Jazz in Kyiv Band

City – Kyiv (Ukraine)
Genre – classic jazz, Latin, funk, soul

The band:

Artem Mendelenko (saxophone);
Rodion Ivanov (keyboards, piano);
Valery Volkov (drums);
Olexandr Lebedenko (percussion);
Olexey Kogan (bass guitar).

History of creation

Jazz in Kyiv Band is a Ukrainian musical group, which is called the face of domestic jazz. For more than fifteen years, the group has been shining like a bright star on stage and winning the hearts of fans of the genre. The band shapes the style, reputation and atmosphere of the industry.

The group grew out of the production center of the same name, uniting the country's leading musicians under the leadership of Oleksiy Kogan - a famous performer, producer, art director of the NEW Jazz in Kyiv and Leopolis Jazz Fest centers, as well as a radio host who has been popularizing jazz culture in Ukraine for decades. It was Kogan who made jazz not an elitist genre for the chosen ones, but a living art accessible to everyone who is open to music.

Creative path

Over the years of its existence, Jazz in Kyiv Band has performed on numerous stages - from chamber Kyiv venues to festivals in Lviv, Odessa, Lutsk, Rivne and Cherkasy. In 2019, the group represented Ukraine at the anniversary XXV International Festival in Klaipeda (Lithuania), receiving high praise and recognition from the audience and critics.

One of the most interesting forms of the group's creativity has become the concerts "Jazz Stories with Oleksiy Kogan". In these programs, music is closely intertwined with words. Oleksiy Vadimovich tells stories in his own way, weaving in anecdotes, facts and legends about jazz. And the musicians bring them to life in sounds, creating a single colorful palette.

Each live Jazz in Kyiv Band is a meeting of music and storytelling, when the sound of instruments intensifies emotions, and melodies resonate in the hearts of fans. The group brings together true masters - each of them is well-known in the professional environment, has their own style and unique manner of playing. Together, Jazz in Kyiv Band creates a special jazz language, in which the synergy of experience, energy and freedom is palpable.

Creative Style

The music of Jazz in Kyiv Band is a warm, deep sound, in which the rhythms of Brazil, African motifs, blues shades and classic jazz standards are intertwined. Each live performance of the band is not just a concert, but a journey through history, emotions and cultures. There are no templates here: only improvisation, a live dialogue between musicians and the audience, which is born here and now.

The performances of Jazz in Kyiv Band are an opportunity to feel the magic when words and sounds merge into one, creating a real jazz miracle that is not repeated twice. In addition, going on stage with Jazz in Kyiv Band is always more than just a performance. The atmosphere of easy interaction, friendly communication and sincere exchange of energy between musicians and the audience makes each concert especially warm. Here you can not only listen to music, but also touch its essence - understand how sound, rhythm and real jazz magic are born.