Vilnius Jazz Quartet

The Vilnius Jazz Quartet is one of the foremost and long-living representatives of the Lithuanian jazz. The quartet continues and expands the principles of the so-called Vilnius jazz school, once laid by the legendary Trio GTCh. The most characteristic of those are large-scale compositions, often of a suite form, with a lot of stylistic interplay - combining the unusually twisted jazz standards with jazz-rock and world music, interspersing the original repertoire with quotations of classical as well as pop music. All members of the Vilnius Jazz Quartet represent the highest standard in Lithuanian jazz, extensively performing in other groups as well.

Jūratė Kučinskaitė

Vilnius Jazz Quartet feat. Neda - Prologue

ethnojazz.lt - TŪb-ArA-Ga

Biography

Vilnius Jazz Quartet & Neda Malūnavičiūtė

The Vilnius Jazz Quartet is one of the foremost and long-living representatives of the Lithuanian jazz. The quartet continues and expands the principles of the so-called Vilnius jazz school, once laid by the legendary Trio GTCh (Vyacheslav Ganelin - Vladimir Tarasov - Vladimir Chekasin). The most characteristic of those are large-scale compositions, often of a suite form, with a lot of stylistic interplay - combining the unusually twisted jazz standards with jazz-rock and world music, interspersing the original repertoire with quotations of classical as well as pop music. Later the large-scale forms gave way to more concise rondo-suites, which are developed according to the same principles. Open-minded to various experiments, the Vilnius Jazz Quartet collaborates with other musicians including the singer Neda Malūnavičiūtė and the folk music band Sutaras.

The Vilnius Jazz Quartet was founded in 1989, when the keyboard player Oleg Molokoyedov joined the trio of Vytautas Labutis; all these musicians were members of different quartets of Vladimir Chekasin, the originator of this trend. The quartet earned an international recognition touring Latvia, Russia, Germany, Bulgaria, Great Britain, France, and Finland. All members of the Vilnius Jazz Quartet represent the highest standard in Lithuanian jazz, extensively performing in other groups as well.

Group members:

Vytautas Labutis - reeds, ky
Oleg Molokoyedov - ky, tp
Leonid Shinkarenko - b
Eugenijus Kanevičius - b (since 2001)
Gediminas Laurinavičius - dr, perc

Title/Year

olegmol@takas.lt

Tel: +370 699 94705

Invitation for Dance
Vilnius Jazz Quartet: Oleg Molokoyedov - p, synth, tp, perc, Vytautas Labutis - saxes, synth, perc, Leonid Shinkarenko - b, perc, Gediminas Laurinavičius - dr, perc
Saxabassa Records 0002, 1993 (MC)

About Standards (vol.1)
Vilnius Jazz Quartet: Vytautas Labutis - sax, Oleg Molokoyedov - p, synth, Leonid Shinkarenko - b, perc, Gediminas Laurinavičius - dr, perc
Saxabassa Records 0003, 1993 (MC)

Vilnius Jazz Quartet & Neda
Neda Malūnavičiūtė - voc + Vilnius Jazz Quartet: Vytautas Labutis - sax, Oleg Molokoyedov - ky, tp, Leonid Shinkarenko - b, Gediminas Laurinavičius - dr
BMK Records 5705-4, 1997 (MC)
Oleg Molokoyedov & Vytautas Labutis LMR-001, 2000 (CD)

Vilnius Jazz Quartet feat. Neda
Neda Malūnavičiūtė - voc, fl + Vilnius Jazz Quartet: Vytautas Labutis - saxes, synth, Oleg Molokoyedov - ky, tp, Leonid Shinkarenko - b, Gediminas Laurinavičius - dr, perc
Dialog Music DM-80023, 2001 (CD)

Bio Jazz
Neda Malūnavičiūtė - voc, fl + Vilnius Jazz Quartet: Vytautas Labutis - saxes, synth, Oleg Molokoyedov - p, synth, tp, Leonid Shinkarenko - b, Gediminas Laurinavičius - dr
Pūkas CD-148, 2002 (CD)

ethnojazz.lt
Vilnius Jazz Quartet + folk music band "Sutaras"
Kukū Records SMF 016, 2002 (CD)

In compilations

Jazz Carnival Odessa
"Bossa Bi Nova" / "Tuxedo Junction" / "Don't Be That Way"
Neda Malūnavičiūtė - voc, fl + Vilnius Jazz Quartet: Vytautas Labutis - reeds, Oleg Molokoyedov - p, synth, Eugenijus Kanevičius - b, Gediminas Laurinavičius - dr
Landy Star LS-036-01, 2001 (CD)

Music from the EBU World Music Workshop
"Du žekeliai"
Vilnius Jazz Quartet + folk music band "Sutaras"
EBU / Radio Netherlands D38475, 2002 (CD)

Jazzy Lithuania
"Nadoeda"
Neda Malūnavičiūtė - voc + Vilnius Jazz Quartet: Vytautas Labutis - saxes, synth, Oleg Molokoyedov - p, synth, Leonid Shinkarenko - b, Gediminas Laurinavičius - dr
Judita Bartoševičienė VMJ 001, 2004 (CD)

Free Spirits: Jazz from Lithuania 2005
"Prologue"
Neda Malūnavičiūtė - fl, voc + Vilnius Jazz Quartet: Vytautas Labutis - saxes, synth, Oleg Molokoyedov - p, synth, Leonid Shinkarenko - b, Gediminas Laurinavičius - dr
"TŪb-ArA-Ga" (fragment)
Vilnius Jazz Quartet: Oleg Molokoyedov - ky, tp, Vytautas Labutis - saxes, goathorn, Eugenijus Kanevičius - db, Gediminas Laurinavičius - dr + folk music band "Sutaras"
Lithuanian Music Information and Publishing Centre LMIPCCD 026, 2005 (CD)

The Singing Land: Contemporary Folk Music from Lithuania 2005
"Raliavimas"
Vilnius Jazz Quartet: Vytautas Labutis - sax, goathorn, Oleg Molokoyedov - ky, voc, Eugenijus Kanevičius - b, Gediminas Laurinavičius - dr, perc + folk music band "Sutaras"
Lithuanian Music Information and Publishing Centre LMIPCCD 027, 2005 (CD)

Jazzy Vilnius
"Raliavimas"
Vilnius Jazz Quartet: Vytautas Labutis - sax, goathorn, Oleg Molokoyedov - ky, voc, Eugenijus Kanevičius - b, Gediminas Laurinavičius - dr, perc + folk music band "Sutaras"

Judita Bartoševičienė VMJ 002, 2007 (CD)