Kyiv’s intellectual team, Er. J. Orchestra, releases a new CD

An exciting event recently took place in Kyiv’s music scene. A group of modest but very talented musicians, who are extremely popular among jazz professionals and devotees, is back in the saddle, this time astride the Unicorn.

As I entered the Kyiv Operetta, I saw musical instruments, amplifiers, and chairs set up on the stage. It instantly reminded me of what I had seen prior to the concert at the Conservatory, performed by the French National Orchestre de Jazz.

The concert began with songs featured on Er. J. Orchestra’s third album, The Unicorn. The initials stand for Erotic Jazz, reflecting a contemporary cultural phenomenon originating in modern ideology. This group is made up of like-minded individuals who are immersed in the creation of original and interesting music. The group’s leader Oleksiy Aleksandrov conceived the album, which took several years to make, for two reasons: lack of funds and especially demanding requirements that the musicians imposed on themselves and their music. What makes this group stand out is that it does not play jazz in the traditional American sense, although it is based on jazz rhythms, which are the cornerstone of any jazz style. Their music is highly idiosyncratic, expressing a full range of images, with a rich timbre and quality instrumentalization. Put together, these elements create the orchestra’s World Music, mostly composed by Oleksiy Aleksandrov, with every musician enthusiastically adding to the process. They do not have to declare their style; it is present in every sound. During the concert and afterwards, when I was listening to the tapes, thoughts of polystylistics, and even polyethnicity, came to mind. Indeed, Er. J.’s music features Slavic, Arab, Chinese, Hindu, Celtic, baroque, and God only knows what kind of other overtones. At times the music reveals sarcastic tones, somewhat reminiscent of Shostakovich and Prokofiev. And there were French parallels. Since we have only the Er. J., a relatively large — or maybe a relatively small — nonacademic orchestra performing serious, good, modern music — such parallels did appear, despite tangible stylistic differences.

Er. J.’s new album is marked by an elevated, clearly humanistic world outlook, which is especially important nowadays, what with the current dominance of vulgar or schmaltz music. Their music is transparent and unpretentious, but by no means simple; it is profound but never overstated, pleasant but not sugary. At a press conference held at Art Club 44, their music was defined as “commercial but not pop.” The leading Ukrainian tonemaster expert Arkadiy Vikhorev from Arcadia Studio produced the CD. The Unicorn’s presentation coincided with the launch of a new Ukrainian label 44 Records, owned by the noted jazz producer Erik Aigner. When I was reviewing the new CD, culinary comparisons came to mind several times. Imagine: during the concert, the operator had to activate 40 sound sources at the same time, and balance a combination of very different exotic and mostly acoustic instruments played by a variety of performers — the piano, played by Aleksandrov and Pavlo Stolbov; a string chamber orchestra; an authentic folk vocal ensemble; the renowned Russian-European French horn player Arkadiy Shylklopper; Ukraine’s only Grammy laureate, supervibrophonist Andriy Pushkariov; brilliant button accordion player Kostiantyn Strelchenko (Grand Prix of World Music Festival, Italy); and the young and talented flutist Masha Khmeleva (who “dubbed” a recording made by noted Crimean musician Narket Ramazanov). Also taking part in the concert were Oleksiy Kabanov, who seemed to play every instrument, from the gusli (psaltery) to the sitar; koto-player Yung Ya; violinist Viktor Krysko, with his subtle academic and improvising musicality; Hryhory Nemyrovsky, a gorgeous trumpeter and noted arranger, composer, and conductor, who can play practically every wind instrument; the excellent guitarist Serhiy Rybalkin (the CD also features the equally skilled musicians Valery Koshman and Andriy Chuhuyevets); splendid bass player Volodymyr Sorochenko; and drummers Oleksandr Berehovsky, Alik Fantayev, and Oleh Doktor Kobtsev. All of them cooked up a delicious musical dish before the audience’s very eyes. Er. J.’s musicians are miniaturists, and I think their music lacks a bit of a symphonic touch, or evolution, to put it simply. All this lends a touch of charming naivet О . But what shortcomings they may have are more than made up for by the poetic, lyrical saturation and purity of the Unicorn. Best of luck to them!