SMART DANCE MUSIC DJAZZ for International Jazz Day

April, 30 the whole cultural world celebrates the International Jazz Day. #jazzday Despite the difficult times, we representing our country decided to support this holiday by broadcasting the unique music program SMART DANCE MUSIC DJAZZ from ALEX FOKIN RADIOBAND orchestra, the premiere of which took place at the time on Mikhailovskaya Square in the heart of Kyiv.

The music creative project "DJAZZ" has emerged inside of the legendary Ukrainian collective and one of the best jazz orchestras in the world - the State Academic orchestra "Alex Fokin RadioBand"

The music of the "DJAZZ" is powerful, danceable, arranged and performed as a 21st-century reinterpretation of the best instrumental and vocal works of the world jazz heritage, mainly targets a young audience.

"DJAZZ" - is a new philosophy that combines classical jazz and popular trends in today's dance music for young adults. An organic combination of various acoustic instruments and modern synthetic sounds, electronic "loops", rhythmic programs and DJ-sessions is used to achieve the unique and complex musical palette of the project. The repertoire of the project covers great jazz hits, well familiar even to those that have not been particularly interested in this type of music before.

Here lies the main "magic" of the project: it offers the younger generation the energy of dance music while drawing on the melodic beauty and harmonic diversity of the great art of jazz. Adapted to the musical language of this generation, it would resonate with their musical tastes and demands competing with the rather primitive "music for the feet" that is currently in fashion.

In 2015 the unique concept of dance jazz took shape in the concert program "Smart Dance Music DJazz". The world premiere of the concert show took place with the participation of virtuosos "Alex Fokin Radio Band" and world -famous jazz musicians: Eric Marienthal (saxophone), Jamie Hovorka (trumpet) and a member of the legendary group Yanni - Yoel Del Sol (percussion). At the same time was released an incredible dual audio and DVD album "Smart Dance Music DJazz".

The following program "DJazz Continuation" (https://youtu.be/OO5-w-IrBYQ) advances the concept, adds new pieces and current multi-style arrangements to its repertoire. In 2018 it was released as a new double album. Both albums of the project took part in the nomination for the honorary GRAMMY MUSIC AWARDS.

List of performed compositions:

1. Take the 'A' Train (Intro) (Billy Strayhorn)
2. Westchester Lady (Bob James)
3. Got to be Real (David Foster, David Paich, Cheryl Lynn)
4. Anaconda (Jim McGrath)
5. Mongonucleosis (Jimmy Pankow)
6. Cold Duck Time (Eddie Harris)
7. Street life (Joe Sample, Will Jennings)
8. Pick Up The Pieces (R. Ball, M. Duncan, A. Gorrie, R. McIntosh, O. McIntyre, H. Stuart)
9. Chameleon (B. Maupin, H. Hancock, P. Jackson, H. Mason)
10. Watermelon Man (Herbie Hancock)
11. Caravan (Juan Tizol, Duke Ellington)
12. Papa was a Rollin' Stone (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong)
13. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Joe Zawinul, Gail Fisher, Vincent Levy)
14. Birdland (Joe Zawinul)
15. St. Thomas (Sonny Rollins)
16. All Good (K. Merser, D. Jolicoeur, V. Mason, D. West, Chaka Khan)
17. Aranjuez (Joaquin Rodrigo)
18. Mista (Terry Lyne Carrington, Christopher Parks, Dianne Reeves)
19. Ukrainian folk dance Hopak (idea by Dmytro Gershenzon, orchestration by Alex Fokin)

Creative, management and technical crew:

Alex Fokin (band leader, composer, arranger, synthesizer)
Eric Marienthal (alto, soprano saxophone)
Jamie Hovorka (trumpet)
Yoel Del Sol (percussion)
Oleksandr Rukomoinikov (alto, soprano saxophone)
Pavlo Guziev (tenor saxophone, wind controller YAMAHA)
Dmytro Prykhodko (trumpet)
Oleksiy Sahitov (trombone, bass trumpet)
Stanislav Lutskyi (el. organ HAMMOND B-3) 
Vitaly Delestianov (keyboards)
Anatolii Mykhailov (guitar)
Vladimir Travinski (bass guitar)
Armen Kostandian (drums)
Alena Sharun (vocal)
Asmik Shyroian (vocal)
Hanna Artemenko (DJ, choreography) 
Valentina Fokina Jr. (choreography)

Oleksandr Danchenko, Kostiantyn Denys, Vsevolod Koretskyi (sound engineers)
Technical crew:
Hennadii Morozov
Ihor Alekseyenko
Dmytro Kenda

Management team:
Oleksandr Vlasov
Serhii Barsukov
Iryna Zabolotna
Ganna Lychkovska
Liudmyla Abramova
Olesya Zozulya
Iryna Illiusha
Kostiantyn Rybak

Arrangement of all compositions: Alex Fokin
Audio mixing and mastering: Alex Fokin 
Video director: Olga Ivanova 
Director of photography: Andrii Klymenko
Video engineer: Vladimir Tsarick
Color grading and finishing:
Kinotur Company
Digital Intermediate Lab

Project Producer: Alex Fokin

Видео SMART DANCE MUSIC DJAZZ for International Jazz Day канала AlexFokinRadioBand