Robex Lundgren virkblogg.

Have any of you played in other bands?

Anton: I have played with variety of musicians and projects from Russia, Europe and USA, including Gregory Porter, Dave Weckl, Randy Brecker.

Evgeny: Off course. In jazz world musicians need to be flexible. I was lucky to perform with some top musicians such as: Marcus Miller, Jack DeJohnette, Lenny White, Randy Brecker, George Garzone,

Ignat: I love different music. I always trying to play it. I play with famous Russian indi pop band - Therr Maitz. I’m lucky too ‘cause played with top musicians: Randy Brecker, Steve Turre, Michel Legrand, Stanley Jordan…

How is it that you started playing music?

Anton: From yearly childhood, cause I grew up in musical family. One day, my brother left somebody’s upright bass in our apartment for a week. This is how i picked up a bass.

Evgeny: My father was an accordion player. His playing made a huge impact on me as a kid so I picked that instrument after him. Later I fell in love with jazz music and switched to piano.

Ignat: My father was a drummer. When I was 4 years old he brought drums at home. My father passed away when I was 6. After his death I decided to be a musician because he had a passion to music and gave it to me.

What are your names? / Who plays what? / How old are you?

Anton: My name is Anton Revnyuk, I’m 42 and play bass.

Evgeny: My name is Evgeny Lebedev, I play piano, accordion and sampler.

Ignat: Ignat Kravtsov, I’m a drummer. 31 y.

Have you had other previous members? Anton: From the very beginning, we had no other members of LRK Trio. Sometimes we do special projects and invite different soloists, like Olivier Ker Ourio on harmonica and string quartet as we did on our latest release “If You Have a Dream. In 2016 we did a big production “Tribute to Joni Mitchell” with 6 guest vocalists and brass section.

Did you make music even when you were young?

Anton: Yes, I’m playing from a very young age, started composing around 14.

Evgeny. I guess I can say from pretty young age. At 9 I started participating in various concerts as an accordion player. Composed my first composition “Golden Sands” at 17

Ignat: I started compose at age of 20

Where are you from? We are all living in Moscow, Russia.

What year did the band form? We played our first show in 2014

What's your style of genre?

Anton: We are playing in style of LRK Trio with elements of improvisation )

Evgeny: I gave up analyzing styles. Some people say we play contemporary jazz, and I’m not against it, some say it’s not jazz and I can’t argue.

Ignat: I always don’t think about it ‘cause can’t find one style. We’re improvising and it’s Jazz but we don’t play swing. We play polyrhythmic stuff and it suppose to be something like progressive Rock…

What inspires you?

Anton: My family is a biggest source of inspiration for me.

Evgeny: Anything can be inspiring, sometimes it could be something that you would never expect: unlucky circamstances, weird situations etc. Travels, nature and time with the family is always inspiring for sure.

Ignat: Painting

How often and where do you reherse? Usually we rent rehearsal space and get together depending on availability of each other, cause everybody is involved in different projects.

How have you developed since you started with the music?

Anton: Since I started playing music I made a goal to play with the best musicians on the best stages possible. And today I’m playing music I love with the best musicians.

Evegny: This is interesting, cause as more you develop, more you understand how far away you are. At the age of 15 I was more happy with my playing than now, but listening to recordings I realize how much I developed since I was 15. Good thing that experience gives you wisdom to accept the moment in music, which is most important for improvisation. I’m lucky to have such a great band members, cause their level of musicianship are extremely high and that makes me always improve myself.

Do you have other interests of work outside the band?

Anton: I collaborate with other artists and bands a lot. It could be pop artist or symphony orchestra, big band, but LRK Trio is а priority.

Evgeny: As a piano player, I like to participate in different projects, playing in variety of styles, including electronic music. I give solo piano recitals. Аlso like playing with vocalists, being a sideman and accompany is totally different but very pleasant for me, but the LRK Trio is my main focus.

Ignat - Off course. LRK Trio is my priority, also Therr Maitz. Then other projects…

Are you looking for a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that? Anton: We have our agent Dina Nurgaleeva and Magnetophone Music Agency in Moscow and that makes our life much easier, but we are open to meet new people around the world.

Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that? Anton: Our latest album«If You Have a Dream» was released in 2017 on two labels at the same time. Igor Butman’s label in Russia «Butman Music» and «Losen» in Norway. Certainly our goal is to become noticeable for major labels, especially because we have just recorded our new studio album which is in a process of mixing right now.

What made you decide to make this music?

Evgeny: I would say personal taste. Any art is at least a little selfish I think. It is hard to translate to english, but Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky said once something like that: “Composer is not the one who can

compose, but the one who can’t stop composing.”

If somebody likes what you do - this is true happiness for an artist.

What are your songs about?

Anton: Every composition indicates our mood at the time of composing it, cause it’s instrumental with no words.

Evgeny: Some of the titles are speaking for themselves like: The Sea, Luminescence, Clockwork Doll, Abyss, Joy, Lost in Tokyo etc. Music images and story behind every composition is extremely important for us.

Ignat: Life)

Who does the composing? We are all compose.

Do you compose in a certain environment?

Anton: I compose at home.

Evgeny: It doesn’t have to be certain environment for me. Idea can hit you anywhere, at the rehearsal, on the plane, at the sound check. Some people call this idea - the seed, and if you have this seed, you can compose anywhere.

Ignat: After a sound check before the concert…grand piano. Also at the plan.

Have you done any covers live?

Evgeny: Sure. We love playing instrumental version of “Message in a Bottle” by Sting. Recorded Brazilian standard Zingaro by A.C. Jobim. Also from time to time playing some tunes by Wayne Shorter, Pat

Metheny.

What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs? Anton: Our audience varies from 30 people in a small club to 1500 people at the festivals and big halls.

What ages are most of your concert attendants? Anton: Very diverse audience. 20-50 I would say.

Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary?

Evgeny: It’s always depends on many factors. We are making different setlist for every concert.

Anton: Some songs we play every concert, some add and change, depends on situation.

Do you have a regular place you play live often? We have several great jazz clubs in Moscow where we play often: Kozlov Jazz Club, Esse Jazz Club, Jam Club.

What was your first gig like? Evgeny: Our first gig as a trio was at Kozlov club in Moscow, where we presented our project with string quartet. It turned out to be sold out show with positive reviews, so it became clear that we have to record an album and continue playing as a band.

What was your latest gig?

Evgeny: Our latest gig was a collaboration with Grzech Piotrowski’s

World Orchestra, which was an amazing experience, playing as a rhythm section with 210 people on stage. We played at Warsaw Opera, which is one of the biggest in Europe and fits 1,800 people. It was full house that day and definitely memorable concert for us.

Where have you played live this year? Evgeny: Well, this year just started, but we have already played concerts in Poland, Estonia and Switzerland. Last year was a very productive for us and we have performed in Netherlands, Japan, Belgium, Estonia, Latvia and traveled in Russia quite a lot.

What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days? Evgeny: I think it is reflection of our time and fast life’s tempos. It is good and bad at the same time. When we used to have CD’s or vinyls. We exchanged records and really learned them and loved them. Now you can find any music you want in a second and it can be too much. I know some people that had never listened to any album from beginning to the end. But this is important, as watching movie or reading the book.

Do you have any dole models or idols?

Evgeny: I would say we probably all have musical influences, probably not models and idols.

But this is endless and sacred process finding yourself in music and having somebody’s model or example of success and trying to repeat is probably not good idea.

Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today? Evgeny: I think 50/50. Older music has more soul and spirit I believe, but some new stuff can be just mind-blowing. We are always looking for good mix of old and new in our music.

What have been your biggest obstacles? Evgeny: When we had to deal with unprofessionals. .

What advice would you give other bands or artists?

Evgeny: If you can stop doing it, stop. But if not, do it 100% and it’s gonna work somehow.

Ignat: Don’t think about music only, but relationships between peaple too. Relationships helps music be the best.

How do you get psyched for a gig?

Evgeny: The best concerts I’ve had was when I was late and had to just jump on stage and start playing, or when was asked to sub for somebody last minute. So the best way for to get psyched for the gig, is to relax and do not make difference between normal life and playing on stage.

Ignat: Always remember - «Mistake is not a mistake, but a piece of music and life»

How can people reach you? Evgeny: The best way is to send us message on the web site, or find us on social media.

What are your plans for the future? Evgeny: To keep dreaming, working, composing and doing something. If you’re not moving, you can’t see what’s ahead.