For a saxophone player of such a relatively young age he has achieved a lot: he graduated from the Gnesin Russian Music Academy, he has won several prestigious competitions in Eastern Europe (e.g. «Crystal Note» in Riga, 2000) both as performer-improviser and composer, and performed at many European and Russian jazz and art festivals. He performed with symphony orchestras as well as small chamber music ensembles, with classical musicians (like Tatiana Lanskaya), folk and classical choirs and with many jazz musiacians. He plays with Fritz Hauser, Fourth Page group, Vladimir Tarasov, Vycheslav Ganelin, Jaak Sooaar, Arkady Shilkloper, Alexey Lapin, Oleg Yudanov, Vycheslav Gaivoronsky, Vladimir Volkov, German Lukianov`s «Kadans», Igor Shirokov, Sergei Starostin, Alexey Nadzharov. He played for a long time with Vladimir Chekasin. In 2004 he studied in USA at The Brubeck Institite – University of the Pacifiс and performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival with Christian McBride Ensemble. He also played with Jimmy Heath, Gary Bartz, Lisa Dillan, Eldar Dzhangirov, Alex Sipiagin, Joe Lovano, Katja Cruz and many others. He took part in Leo Records International Tour (2011) and organized Leo Records Festival in Russia (2012). As of April 2012 his discography consists of nearly 20 Cds.
Press:
«This is profoundly philosophical music. This young man might just be a genius.» (Duncan Heining, «Jazz Wise»,England, 2011)
«I have seen the future of jazz and his name is Alexey Kruglov» (Duncan Heining, «Jazz Wise», England, 2011)
«It is also extremely free of mind, with no distinctive patterns, harmonies or repeated phrases, but the trio manages to create a specific character for each piece, that shows a different shade or perspective on the same vision : free spontaneous playing, with folk and jazz elements, with an almost organic and spiritual feeling» (Stef, Belgium, 2010).
(Alexey Kruglov’a album) «Seal of Time» is exciting energy music deep in Free tradition of the Ganelin Trio. It reminds us that the Russian music scene is as challenging and free as ever.» («Cadence Magazine», New York, 2010).
«Alexey occasionally plays two saxes at once as well as numerous recorders at the same time, always to great effect. This is a consistently fascinating conversation between two master improvisers, one pretty young and the other an elder statesman. Although Alexey Kruglov is still pretty young, he has a strong tone on each sax and has a deep bag of ideas, sounds & styles to draw from. This is yet another stimulating conversation between two obvious masters of improv.» (Bruce Lee Gallanter, «Downtown Music Dallery», New York, 2011, the fragment from the review about Kruglov-Tarasov`s duo)
«After listening to this strikingly imaginative avant-jazz program, it is clear that Kruglov possesses a dynamic persona, in concert with a seemingly endless array of guileful musical concepts, centered on the title track which is one continuous piece. He crosscuts free-jazz improvisation with John Cage-like treatments and dysfunctional classicism.» (Glenn Astarita,«Allaboutjazz», USA, 2011).
Jaak Sooäär was born in Tallinn, Estonia in 1972. In 1994, he graduated from the Music College in Tallinn and in 2001 - from the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen. Since 2001, he has taught guitar at the Jazz Music Department of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, since 2004 acted as the head of the department and in 2010 was elected to work as a professor .
Sooäär’s first concerts (all over the Soviet Union) took place as a member of the Estonian Boys’ Choir in which he started singing at the age of seven. Since 1989, he has been active on the Estonian jazz and pop scene, playing guitar literally with everybody of note.
Since the late 1990s, Sooäär has performed with many internationally known jazz musicians, including Tony Allen, Conny Bauer, Han Bennink, Raoul Björkenheim, Eric Brochard, Gavin Bryars, Kent Carter, Pierre Dørge, Arkady Gotesman, Mikko Innanen, Aske Jacoby, Anders Jormin, Andrei Kondakov, Dave Kikoski, Alexey Kruglov, Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Ramon Lopez, Ron McClure, Karlheinz Miklin, Liudas Mockunas, Jari Perkiomäki, Etienne Rolin, John Schröder, Harri Sjöström and Petras Vyshniauskas, and has been active in several international bands, including The Dynamite Vikings, Erdmann/Sooäär Dessert Time (1st prize at international Peer Gynt Improvisation Contest in Pärnu, Estonia, in 2001), Mockunas-Pasborg Project, Free Tallinn Trio, Tuule Kann-Jaak Sooäär andAlmost Zebra (3rd place at the 5th European Improvisation Tournament in Poitiers, France, in 2001). In May 2006 Sooäär performed as guest soloist with WDR Big Band (Germany).
In 1999, Sooäär toured with The European Jazz Youth Orchestra and, in 2003, took part in the EBU Big Band in Istanbul, Turkey. One of his Estonian groups, Eesti Keeled, was given the Estonian Music Award as the best etno/folk artist both in 2003 and in 2005. In 2007 Sooäär was the first jazz musician to get Estonian Annual Jazz Prize and the same year he also recieved annual prize of Estonian Culture Endownment (Eesti Kultuurkapital). He played at Leo Records International Tour (2011).Jaak Sooäär appears on nearly 20 jazz CDs.
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