non american swing

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mity · #1 Post by **mity** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 9:50 am

i would love to buy some swing music from a russian band ( the vocals should in russian). does any one know of any bands like that?

any addtional recomindations about non american swing bands would be great too.

mousethief · #2 Post by **mousethief** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 10:02 am

Bill Borgida has some French stuff. I might check with him. Depending on what you define as Swing, you might want to ask Natalie and Yuval about some of their competition choices.

Kalman

Shorty Dave · #3 Post by **Shorty Dave** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 10:34 am

Hey Dave! Funny you should ask...About a year ago, I went hunting at all the cd shops in Brighton Beach! I picked up two cds, one was actually an American trio that was produced in Russia and the other turned out to be this Klezmer/jazzy thing that didn't swing much at all. (names escape me right now and I don't have them in front of me...) I had a tough time communicating with the employees, though, when trying to describe what I was looking for. I suggest you go to that area and explore for yourself...I'd love to see if you have any luck!

mity · #4 Post by **mity** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 11:34 am

do you remember where in BB you were? the area is big

mity · #5 Post by **mity** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 1:31 pm

god bless the internet:

"Russia
Interesting note:
Joseph Stalin, premiere of the old USSR, was quoted in the Kremlin backed newspaper, Pravda, as saying " .....that if a person is against jazz, he cannot be a communist." But, regretfully, with the close of WW2, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, who succeeded Stalin, "...so disliked jazz that he once walked out of a Benny Goodman concert after the first set, saying he felt sick. " --Russian jazz historian Aleksei Batashev.

Overview:

As elsewhere in Europe, Russian Jazz began in the early 1920s. While visiting Paris, in the early 1920s, Valentin Yakovlevich Parnach, became fascinated with Jazz, and brought it back to Russia. Upon his return to Russia, he organized the first "Jazz" band. On October 1, 1922, the first Russian Jazz concert took place. (His orchestra later became a part of "Meyerhold's Revolution Theatre Collective".) In retrospect, we must consider him to the the leading pioneer in the field of Russian Jazz.

In early 1926, Frank Witer's Orchestra, featuring Sydney Bechet, became the first American Negro Jazz band to tour the Soviet Union. A bit later, Witer was followed by Sam Wooding's "Chocolate Dandies". Both bands were excellent, but curiously most Russian musicians were largely indifferent to the "New" music. This was probably due to the vast cultural differences between Russia and other Western nations.

1927 was the real turning point in Russian Jazz development. Leningrad became a true cradle of Soviet Jazz when Leopold Teplitsky's "First Concert Jazz Band" was formed there. In Moscow, Alexander Tsfasman led the "AMA - Jazz Orchestra".

In April or May 1928 (Brian Rust in his book "Jazz Recordings 1897-1942" gives the date at December 1926) Gregoire Nakchounian and His Russian North Star Orchestra recorded in Berlin (or Leipzig) Germany.

By 1929, Gennady Landsberg and Krupyshev were leading the "Leningrad Jazz Capella". (In the 1930s, this band would be resident on the Leningrad radio, They were the first group to create a Soviet Jazz repertoire.) Later, Boris Krupyshev's bands would also perform in Leningrad (today again called St. Petersburg.)

The 'Ama-Jazz Band'
Formed in 1927 and led by pianist and composer Alexander Tsvasman, a graduate of the Moscow Conservatory. The band recorded 8 sides of 'Pop' dance tunes in a small makeshift Moscow studio, all of which were well received by the public. These were among the earliest Russian jazz recordings.

All Russian Jazz Orchestra. ca. 1935
Currently No Information Available.

Alexei Kuznetsov Trio. ca.1941
Alexei was a guitarist. Later, -ca. 1950, Kuznetsov was part of a trio of Vladimir Danilin (accordion), and Alexander Rostotsky (electric bass). Also playing at this time was legendary Russian jazz pianist Mikhail Okun (whose sun Okun Jr.is active today).

Georgi Landsberg, (1920's-30's)
Currently No Information Available.

Gregoire Nakchounian and His Russian North Star Orchestra Quite awhile before clarinetist Benny Goodman had his trio, clarinetist Gregoire Nakchounian also had one from his Russian North Star Orchestra. In addition to Nakchounian on clarinet Jean Paques was on piano and Eugene t'Sas played drums. Listen to this trio playing "Shreveport Stomp", written by Jelly Roll Morton, and recorded on the Vox label. (Here digitally re-engineered by Mr. Verne Buland.) Brian Rust in his book "Jazz Recordings 1897-1942" gives the recording date as December 1926, in Berlin. Later research seems to indicate April or May of 1928 as the recording date, in Jelly Roll didn't record his own song until June, 1928. A rather intriguing spelling of the tune name on the Vox label ~ Shreevpoort Stomp.

Here's the entire orchestra playing "Sugar Baby", also digitally re-engineered by Mr. Verne Buland. Listen to the interesting vocal by an unknown Black singer, clearly of American origin. The ochestra members consisted of:
Gregoire Nakchounian, leader/alto sax/clarinet
Albert Deveydt, tenor sax/clarinet
Martin Helsmurte, cornet
Julian Testaert, trombone
Jean Paques, piano
Edwin Steinbacher, banjo
Eugene t'Sas, drums
unknown, violin and vocal

Alexi Semenov, (1930's-1940's).
Currently No Information Available.

Jakov Skomorovsky, (1930's-1940's)
Currently No Information Available.

State Jazz Orchestra of the U.S.S.R., (1938-1944)
Currently No Information Available.

The Theatrical Jazz Band, (Thea-Jazz Band), 1928
Was organized in Leningrad, by the renowned and talented singer Leonid Utyosov, who led the group, sang, and played the violin. While the critics usually panned these early groups, the public nevertheless did enjoy their playing.

Alexander 'Bob' Tsfasman and the Ama-Jazz Band, (1920's-1960's)
Currently No Information Available. Please see the Ama-Jazz Band entry above.
b: December 14, 1906, Alexandrovsk (now Zaporojye), Russia.
Instruments: pianist, composer, conductor, arranger and a bandleader
nee: Alexander Naumovich Tsfasman

Leonid Utyosov Orch., (1920s - 1960s)
L. Utyosov formed the orchestra in early 1923. Utyosov, Tsfasman, and Landsberg are probably the three leading Russian Jazzmen of the 1920s up. Other Russian orchestras such as "L'vov-Vel'yaminov's orchestra", or the "Sigismund Kort Orchestra, used the word "jazz" in their titles, but their music had little relation to real Jazz.
Currently No Information Available.

Alexander Varlamov, (1930's-1940's).
Currently No Information Available. "

i couldnt get any info on where to buy cds, but i will save names and ask for them at different jazz stores.

KevinSchaper · #6 Post by **KevinSchaper** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 2:38 pm

It's german, and frightening.

SpuzBal · #7 Post by **SpuzBal** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 5:31 pm

I have a song in Russian on a CD called "Django Festival: Gypsy Swing Today Vol. 2." If memory serves, it doesn't really swing. But that CD is full of tons of great European jazz musicians. A lot of the CD is swing, but a lot is also Latin.