"Music without borders". Estonian-Russian jazz duet: Jaak Sooäär and Alexey Kruglov
Event overview
On April 30, the International Jazz Day, a unique concert takes place in the border cities of Narva and Ivangorod on the Estonian-Russian border. Renowned jazz-musicians of the two countries – Jaak Sooäär and Alexey Kruglov – perform on both sides of the Narva river. The concert takes place in the Narva Castle on the Estonian side and in the Ivangorod Fortress on the Russian side. The concert starts at 3 PM and is a free of charge.
The meeting of the two musicians on the banks of Narva river symbolises the fact that even in the conditions of the pandemic when physical movement between countries has become almost impossible, there are no borders between people. Music is what conquers hardships and unites people during difficult times. The date of the concert – the International Jazz Day – is symbolic as well, denoting the active cooperation of Estonian and Russian jazz musicians. The programme includes pieces by Sooäär and Kruglov and compositions from the Kruglov-Sooäär Quartet programme, including improvisations on classical music and the repertoire of Georg Ots.
Alexey Kruglov and Jaak Sooäär have been cooperating since 2007. Alexey Kruglov is a well-known jazz saxophonist in Russia. He is also a composer, film director, poet, actor, the leader of the “Krugly Band” and the organizer of the Leo Records festival. Jaak Sooäär is a guitarist, composer, a founding member of the association Jazz Estonia and the professor of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. Both musicians have received several awards and participated in numerous international festivals. They have performed in various countries with different programmes, bands and musicians.
The joint programme of Alexey Kruglov and Jaak Sooäär includes their own pieces, improvisations on classical music (Tchaikovsky, Bach etc.) and the works of XX century authors (Sviridov, Võssotski, Tsoi, Kozlov). Their joint albums have been released by labels Leo Records, SoLyd Records, ArtBeat Music and Fancymusic.
Kruglov and Sooäär have been warmly welcomed both by the Estonian and Russian audiences. They have also performed in the USA, the UK, Austria, France, Finland and China. The album of Kruglov-Sooäär Quartet “Sea Colours” (Solyd Records) was nominated in the category “The discovery of the year” by the magazine “Jazzthetik” in 2012. The album “Mogutshaja kutshka” (ArtBeat) came second in the AP Reviews chart in 2015. In 2020, their album “Tchaikovsky” was voted third in the category “Best album“ by the readers of InRock magazine. In November 2020, Kruglov-Sooäär Quartet (other members are Tanel Ruben and Mihkel Mälgand) participated in the Russian TV-show “Klub Shabolovka, 37”. The show aired on the channel “Kultura” that has several million viewers all over Russia https://youtu.be/oK3F6n55i6o). In 2020, Alexey Kruglov was recognised by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the letter of appreciation for citizen diplomacy for long-term and effective cooperation with Estonian musicians.