Igor Grigoriev
Encyclopedia
Igor Grigoriev, born on January 24, 1955 in Moscow
is a musician
, composer
, arranger
, band
leader
, and improvisation
al guitarist
. He taught himself to play the guitar as a young child, and later obtained his Master's Degree from a music institution in Russia.
's work, but in later years the influence of classical composers has become evident in his music
. Bach
has made a great influence in his musical career. He is also fascinated by John Cage
's work and the color black.
On September 25, 2010 Igor, a great musician and teacher, passed away and is survived by his wife and children. He will be greatly missed and live on in spirit through they many that were his students and those that study under them.
, Leo Records
). His group, Asphalt also gained tremendous popularity despite its short life span (Melodia Records
).
He permanently migrated to United States in 1989 and continued his career, as a Classical
and Jazz
musician, but later he became more and more interested in Avant-garde
music.
Igor is probably better known for his 1990s work, which rapidly assimilated the American avant-garde and forged his own, instantly identifiable style. His music of the 1970s and 1980s saw transition from rock
to classical to jazz
and to avant-garde music; sometimes he makes use of Harmolodic
system of Ornette Coleman
. He began to develop methods of simultaneously improvising bass lines, harmony and melodic lines. In his later years, his playing became less predictable and formulaic.
He has recorded number of solo album
s, and has recorded or performed with Stan Getz, Red Callender, Larry Gales, Milcho Leviev, Ira Schulman, Rod Oakes, and many others. His main musical partner in recent years (2000s) has been trombonist Rod Oakes (including early recording Live In Your Bedroom, Oakes Plays Rod, and most recently, Redux – all on III Records
).
The major part of his work is performing unaccompanied – still a rare feature among non-classical guitar
instrumental
ists.
Igor and Rod Oakes founded OGOGO
in 1996, which is one of the most important organizations to perform improvised music. (The OGOGO
is still going, though now it can be anywhere from solo to extra large ensemble.) Nowadays Igor has a close association with III Records
.
Although Igor's central focus is free improvisation, he has also occasionally appeared in more conventional jazz and classical contexts, such as big band, various ensembles, and string orchestra.
He has composed and arranged for a wide range of music genres. He has worked as part of the orchestra for Russian circus. He has arranged music for theatrical plays.
You can say that he, like his music, has an Avent-garde personality.It is not clear if his personality reflects into his art, or his art reflects into his personality; maybe a little bit of both. Sometimes him and his music are both misunderstood. Nevertheless, he is a musical genius and has a vast knowledge in many things, however music is his main interest.
Igor now teaches guitar
, music history
, jazz history, ensembles, and improvisation at Los Angeles Harbor College
and Cerritos College
in Los Angeles
, CA
.
Lately he has been presenting his music by releasing EP
s such as Vodka Cocktail, Snowflake, and Chocolate Ice Cream.
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
is a musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
, band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
leader
Leader
A leader is one who influences or leads others.Leader may also refer to:- Newspapers :* Leading article, a piece of writing intended to promote an opinion, also called an editorial* The Leader , published 1909–1967...
, and improvisation
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
al guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
. He taught himself to play the guitar as a young child, and later obtained his Master's Degree from a music institution in Russia.
Biography
As a young boy in late sixties, he was interested in latest music of the time, Rock. As he developed musically, he became interested in Charlie ParkerCharlie Parker
Charles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
's work, but in later years the influence of classical composers has become evident in his music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
. Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
has made a great influence in his musical career. He is also fascinated by John Cage
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
's work and the color black.
On September 25, 2010 Igor, a great musician and teacher, passed away and is survived by his wife and children. He will be greatly missed and live on in spirit through they many that were his students and those that study under them.
Career
At a very young age Igor started his career and gained fame by playing rock music with many Russian bands and touring around the world. Later, he became a band leader and led the trio, Roof, with trumpeter Andrew Solovyov, and percussionist Michael Zhukov (Melodia RecordsMelodia Records
Melodia Records is a reggaeton affiliated record label mostly known for producer and beat maker NAN2 el maestro de las melodias. Other members pertaining to the group are Nan2's fellow brother Gabby El Kreativo a strong and upcoming beat maker. El Leon, the groups most prominent business promoter...
, Leo Records
Leo Records
Leo Records is an English jazz record label, which releases Russian jazz in addition to material from American and British musicians.Leo Records was founded in 1979 by Leo Feigin , a Russian immigrant to Britain...
). His group, Asphalt also gained tremendous popularity despite its short life span (Melodia Records
Melodia Records
Melodia Records is a reggaeton affiliated record label mostly known for producer and beat maker NAN2 el maestro de las melodias. Other members pertaining to the group are Nan2's fellow brother Gabby El Kreativo a strong and upcoming beat maker. El Leon, the groups most prominent business promoter...
).
He permanently migrated to United States in 1989 and continued his career, as a Classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
and Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician, but later he became more and more interested in Avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
music.
Igor is probably better known for his 1990s work, which rapidly assimilated the American avant-garde and forged his own, instantly identifiable style. His music of the 1970s and 1980s saw transition from rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
to classical to jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and to avant-garde music; sometimes he makes use of Harmolodic
Harmolodics
Harmolodics is the musical philosophy of jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman and is therefore associated primarily with the jazz avant-garde and the free jazz movement, although its implications extend beyond these limits...
system of Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman is an American saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer. He was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s....
. He began to develop methods of simultaneously improvising bass lines, harmony and melodic lines. In his later years, his playing became less predictable and formulaic.
He has recorded number of solo album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s, and has recorded or performed with Stan Getz, Red Callender, Larry Gales, Milcho Leviev, Ira Schulman, Rod Oakes, and many others. His main musical partner in recent years (2000s) has been trombonist Rod Oakes (including early recording Live In Your Bedroom, Oakes Plays Rod, and most recently, Redux – all on III Records
III Records
iii Records is a Japanese record label founded in 1999 and dedicated to issuing music from jazz to classical with focus on avant-garde and experimental directions. The label's list consists of artists such as:*OGOGO,*Igor Grigoriev,*Rod Oakes,*Ira Schulman....
).
The major part of his work is performing unaccompanied – still a rare feature among non-classical guitar
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
ists.
Igor and Rod Oakes founded OGOGO
OGOGO
The OGOGO is an Avant-garde jazz ensemble that formed in Los Angeles in the early 1990s. The group continues to perform and record as of 2009.-Members:...
in 1996, which is one of the most important organizations to perform improvised music. (The OGOGO
OGOGO
The OGOGO is an Avant-garde jazz ensemble that formed in Los Angeles in the early 1990s. The group continues to perform and record as of 2009.-Members:...
is still going, though now it can be anywhere from solo to extra large ensemble.) Nowadays Igor has a close association with III Records
III Records
iii Records is a Japanese record label founded in 1999 and dedicated to issuing music from jazz to classical with focus on avant-garde and experimental directions. The label's list consists of artists such as:*OGOGO,*Igor Grigoriev,*Rod Oakes,*Ira Schulman....
.
Although Igor's central focus is free improvisation, he has also occasionally appeared in more conventional jazz and classical contexts, such as big band, various ensembles, and string orchestra.
He has composed and arranged for a wide range of music genres. He has worked as part of the orchestra for Russian circus. He has arranged music for theatrical plays.
Other
He is a well known artist in Europe and United States, and his continues effort,originality,and creativity has made him popular around the world.while he works on creating his one of kind music,his wife, Kimia,is usually in charge of his publications and press releases.You can say that he, like his music, has an Avent-garde personality.It is not clear if his personality reflects into his art, or his art reflects into his personality; maybe a little bit of both. Sometimes him and his music are both misunderstood. Nevertheless, he is a musical genius and has a vast knowledge in many things, however music is his main interest.
Igor now teaches guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, music history
Music history
Music history, sometimes called historical musicology, is the highly diverse subfield of the broader discipline of musicology that studies the composition, performance, reception, and criticism of music over time...
, jazz history, ensembles, and improvisation at Los Angeles Harbor College
Los Angeles Harbor College
Los Angeles Harbor College is one of two community colleges serving the South Bay region of Los Angeles. LAHC serves mainly students from Harbor City, Carson, San Pedro, Gardena, Lomita, Wilmington and the Palos Verdes Peninsula....
and Cerritos College
Cerritos College
Cerritos College is a public comprehensive community college founded in 1955 located in Norwalk, California. It was named after Rancho Los Cerritos, a ranch that served prominently in the region in the 19th century...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, CA
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Lately he has been presenting his music by releasing EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s such as Vodka Cocktail, Snowflake, and Chocolate Ice Cream.
Discography
Igor has been featured on many albums and has been a guest star in many concerts and recording. The following are just a few of his works. for more info refer to his website: Igor Grigoriev's DiscographyEPs
External links
- http://igorogogo.com/index.htm
- http://www.myspace.com/ogogoigor
- http://www.iiirecords.com/igor.htm
- http://igorguitar.googlepages.com/home
- http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=2013