Did you know that jazz played a huge role in Lithuanian independence? Celebrate 700 years of Vilnius with a live concert and talkback with Lithuanian luminary Vladimir Tarasov and acclaimed music critic Howard Mandel. Tarasov, who is referred to as the grandfather of modern Lithuanian Jazz, will lead a powerful percussion performance followed by a rich discussion about his role of jazz in Lithuanian independence. This concert is for lovers of music and history alike.
This program is presented in partnership with the Consulate General of the Republic of Lithuania in New York and the Lithuanian Culture Institute
Walking Within the Sounds of Vilnius
It’s a pleasure to walk around Vilnius. Our city is one in which different nationalities and religions live together. A wonderful ensemble of cultures of different nationalities has been the “sound” of Vilnius for 700 years. Walking along these old streets, past churches of different denominations, you hear the history of Time and the history of each of them. Also, when you pass through the courtyard where the Great Vilnius Synagogue once stood and the house where the great philosopher, Rabbi Gaon lived. Passing by the many beautiful and ancient churches, you see many of them as they were originally built, but only small remnants of the foundation of the Great Synagogue remain – yet, the sound of the history of the latter is present. Percussion is probably the right tool to convey this. Precisely because these instruments are very ancient – they appeared long before the appearance of melodic instruments and, unlike them, they do not illustrate, but convey something deep, something that cannot be recorded with notes…
About Vladimir Tarasov
Tarasov attained prominence as a member of the Ganelin Trio (also known as the Ganelin-Tarasov-Checkasin Trio), an extraordinary group that played free jazz in Soviet-era Russia and Lithuania. Tarasov is an energetic and resourceful player with a fine ear for tonal color. He was raised in northern Russia. He began playing drums in 1961, studying music in Arkhangelsk and Leningrad before emigrating to Vilnius, Lithuania, in 1968. In 1969, he formed a duo with pianist Vyacheslav Ganelin; the duo became a trio when saxophonist Vladimir Checkasin joined in 1971. Besides his work with the trio, Tarasov has recorded his solo music and performed with such American musicians as Andrew Cyrille and the ROVA Saxophone Quartet. He is also the head of the Lithuanian Art Orchestra. Tarasov has composed for film and theater, and is an accomplished visual artist.
About Howard Mandel
Howard Mandel is a writer, editor, blogger, NPR arts reporter, former faculty at New York University, author of Future Jazz and Miles Ornette Cecil - Jazz Beyond Jazz, and president of the Jazz Journalists Association. He met Vladimir Tarasov in Moscow in 1988, and has written about music in the former Soviet Union, touring Kiev and Armenia under US State Department auspices.
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