SHINKARENKO JAZZ 5N
(Lithuania)
Leonid Shinkarenko – bg
Vytautas Labutis – sax
Valerijus Ramoška – tp, flhn,
Andrius Savčenka – p
Linas Būda – dr
Acoustic and electric bass master and bandleader Leonid Shinkarenko returns to the quintet format. The creative period with quartet Shinkarenko Jazz 4N, which has been a part of his career for almost ten years, is now complete: last summer, former member Jan Maksimowicz was replaced by the bassist’s long-time companion Valerijus Ramoška, a trumpeter, and the younger generation pianist Andrius Savčenka. The new ensemble gave its first concerts in Spain and Holland.
For its first festival performance in Lithuania, Shinkarenko Jazz 5N has compiled a programme from Shinkarenko’s repertoire from different periods.
Bassist, composer, festival organiser and bandleader Leonid Shinkarenko is one of Lithuania’s most creative jazz personalities.
During more than four decades of his career, he has played in the ensembles of Petras Vyšniauskas, Vladimir Chekasin and Vytautas Labutis, Džiazo nublokšti Quintet, the Vilnius Jazz Quartet, Vladimir Tarasov’s Lithuanian Art Orchestra, Dainius Pulauskas Group, and other ensembles. The musician has also tried his hand at cross-genre projects, including Romas Lileikis and Audrius Balsys’ Evangelija pagal Romą (The Gospel According to Romas) and Kiaulės sakmė (The Pig Saga).
In 1997, the bassist made his debut as the leader of the quartet Shinkarenko Jazz4. The group released four albums, and gave concerts in Lithuania, Finland, and London jazz clubs. With the addition of jazz vocalist Neda Malūnavičiūtė, the group would augment to Shinkarenko Jazz5.
In 2003, Leonid initiated the revival of the trio of himself, Vytautas Labutis and Arvydas Joffe under the name Lithuanian Jazz Trio. The bassist has performed with this group in many European countries, released albums, received the Lithuanian Institute’s award for promoting the country worldwide.
Until recent years, Shinkarenko appeared at Lithuania’s major jazz festivals with Shinkarenko Jazz 4N, which he formed in 2015, and has presented this quartet not only in Lithuania, but also in Poland and Germany.
In addition to his concert activities, the bassist is a pedagogue; since 2003, he has been organising international jazz festivals in Nida, and in 2012–2015, he organised the festival in Druskininkai. Neringa Municipality has awarded the jazz luminary with the title of Honorary Citizen and the Order of Merit for his services to Neringa.
The musician has already performed at more than 100 festivals and has more than 60 albums in his discography. In 2006, he was awarded the Grand Prix of the Birštonas Jazz festival.
Multi-instrumentalist, composer, pedagogue Vytautas Labutis is also one of Lithuania’s most prominent jazz masters, recipient of the Grand Prix of the Birštonas Jazz festival (1996).
His name is associated with the biographies of many of Lithuania’s most renowned jazz groups: Petras Vyšniauskas Quartet, Džiazo nublokšti Quintet, Shinkarenko Jazz4, Dainius Pulauskas Group, Vilnius Jazz Quartet, Lithuanian Jazz Trio, and others.
The talented musician is at home in both chamber and monumental jazz forms. He writes music for large ensembles and performs in duos, juggling a wide range of musical styles and expression means.
The musician has travelled extensively throughout Europe with his quartet, which has been active for more than 20 years, playing music ranging from funk to free jazz. The album Sounding City, released by the quartet with vocalist Neda Malūnavičiūtė, was presented in Barcelona, Madrid, Stockholm, Budapest, Gdansk and at the famous Jazz Jamboree festival in Warsaw.
Vytautas and Neda have been working together since 1990. Five years ago, they were joined by a young and creative pianist Richardas Banys, and a new and exciting trio shone on the Lithuanian jazz scene.
Labutis was part of Vladimir Tarasov’s The Lithuanian Art Orchestra, Lithuanian Young Composers Orchestra, the international projects JazzBaltica Ensemble, Octet Ost, East-West Vapirov Project, New European Saxophone Quartet and Moscow Composers Orchestra. Whoever he plays with, he adds his own flavour to the music. He has toured Europe with various ensembles, performed in Asia, the USA and Australia, and recorded more than fifty CDs.
The jazz master also takes part in experimental, contemporary academic and ethno-music projects, artistic performances, composes music for film and theatre, and educates the younger generation of jazz musicians at the Balys Dvarionas Music School. His pupils win prizes in national and international jazz competitions.
Valerijus Ramoška is one of the most highly regarded Lithuanian jazz trumpeters, a recipient of the Grand Prix of Birštonas Jazz festival (2014). He is a regular member of Dainius Pulauskas’ fusion and acoustic groups, as a part of which he has appeared in more than 150 festivals and visited more than 30 countries.
Ramoška often participates in the projects of trombonist and composer Jievaras Jasinskis, has played in his Reinless, Lithuanian JJazz Ensemble, and is currently a member of Vilnius JJAZZ Ensemble. The trumpeter also performs as a soloist with national big bands, in various chamber ensembles, and participates in television projects. His instrument is also heard on the contemporary academic music scene. Valerijus devotes a lot of time to pedagogical work.
Pianist Andrius Savčenka has been involved with music since the age of four. He graduated as a pianist and percussionist from Vilnius Algirdas Music School and is currently studying at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre under Professor Artūras Anusauskas.
Andrius has been participating in various festivals and competitions since his gymnasium days. In 2021, he was the winner of the 19th International Children’s and Youth Jazz Music Festival-Competition Jazz fontanas in Panevėžys.
His colourful experience is a testimony to his wide range of interests. The pianist is a member of the innovative youth jazz group 21st Century Quintet, with which he successfully performed in the Vilnius Jazz Young Power competition and tried his hand at important jazz festivals in Lithuania. Savčenka is also active in the genre of sung poetry, has participated in the contemporary music festival Druskomanija, the theatrical show Fashion Alchemy and other creative projects.
Linas Būda is considered a legendary representative of the Lithuanian rock and metal scene – he played drums in the group Antis, drummed with the group Rojaus tūzai and metal group Ghostorm. He is also well-known as an expert of jazz percussion. Since 1994, Būda has played in Dainius Pulauskas’ groups and performed with them at more than 120 jazz festivals on various continents, including the prestigious ones in Ottawa, London and Tokyo. The drummer was among the first Lithuanian jazzmen to step on the stages of Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia.
The joint projects of Būda and Skirmantas Sasnauskas, recorded on CDs, have left a strong imprint on the Lithuanian jazz scene. The drummer has also played with the ensembles of Danielius Praspaliauskis and Eugenijus Kanevičius. Recently, he has collaborated with many Lithuanian jazz artists, is a member of the Kaunas Big Band, plays in international ensembles, and regularly participates in television projects.
