Chronology • Lineups • Discography • Quotes • Press Pics • Download «Lviv Sessions»
Tanya
Press-release for downloading
Tanya Balakyrska — a vocalist and composer, originated from Ukraine and residing in Russia. Besides, Tanya is a known Russian and Ukrainian music journalist. Tanya’s music style is quite difficult to distinguish. Indie, minimalism, some bits of jazz, pop, lounge and sympho-fusion are mixed in it, depending on a particular lineup chosen. Tanya writes music and lyrics, sometimes co-working with a Canadian poet Sienna Dahlen and using poems by E.E.Cummings.
Tanya performs at international jazz and contemporary music festivals, gets invitations to play at prestigious venues of Russia and Ukraine, her CD becomes subject to extended author’s radio programs broadcast interna-tionally (Estonian Raadio 4, Armenian Radio Van, Russian and Ukrainian radio stations etc.).
Concerts chronology:
Winter 2011 — «Lviv Sessions» presentation at Jazz Bez Festival (Ukraine); a solo concert at Plios Jazz Festival in Ivanovo Philarmonic Hall;
Autumn 2011 — performing at the best Russian jazz club (Ufa) and “Jazz Branches“ festival (the Moscow Jewish Cultural Center).
Summer 2011 — the “Lviv Sessions“ debut CD is released, additionally issued in 123.000 copies as an attachment to the “Stereo&Video“ magazine.
Winter 2010 / spring 2011 — touring around Ukraine, Poland and Russia; solo concert at one of the best venues in Russia, Urals State Theater; recording the debut CD;
Autumn 2010 — opening prestigious Jazz Koktebel Festival main stage; headlining at Art Cooperation Festival (Ukraine), touring around 12 cities of Russia and Ukraine;
Summer 2010 — 3 Ukrainian festivals, numerous club shows;
Spring 2010 — the authors program presentation; performing at the MuzEnergo festival with the cello trio; club concerts.
Lineups
Tanya works in several various lineups totally different in style and geography.
The main band of Tanya’s is located in
Moscow, Russia and includes top performers of the country:
— Piotr Talalay (drums)
— Alex Nadjarov (keyboards, piano)
— Denis Shushkov (double bass).
The musicians’ interests allow to explore modern approaches to jazz, where bits of jungle, down tempo, electronics and free improv are naturally mixed in.
The band performs its versions of Joni Mitchell’s songs, as well as Tanya’s own original pieces.
Another band Tanya regularly cooperates with is a hard-fusion trio from Yekaterinburg (Russia, the Urals), called Free Spoken Band:
— Anton Ilyenkov (guitar)
— Ignat Kravtsov (drums)
— Alexander Bulatov (bass guitar).
The trio consists of young virtuosos, producing a very breathtakingly energetic sound, practicing jazz, rock & world with bits of noise and declamation — and making real shows onstage. Tanya has had several extended tours with the band, which were of huge success. The band aims at pop-rock jazz in its best sense, rich in the attention to sound and nuances.
The program consists of two sets, the Tanya’s one and Free Spoken Band’s alone.
One more band resides in Lviv, Ukraine and mostly consists of the local musicians. This is the lineup Tanya invited to record her “Lviv Sessions“ CD:
— Ihor Hnydyn (drums)
— Alex Maksymiw (guitar, Canada/Netherlands)
— Yuri Seredyn (keyboards, missing on the pic)
— Andrew Kohan (bass guitar)
Discography
October 2011
«Uvarious Artists Vol.2»
Compilation of the Ultra Vague Recordings net label
Artists from Georgia, Germany, Russia, Serbia, Denmark and Ukraine
Tanya is featured with «Molly» song
UVR page
CD press-release for downloading
Debut «Lviv Sessions« album (download)
Recorded in Lviv at Fonia Records
Mixed and mastered by Alex Drozd, Kyiv
Tanya Balakyrska (music, vocals, backing vocals, keyboards), Alexander Maksymiv (guitar), Igor Hnydyn (drums), Yuri Seredyn (keyboards), feat. Dmitry Bondarev (trumpet)
September 2011
Release in «Stereo&Video» magazine, Russia
Official circulation: 123.000
«Lviv Sessions»
(alternative mix, different from the album version)
Recorded in Lviv, Ukraine at Fonia Records
October 2010
Igor Zakus & Z-band
«Ukrainian Bass Song«
Tanya is featured on 3 tracks: «Soul», «Rain Song» and «Why/Valentine». Tanya was invited to perform on the CD along with best Ukrainian jazz, folk and pop vocalists who sang the rest of the tracks.
Quotes
Bob Weir (UK), Jazz Journal
You have a very expressive voice and you write exceptionally good songs. I also like your interpretation of the E. E. Cummings poems. Congratulations on an excellent album!
Thomas Conrad (USA)
Columnist, JazzTimes, Contributing Editor, Stereophile.
I found it fascinating. I must say that «Lviv Sessions» matches so closely with my initial impressions of you. Your music is deep and soulful and rather mysterious… like Tanya. Your voice is wonderfully expressive. And you’ve also got some genuine chops, as illustrated by «Tiny Bombs.» I like very much your interpretations of Cummings. I find it interesting that you were drawn to Cummings, when even many native English speakers find him challenging because of his plays on (English) words. «Hello to the Spring» is especially nice. «Nothing’s Easier» is a very cool song. I think that your strongest asset is your ability to create an atmosphere. In this regard you remind me of Patricia Barber. You can both cast a spell.
Django Bates (UK)
Tanya’s voice is very beautiful. There is no doubt about that!
Immo Mihkelson (Estonia), renowed jazz critic and musicologist:
She’s really a good singer, relaxed convincing singing, fluid and strong at the same time. Very good voice, but as I said on radio, not that type of jazz Ella Fitzgerald sung. I mentioned in my radio comment that a journalist from Russia gave this album to me, saying this is very good. And it is.
Martin Guerpin (France), music journalist:
Is it jazz, is it pop, is it new rock, is world? It’s music. No matter how her music can be categorized, Tanya Balakyrska compose and sings her eight sophisticated songs with sensitivity, often creating spacious atmospheres (thanks mostly to the use of short guitar patterns, to the keyboards, and to some airy trumpet solos) above which her warm and, when needed, powerful voice glides.
Mark Egea (Spain), musician
Tania’s CD… It’s magnific. I enjoyed it. Very well finished, interesting arrangements.
Paolo Carnevale (Italy), a writer:
It is sure a good record, well recorded, played and sung. I can say it’s a pleasure to listen to it. Maybe it’s not easy to define the genre, but it is a good example of contemporary song album, maybe intimist, with good ideas in the arrangements.
Assaf Kehati (USA), jazz guitar player:
I like this album. It has different styles well mixed into one style. But why describe one thing by other things? I can just say that it seems like a lot of time and thought were put in this album and I like the result. It has a warm and intimate sound and I feel that Tanya is behind everything she sings. This album is like putting a cozy blanket or sitting by the fireplace when snow is outside the window. Go check it out!
Ivo Heinloo (Estonia), music journalist:
Nice relaxing music creating a subtle and cozy atmosphere, with some tracks having a slightly prog-rockish feel. Goes far beyond the usual pop music cliches, searching for new means of expression.
Mike Del Ferro (Netherlands), piano player (recording and touring with musicians like Toots Thielemans, Jack DeJohnette, Erik Truffaz, Jorge Rossy, Scott Hamilton, Richard Galliano, Candy Dulfer and many others):
I’ve just listened to Tanya’s CD, great!! I like it a lot, composition, vocals… also the sound quality, excellent!
Loris Furlan (Lizard Records, Italy):
«It’s not standard jazz, it’s something from the inside, perfect about composition and sounds, a sure vocal interpretation but over all — a crystal breath of the soul.»
Hristo Vitchev, www.hristovitchev.com:
«I really liked the music. It is really fresh and deep musically. I want to buy the CD right away. It is awesome.»
Andrey Razin, Second Approach Trio, piano player, Russian Composers Union member
www.secondapproach.com:
«A very exquisite and stylish musical utterance. The pieces stand somewhere around Kate Bush’s, Joni Mitchell’s and Lisa Gerrard’s ones.»
Alexander Belyaev, Where Moscow:
«This is wonderful. I’m impressed.»
Jazzuality.com:
Lviv Sessions is a heartfelt album that presents a recollection of life with all the essences and reflections. This is a serious album contained many deep thoughts from different perspectives without necessarily losing its grip on the entertaining side. Packed artistically poetic, with this debut album Tanya invites her listeners to enter her heart and listen to what her soul wants to say. If you want to see how jazz can appear poetically, how far an artist could go exploring their minds in the world of independent music, or simply of you want to listen to a very gifted lady who opens up a new territory to be an artist after being a successful reputable journalist, Tanya Balakyrska’s Lviv Sessions is your choice. The fact that all songs were written in English would help us better in understanding the messages she wanted to share. An attractive, charming, ellegant and exquisite album to have indeed.
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