Sergey Khrehnov • Leningrad jazz scene 1981-1984, letter 1

Leningrad, February, 18, 1981

Dear Hans

I read your letters to Alex Kan and I liked your typewriting. I have no the typewriter with the Latin type so excuse me for my handwriting.

There is some informational about our Club and musical life in Leningrad for you and (may be) for ‘Jazz Podium’:

Multi-instrumentalist Vladimir Chekasin of Vilnius well-known thanks to the performances of the Ganelin-Tarasov-Chekasin Trio was the guest of Leningrad Contemporary Music Club (C.M.C.). February 14 Vladimir Chekasin played in the Club with Leningrad pianist Sergej Kurjochin. The musicians did not play together in the first time. The similarity and originality of their approaches to the music do their duo performances very interesting and surprising sometimes. In this time Chekasin and Kurjochin showed their ‘Exercis’ which was the breathtaking mixture of avant-garde music and singing, happening and clownade.

Day after this Chekasin and Kurjochin performed on the Big Concert which was organized by Leningrad ‘Kwadrat’ jazz Club. On this set they played with pianist Oleg Molokojedow of Vilnius and Eugeny Guberman of Leningrad on drums. The composition ‘The Conformists and the Protestant’ by Vladimir Chekasin was partly eclectic but excited the audience by its intensity. Undoubtedly Chekasin was the leader of the quartet. Sergej Kurjochin generally played not on the piano but the role of the Protestant.

The collaboration between Chekasin and Kurjochin will continue. The both musicians are planning to take part on the Yaroslavl Jazz Festival in March ’81.

I hope to see you and your group in Leningrad in April.

Sincere greetings to Tina and Wolfgang Meixner.

Yours truly

Sergey.

[Another] address to contact:

Sergeus A. Khrenov

xxxxxxxxxxx

Leningrad 192241

U.S.S.R.