Jukebox Trio

Russian a cappella miracle! "JUKEBOX TRIO" combines a cappella and beatbox technics. Instead of just singing standards they mix hip-hop beatbox, pop and r’n’b vocals and a cappella bass parts. They call it “street beat a cappella”. Just three voices, no instruments, but plenty of musical education, recognizable style and a bright performance made of each song.


"We highly appreciate Bobby McFerrin and Take 6, but we’re trying to make something own. We write our songs mostly in English, our first album is on the way".


JUKEBOX trio makes a mix of jazz impromptu, rock drive, pop friendliness and a cappella beauty. That’s why they were called a “sound miracle” in Russia"

Band members:



Ilya Ivanov – beatbox
Vladimir Ivanov – vocal
Garry Kraulis – bass
Lyrics:

"Я Я Я"



You're like the sun, blinding me you're the one...

Look, I was right on the contrary reflect your light, like the moon.


I - I - I, I - I - I love you, love you I - I - I.

Let the rhythm of the beat drumming,

He leads me step by step

Take me

And add to themselves.

Will be the same, all the same zero will not be the same.

Look out the window.

I - I - I, I - I - I love you, love you I - I - I.

Let the rhythm of the beat drumming,

He leads me step by step.

Erase all the extra mask,

Open your face.

Pour me your colors,

Pretend my creator.

I - I - I, I - I - I love you, love you I - I - I.

Let the rhythm of the beat drumming,

He leads me step by step.

I love you. - Russia Beyond The Headlines

From hard bop to the new school, jazz has found a haven in post-communist Russia

Moscow's jazz scene is a creature of many faces. Take the comical shenanigans of one big band in a dive of an expat bar, with all members clad in matching mustard-yellow tassled jackets and an old hippy guitarist who looks (and probably thinks) like he's still in the Swinging 60s, or a pastiche Cuban group belting out Santana covers to an empty room. Contrast that with heavy-hitters like saxophonist Igor Butman, a popular figure who cut his teeth in the US for a decade, or Alex Rostotsky, an electric bass player whose latest CD features adventurous adaptations of works by Modest Mussorgsky. Right down to a highly flamboyant yet equally creative acapella vocal trio called Jukebox, it's all here.

According to Cyril Moshkov, editor of jazz.ru, Russia's only jazz magazine, there are about 1,000 jazz players in the city (official population 10.5 million – in reality it's more). They fall into three generations: the old guard, who favour austere hard bop and other mainstream styles; the middlemen, now in their 30s and 40s, 80% of whom left Russia to pursue careers abroad (interestingly, many went to Israel); and, finally, the young cats, still paying their dues and finding a way into the murky world of jazz music.

Russia's first jazz concert took place in October 1922 at the behest of Valentin Parnakh, an enigmatic all-rounder who wrote poetry, choreographed ballet and played piano. He brought the first jazz records and instruments to the country from Paris. The music was thereafter repressed in various ways throughout the Soviet Union – including the period of Butman's emergence in the 70s and 80s, when non-state-sanctioned concerts could see musicians or promoters locked up. During jam sessions with visiting American groups, Russians played with their foreign peers but were not allowed to exchange words. Government inspectors would ensure two violations resulted in dismissal from the state booking agency, which provided musicians with all their work.

Much has changed since those dark days. One look at the monthly gig listings on jazz.ru's information portal will show abundant choices any given night – and not only local groups, but a host of international names as well. Tessa Souter, a British vocalist who lives in New York, recently played a couple of dates at the Union of Composers and was happy to sing the praises of her Russian backing band: "They were great. There's something different about the way Russians swing, it's wonderful. Musicians have a lot of soul like the Russian people."

Financial woe may have hit the country hard, but that hasn't stopped a new jazz club from popping up right in the historic centre of Moscow – the V&J, situated on Old Arbat, a popular tourist promenade.
"People are becoming more interested in music and art, not material things, so I don't think the crisis makes a difference" says Victor Voitov, the V half of "V&J". "We wanted to open a place where Moscow's high-level musicians can let new people into jazz music."

Even after three months of pretty solid concertgoing, there's still a lot left for me to see. - The Guardian

Like all popular music groups, the Jukebox Trio has its own successful formula. Presenting a rich mix of classic covers and original material in an open, friendly, accessible style — with two singers and a human beatbox — it's hard not to enjoy the experience of seeing them play.

"I don't know any other a cappella bands with only three people," said lead singer Vladimir Ivanov. "Usually, they have six, but we cut it down to the main things: bass, rhythm and melody. And actually, that's all you really need in music." Clever live sampling techniques are also often used to create layered, harmonized soundscapes that give the impression of more voices.

The group formed in 2004 in Kazan, when brothers Vladimir and Ilya Ivanov met Kirill Sharafutdinov at the vocal studio where they learned jazz and funk fundamentals. "We had mutual interests, we were listening to a lot of the same music — Bobby McFerrin, Take 6, Queen, The Beatles. It's different music, but we like it all," explains Vladimir.

At live shows, this diversity is evident. Reworked Elvis Presley hits, silky Bossa Nova ballads and sermonising soulful serenades are all on the agenda. The penultimate track on the Trio's debut album "Acappellipsis" features a list of influential artists — names as varied as Ozzy Ozbourne, John Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix and the Chemical Brothers are recited in comically exaggerated Russian accents.

However, copies of the CD are somewhat hard to come by. "We decided not to sell the album in shops; it's only available at our concerts," said Vladimir. Why? "It's a big problem to make a good production with Russian record labels. They are really down now." He also cites the mercenary nature of the country's music industry as something the group wants to avoid. "Radio stations and TV channels play everything just for money, apart from maybe Western musicians — mainstream stuff. If you want to be big in Russia, you have to pay.

"The most important thing with Jukebox Trio is that, at first, it wasn't for money — simply for pleasure. When we started to earn money with the music, it was a bonus. And that's still the order of priorities," Vladimir said.

The fickle nature of the music scene in their home city, Kazan, was another obstacle the group strove to overcome. "The funny thing about Kazan is that, as it's the capital of Tatarstan, the Tatar public tends to like mostly Tatar singers. We were like some kind of circus for them. Breaking onto Moscow stages in 2006 was a really big step for us — people started to say we were musicians and not just a circus, we were getting real respect," said Vladimir.

A subsequent string of gigs around Russia earned Jukebox many fine reviews, as well as a prize from pop heroine Alla Pugacheva and the chance to open Elton John's show in Rostov-on-Don. They are already writing a third CD, which will come after an album comprising cover versions of well-known Russian rock songs.

Ilya Ivanov, the Trio's rhythmic engine, is optimistic about future prospects. "We're hoping to collaborate with a suitable record label, which can help us produce great albums." And in the long term, he makes no secret of lofty ambitions: "We want to become famous and be like rock stars all over the world — at least like The Beatles! I want to travel and perform in many different countries. And I think it is really possible, because I believe in the power of music."

The Jukebox Trio takes music down to its basic elements, focusing on the purity and versatility of the human voice — no instruments required. An online video for their song "So … Let Me Know" emphatically illustrates this concept, as the group is shown smashing guitars into splinters at the tune's climax. Don't expect that to happen at every show, but, as Vladimir says, "you'll be put in a good mood". - The Moscow Times