Giedrė & Jazz Miniatures

The beginning of this quartet was the 2009 project Nostalgic Bossa Nova, which was later transformed into Blue in Bossa and Jazz Miniatures. It is the latter group, which came together in 2011, that marked Giedrė Kilčiauskienė’s turn to jazz, having up to that time sung popular music. In 2013 the quartet presented its first album, using its own name for the title Jazz Miniatures, made up of jazz classics arranged by Andrej Polevikov.

A distinctive colour is given to the quartet’s music by Kilčiauskienė’s unique voice and style, shaped and refined in the many genres the vocalist has performed in. Throughout her musical career, begun in 1995, she has tried out many different styles from popular music to jazz and electronic music with the groups Empti and Pieno lazeriai (Milky Lasers ). Kilčiauskienė stands out because of extraordinary ability to reveal the content of a song and to find the right colours in her creative palette for every composition. Regardless of whether it is a song composed by her or a jazz standard, or pop music coloured by jazz, the charismatic vocalist delivers it with extraordinary naturalness and warmth.

Together with Giedrė, the other pivotal member of the quartet is her creative partner, the pianist, keyboard player and composer of the younger generation Andrej Polevikov, whose style as a creator and player is marked by the respect he has for the jazz classics and their creators, as well as a deep understanding of jazz traditions. 

Jūratė Kučinskaitė