogue contains his latest recording made in Moscow. >> MORE >> |
|
| SLAVA
GORSKY Keyboard player Slava Gorsky was one of the creators of Russian jazz rock. For many years he worked with Alexei Kozlov in The Arsenal. In 1984 he formed The Quadro group which has become one of the most popular instrumental groups in Russia. In 1990s The Quadro has become harder and more perspicuous and its compositions more laconic. The style of Gorsky himself, nevertheless, remains highly individual and is easy to recognize. Boheme Music catalogue contains two of his albums with Quadro - a late 80s album reissue and a new one. |
|
| MIKHAIL ALPERIN Mikhail Alperin was born in the Ukraine in 1956 and grew up in Moldavia. He studied classical piano and in 1980, along with Simon Shirman, Alperin founded the first Moldavian jazz quartet by developing his idea of linking jazz and folk. But his real popularity as of a ethno-jazz musician began in Moscow, Russia, where he made the acquaintance of the brilliant French horn player Arkady Shilkloper, a member of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. Then they integrate a genuine singer of traditional Russian music, Sergei Starostin, in their duo; the result is now worldwide known as famous Moscow Art Trio. Since 1993, Alperin lives in Norway, tours worldwide (with Moscow Art Trio and with famous Bugarian Choir Angelite) and records for European labels like ECM, Jaro and Boheme Music. >> MORE >> |
|
| ARKADY
SHILKLOPER One of most unusual Russian musicians, Arkady plays French horn, flugelhorn, alpenhorn and many more unusual wind instruments. A native of Moscow, at the age of six Arkady Shilkloper began playing brass instruments and studied flugelhorn at the Moscow Military Music Academy until 1974. From 1978 to 1985 he was a member of the orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre and the "Bolshoi Brass Quintet". With this world-famous ensemble and as a member of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra from 1985 to 1989 he undertook numerous worldwide concert tours. Alongside with that he started playing traditional jazz with double-bass player Mikhail Karetnikov and avant-garde jazz in saxophonist Sergei Letov's band Three O (1985-1990). Since the collapse of the former Soviet Union Shilkloper has worked independently both as a solo performer and, since 1991, with Alperin and Starostin in the Moscow Art Trio and in other formations. In 1994 he played with Lionel Hampton, Elvin Jones, Lew Soloff and Herb Ellis in Idaho/USA and lectured as guest professor in Kansas City. He also has worked with Pierre Favre's "Singing Drums", Louis Sclavis, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Jon Christensen and in Christian Muthspiels' "Octet Ost" . Since 1997, he also plays in two Russian trios: one with St.Petersburg's best jazzmen - acoustic bassist Vladimir Volkov and piano player Andrei Kondakov and the other with Volkov and Sergei Starostin. He also participates in international project like Swiss musician John Wolf Brennan's Pago Libre and records as a guest musician with bands like Vienna Art Orchestra. Shilkloper is in demand as a soloist and a teacher for brass instrument workshops and symposia the world over. |
|
| ANDREI KONDAKOV One of the best Russian jazz pianists, now St.Petersburg resident, Andrei Kondakov began to play jazz in the late 1970s in his native town of Petrozavodsk. In 1980s he played in a quartet which also featured the guitarist Andrei Ryabov and was often referred to as the best small jazz band in the USSR. He regularly plays with the sax player Igor Butman; two of them also play with the leading American musicians. Kondakov carries out numerous projects of his own - jazz rock band Without Address, a duo with American singer Napua DeVoy etc. He is a brilliant and highly romantic musician. The "Boheme Music" catalogue contains his live album recorded in Norway with Arkady Shilkloper, Russia's best bassist Vladimir Volkov and German drummer Christian Scheuber. |
|
| VLADIMIR VOLKOV Vladimir Volkov began to play jazz in the late 1970s. For 15 years he played in the legendary duet with Russia's most interesting trumpet player Slava Guyvoronsky. Volkov can play any kind of music. He plays avant-garde with the Moscow Composers' Orchestra, world music with the Vershki-Da-Koreshki group, high-energy guitar "new jazz' with his own group VolkovTrio, modern and traditional jazz with Andrei Kondakov and Igor Butman etc. It is remarkable that he stays true to himself - energetic virtuoso - in all genres. It was not for nothing that in the early 1990s Russian critics named him the best double-bass player of the former USSR. Boheme Music catalogue contains his records as a member of Andrei Kondakov's group and of a ethnic jazz trio with Arkady Shilkloper and Sergei Starostin. |
|
| LEONID VINTSKEVICH Born in 1949 in the town of Kursk, Russia, Leonid has played the piano since the age of seven. As a twenty-year-old student of the piano at the Kazan conservatory, he was able to hear the radio broadcast direct of German Lukianov (flugelhorn) and Igor Bril (piano). This performance made a strong and serious impression on him, influencing the conceptions of his own compositions of jazz music. He first turned to the classical style of jazz, the later became interested in studying new, avant-garde jazz. The second strong impression on this style was the folk choir of the South Russia village of Fostchevatovo, in which he heard the harmony of Stravinsky's music. After finishing the conservatory, he taught in Kursk musical school. There, he established a stage jazz section and in 1976, he formed a professional jazz ensemble. Leonid later formed a duo with saxophone player Vladimir Konovaltsev, which was highly successful. Then, in 1984, Leonid met Estonian saxophonist Lembit Saarsalu who became his musical partner (and stays his partner until now, despite of the fact that now, after Soviet Union's end, Russia and Estonia are two different countries). Both found, in each other, mutual interests and feelings. The duo form of musical improvisation exhibits a strong artistic expression especially when each musician is tuned to the other and, remaining still himself, is absorbed in his partner. |
|
| LEMBIT SAARSALU Born in 1948 in Estonia, Lembit became interested in jazz as a result of the international Tallinn Jazz Festival held in 1967. Determined to become a tenor saxophone player, he independently mastered the playing of the instrument. He finished Tallinn music school as a clarinet player in the class of the veteran Estonian jazzman, Alexander Ryabov. His jazz quartet made a successful debut during the Tbilsi jazz festival in 1978 and soon thereafter, the first LP was recorded. One side of the recording represented Estonian national dances and songs. For Saarsalu, the Estonian national and professional musical tradition has always remained an inspirational environment, although his ears are open to the whole world of music. He performed in Hungary, Bulgaria, and Cuba, bringing back with him impressions of musical traditions of different nations. In 1984 he met Russian pianist Leonid Vintskevich and performed at the International Jazz Festival in Prague. The following year they performed together at the Donetsk jazz festival (Ukraine) and shortly thereafter in the Berlin Festival of "Jazztage" with great success. The duo released their first recording which highlights their relationship with the national traditions, with jazz standards and with their own compositions, in 1986. Since then, seven albums have been released by Vintskevich-Saarsalu duo in Russia and Germany. |
|
| ENVER IZMAILOV Enver Izmailov is a unique musician who invented "tapping" - a highly original technique of the electric-guitar playing (he plays guitar with his both hands on the neck as if it were a keyboard) - knowing nothing about Stanley Jordan who invented the same in US at the same time. His music is a combination of many elements - jazz, Mediterranean and oriental folklore, classical harmony and astonishing virtuosity. >> MORE >> |
|
| MODUS This Moscow group was formed in 1992 under the name Lilac Orchestra. Now one of the best groups in Moscow's fusion and jazz rock community, Modus also uses elements of New Age and acid jazz. The group participated in the Jazz Kaar-97 festival (Tallinn and Tartu) which is the biggest jazz festival in the Baltic states. Their previous CDs were published by SNC (under the name Lilac Orchestra) and by RDM (under the name Modus). Members of the group are: Vladimir Ivanov - keyboard, Vladimir Volodin - percussion, Dmitri Kosinsky - double bass, Valeri Lyustrov - saxophone, Sergei Zubkov - tuba. |
|
| THE
IVANOV BROTHERS Brothers Mikhail (piano) and Andrei (double bass) Ivanov began to play jazz in 1980s in Rostov-on-Don. In 1992 the trio they played in won the first prize at a prestigious jazz competition in Belgium. The musicians stayed in Brussels where they worked as a home band of the best jazz club in town. After they have moved to Moscow, they compile jazz programs in several clubs and record intensively with various soloists of the Moscow jazz mainstream - Sergei Manukian, Svetlana Panova, Nora Ivanova, the sax players Igor Butman, Boris Kurganov and others. The "Boheme Music" catalogue contains two their CDs and three more are scheduled to appear. |
|
| IGOR
BUTMAN The best Russian saxophone player, Igor Butman was born and first became known in Leningrad. Later he moved to the USA. After studying Berkeley School of Music and living five years in NYC, he is fairly well known and enjoys high reputation as a musician in the US. Through work with the world's leading jazzmen and owing to the inside knowledge of the New York jazz scene, he acquired a real American glamour. At present Igor Butman lives alternatively in Moscow and in New York. He tours Russia with American musicians and records in America with the Russians. Boheme Music catalogue contains a recording of his project called The Four Brothers. The project features two brothers Butman (Igor's brother Oleg is a drummer and lives in New York) and brothers Ivanov - Mikhail, who is the pianist, and Andrei, the acoustic bass player. The four musicians share the experience of working outside Russia and have similar tastes in music - modern, highly energetic, rich both technically and emotionally. |
|
| VOCAL BAND The band, directed by bass singer Valeri Konstantinov, sings a capella. In the mid-1990s the band was one of the leading vocal groups in Moscow. The singers define their style of singing as "pop jazz". The repertoire of the band includes popular classical vocal jazz compositions. |
|
| VLADIMIR DANILIN Vladimir Danilin, born 1946 in Lyubertsy, Moscow region, is the only accordion player in Russian jazz. He started to play accordion in early 60s, but since early 70s 'til late 80s has been known only as one of Russia's best jazz pianists. Since 90s, Danilin has switched back to accordion. >> MORE >> |
|
| GERMAN
LUKIANOV An experimental fluegelhorn player German Gerasimov became known as far back as the 1960s, though his most famous creation - a legendary chamber jazz group Kadans - was formed in the 1970s. Many leading Russian jazzmen had the schooling of Kadans. The group played in a unique style between jazz and modern chamber music which put it to the leading positions in Russian jazz. Kadans has long since ceased to exist though German Lukianov continues to play with his own smaller groups (mostly quartets and trios). Boheme Music" catalogue contains two Lukianov's CDs which are reissues of all four Kadans LPs of 80s. |
|
| GREGORY FINE Pianist Gregory Fine lives in the city of Samara, Russia. His musical idol is Canadian jazzman Oscar Peterson, but Gregory's fine playing technique and great musicality shows not only Gregory's admiration of Peterson, but also his own, highly individual style. >> MORE >> |
|
| IGOR
BRIL One of the most widely known Russian jazz musicians, the pianist Igor Bril possesses many signs of public acclaim. He is a professor and Head of the Jazz Music Department at the Russian Academy of Music named after Gnesins. More important, though, is the fact that he is very popular in his country. He widely tours both Russia and abroad but up until now has had only one CD. Boheme Music reissues some of his early works, previously unreleased on CD. |
|
| SAMKHA A group from St.Petersburg plays ethnic jazz - an improvisational music based on the world musical folklore. Though the group was formed by musicians who did not originally belong to the world of jazz - the guitarist Igor Kaim had played in the rock group Ole Lukoye, and the saxophone player Eugene Zhdanov in famed Russian Rock bands AVIA and NEP, they definitely sound jazzy. |
|
| APPLE
TEA The leading jazz group of Byelorussia mostly plays contemporary jazz, fusion, acid jazz etc. Members of the group are: Igor Satsevich (bass guitar), Alexander Sapega (drums), Oleg Doroshin (guitar) and Sergei Lapkovski (keyboards). |
|
| ALEXANDER OSEICHUK AND THE GREEN WAVE Alto sax player Alexander Oseichuk became popular when working for Igor Bril's orchestra in mid-80s. In the 1990s he mainly performs as a soloist. He is a professor at the Russian Academy of Music named after Gnesins, and many of the musicians in his groups are his former students. Oseichuk has a brilliant technique in both modern and traditional jazz. |
|
| SERGEI STAROSTIN Clarinetist, folk reeds player and - last but not least - singer Sergei Starostin was born on January 1, 1956 in Moscow. He received his first musical education in a boy's choir before studying clarinet at the Moscow Conservatory. Quite early on he was interested in Russian folklore, particularly the rich traditions of Russian folk music, which he began to collect and study during his travels. Since 1982 he has given seminars and performed as a vocalist and player of traditional wind instruments. Since 1987 he has been introducing listeners to traditional music on his own radio programme in the Russian broadcasting system, and since 1991 he has directed a television programme on folk music in Moscow. As author and producer Starostin realized the "World Village Show," a programme on world music for Russian television. Through his affinity to Russian music and the music of the Lapps, he became acquainted with Mary Boine with whom he has made recordings in Moscow and Oslo. In 1990 Starostin augmented the Alperin / Shilkloper Duo to the Moscow Art Trio with which he has performed in Europe, USA, Africa and Japan as a singer and instrumentalist. |
   |