Jazz

LJOVA AND THE KONTRABAND at DROM

May 10, 2008 at 8pm
DROM
85 Avenue A (bet. 5&6th streets)
F train to 2nd Avenue
Tickets: $15 in advance / $20 at the door
[buy tickets here -- no service charge!]

LJOVA AND THE KONTRABAND (formerly Ljova & the Vjola Contraband) -- is chamber-jam music for the "remix generation". As if by alchemy, Eastern-European and Gypsy melodies, Latin rhythms, Jazz-inspired improvisations, and deeply rooted Classical forms are given new meanings. Founded by the maverick film composer, arranger, and violist Lev 'LJOVA' Zhurbin --- hailed by Billboard magazine as "one of New York's fastest rising composers and instrumentalists" -- the ensemble features two violas, accordion, bass, and percussion. Inspired by his collaborations with Yo-Yo Ma, Osvaldo Golijov, the Kronos Quartet, the rapper Jay-Z and others, Ljova's compositions dazzle with intricate textures, odd rhythms and lilting melodies, creating music that is both fresh and timeless..

Ljova, viola
Inna Barmash, vocal
Patrick Farrell, accordion
Mike Savino, bass
Mathias Kunzli, percussion

Watch videos of Ljova and the Kontraband on YouTube!
Ljova and the Kontraband reviewed by Justin Davidson in NEWSDAY

LJOVA AND THE KONTRABAND with Inna Barmash

April 13 2008, at 7:30pm
92nd Street Y
Buttenweiser Hall
92nd Street & Lexington Avenue
New York City
subways: #4-5-6 to 86th Street, or #6 to 96th.
Tickets: $30 //
"friends & family discount* - $30 tickets are yours
for only $22.50 -- use code *LVC* when you order online or by phone before March 31st.

LJOVA AND THE KONTRABAND (formerly Ljova & the Vjola Contraband) -- is chamber-jam music for the "remix generation". As if by alchemy, Eastern-European and Gypsy melodies, Latin rhythms, Jazz-inspired improvisations, and deeply rooted Classical forms are given new meanings. Founded by the maverick film composer, arranger, and violist Lev 'LJOVA' Zhurbin --- hailed by Billboard magazine as "one of New York's fastest rising composers and instrumentalists" -- the ensemble features two violas, accordion, bass, and percussion. Inspired by his collaborations with Yo-Yo Ma, Osvaldo Golijov, the Kronos Quartet, the rapper Jay-Z and others, Ljova's compositions dazzle with intricate textures, odd rhythms and lilting melodies, creating music that is both fresh and timeless..

Ljova, viola
Inna Barmash, vocal
Patrick Farrell, accordion
Mike Savino, bass
Mathias Kunzli, percussion

Watch videos of Ljova and the Kontraband on YouTube!
Ljova and the Kontraband reviewed by Justin Davidson in NEWSDAY

Two genre-bending dynamic young ensembles --- Ljova & the Vjola Contraband, and Brooklyn Rider -- will join forces for an evening at Joe's Pub, at the Public Theater on January 5th, 2008, at 7pm. The two ensembles will perform separately, and side-by side, a selection of original music, and traditional arrangements.

Saturday, January 5, 2008, at 7pm
Joe's Pub, at the Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street
New York City
Closest subway: 6 to Astor Place, or R/W to 8th Street; short walk from Union Square
Tickets: $15 in advance / $20 day of show, available online at the Joe's Pub website or call 212-967-7555. Seating is limited - please buy tickets in advance. For table reservations, please call (212) 539-8778. Seating is available on a first-come first-served basis for all shows without a dinner reservation.

LJOVA AND THE VJOLA CONTRABAND is chamber-jam music for the "remix generation". As if by alchemy, Eastern-European and Gypsy melodies, Latin rhythms, Jazz-inspired improvisations, and deeply rooted Classical forms are given new meanings. Founded by the maverick film composer, arranger, and violist Lev 'LJOVA' Zhurbin --- hailed by Billboard magazine as "one of New York's fastest rising composers and instrumentalists" -- the ensemble also features his close collaborators on vocals, accordion, bass and percussion. Inspired by his collaborations with Yo-Yo Ma, Osvaldo Golijov, the Kronos Quartet, the rapper Jay-Z and others, Ljova's compositions dazzle with intricate textures, odd rhythms and lilting melodies, creating music that is both fresh and timeless.

Ljova, viola
Patrick Farrell, accordion
Mike Savino, bass
Mathias Kunzli, percussion
special guest: Inna Barmash, vocal

"[Ljova's music is] full of Brahmsian tone, Bartók lines, hiccuping Hungarian rhythms, Klezmer soul and the sexy plaintiveness of tango and the blues."
--Newsday

BROOKLYN RIDER is a string quartet formed to explore creative programming and adventurous collaborations. Individually, the musicians have appeared as soloists with major symphony orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony, and have participated in many leading chamber music festivals internationally. They have worked extensively with composers Chen Yi, Osvaldo Golijov, Dimitry Yanov-Yanovsky, Wu Man, Shirish Korde and Kayhan Kalhor. Brooklyn Rider's motivation to expand string quartet programming has come from their involvement as core members of Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble, with whom they have performed throughout the world, recorded two albums for Sony Classical.

Jonathan Gandelsman and Colin Jacobsen, violins
Nicholas Cords, viola
Eric Jacobsen, cello

"Few young artists are as versatile as the four gentlemen of the string quartet Brooklyn Rider"
-- the New Yorker

WORLD ON A STRING BAND
LJOVA AND THE VJOLA CONTRABAND
LUMINESCENT STRING ORCHESTRII
(scroll down for info!)

Thursday, December 6, at 8:30pm
Ukrainian East Village Restaurant - Back Room
140 2nd Ave, bet St. Marks & 9th St.
Manhattan
Subway: 6 to Astor Place, R/W to 8th Street; short walk from Union Square
COVER: $10 at the door.

World on a String Band
Harris Wulfson, Sarah Alden- violins
Lev "Ljova" Zhurbin- viola
Benjy Fox Rosen- bass
Patrick Farrell- accordion

World on a String Band plays traditional music from the Balkans and Eastern Europe along side modern compositions that'll make you want to dance and fall in love (or on the floor).

Ljova and the Vjola Contraband
Lev "Ljova" Zhurbin- viola
Mike Savino- bass
Patrick Farrell- accordion
Mathias Kunzli- percussion
special guest Inna Barmash- vocals

LJOVA AND THE VJOLA CONTRABAND -- is chamber-jam music for the "remix generation". As if by alchemy, Eastern-European and Gypsy melodies, Latin rhythms, Jazz-inspired improvisations, and deeply rooted Classical forms are given new meanings. Inspired by his collaborations with Yo-Yo Ma, Osvaldo Golijov, the Kronos Quartet, the rapper Jay-Z and others, Ljova's compositions dazzle with intricate textures, odd rhythms and lilting melodies, creating music that is both fresh and timeless. Tonight is this quartet's first performance together since before Ljova and Inna's wedding in August, so this is going to be very intense.

Luminescent Orchestrii
Sarah Alden, Rima Fand- violins, vocals
Sxip Shirey- resonator guitar, harmonica, melodica, vocals
Benjy Fox Rosen- bass, vocals

New York's beloved Lumiis close out the evening with their trademark brand of East-European punk-folk- "like tiny, richly arranged musical adventures" (Time Out NY)- certain to make the room stomp. They've been touring every-which-where lately, and this is a rare opportunity to see them touch down in their home town.

Come on down, celebrate Hannukah, drink a beer, swoon to the sound of so many strings in one room and dance your little gazonga off! It's gonna be so good.
And don't forget- there's great food to be had too. Borscht anyone?
See you there!

    
(Photos ©Tali Bogen / Lifeinshuffle.com)

LJOVA AND THE VJOLA CONTRABAND

July 12, at 8pm
debut performance at
ARIUM Gallery & Café
31 Little West 12th Street
A/C/E trains to 14th Street; L train to 8th Avenue
Tickets: $20 at the door (appetizers will be served, and a terrific wine/beer and tea lists will await your order)

LJOVA AND THE VJOLA CONTRABAND -- is chamber-jam music for the "remix generation". As if by alchemy, Eastern-European and Gypsy melodies, Latin rhythms, Jazz-inspired improvisations, and deeply rooted Classical forms are given new meanings. Founded by the maverick film composer, arranger, and violist Lev 'LJOVA' Zhurbin --- hailed by Billboard magazine as "one of New York's fastest rising composers and instrumentalists" -- the ensemble also features his close collaborators on vocals, accordion, bass and percussion. Inspired by his collaborations with Yo-Yo Ma, Osvaldo Golijov, the Kronos Quartet, the rapper Jay-Z and others, Ljova's compositions dazzle with intricate textures, odd rhythms and lilting melodies, creating music that is both fresh and timeless.

Ljova, viola
Patrick Farrell, accordion
Mike Savino, bass
Mathias Kunzli, percussion

Special guest:
Uli Geissendoerfer, piano

Watch videos of Ljova and the Vjola Contraband on YouTube!
Ljova and the Vjola Contraband reviewed by Justin Davidson in NEWSDAY

June 8, around 10pm
BANJO JIM'S
9th Street at Avenue C
New York

The triumphant return of the WORLD ON A STRING band (caught above in their thus-far only photo), featuring Patrick Farrell (accordion), Sarah Alden (fiddle), Harris Wulfson (violin), and Ljova (on the "big" violin?), performing a set of traditional Serbian, Hungarian and Romanian folk music, as well as a few originals created for the occasion. Make merry with us!

    
(Photos ©Tali Bogen / Lifeinshuffle.com)

LJOVA AND THE VJOLA CONTRABAND

Friday, July 6, 2007
TWO sets: 5:45-6:45pm and 7:15-8:15pm
PHILADELPHIA ART MUSEUM - Art After 5 series
26th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA
Museum entrance fee: $12 (adults), $9 (seniors), $8 (students).
FREE for members of the Museum. (No addition fee for performance.)

LJOVA AND THE VJOLA CONTRABAND -- making its Philadelphia-area debut -- is chamber-jam music for the "remix generation". As if by alchemy, Eastern-European and Gypsy melodies, Latin rhythms, Jazz-inspired improvisations, and deeply rooted Classical forms are given new meanings. Founded by the maverick film composer, arranger, and violist Lev 'LJOVA' Zhurbin --- hailed by Billboard magazine as "one of New York's fastest rising composers and instrumentalists" -- the ensemble also features his close collaborators on vocals, accordion, bass and percussion. Inspired by his collaborations with Yo-Yo Ma, Osvaldo Golijov, the Kronos Quartet, the rapper Jay-Z and others, Ljova's compositions dazzle with intricate textures, odd rhythms and lilting melodies, creating music that is both fresh and timeless.

Ljova, viola
Patrick Farrell, accordion
Mike Savino, bass
Mathias Kunzli, percussion

Watch videos of Ljova and the Vjola Contraband on YouTube!
Ljova and the Vjola Contraband reviewed by Justin Davidson in NEWSDAY

Ljova joins Gregg Bendian's ambitious MAHAVISHNU PROJECT for the record release of "VISIONS OF THE EMERALD BEYOND"
at

Makor
35 West 67th Street
New York NY
(212)601-1000
makor.org
Visit The Mahavishnu Project online!

Ljova joins Gregg Bendian's ambitious MAHAVISHNU PROJECT for "RETURN TO THE EMERALD BEYOND"

at
IMAC Theatre
370 New York Avenue
Huntington, NY 11743
(631)549-9666
www.imactheater.org

Visit The Mahavishnu Project online!

LJOVA AND THE KONTRABAND with ROB KENDT

March 8, 2008 at 8pm
Barbès, Brooklyn NY
376 9th St. (corner of 6th Ave.)
F train to 7th avenue.
Door: $10

Celebrate March 8th - Russia's equivalent of Valentine's Day, and elsewhere recognized as "International Women's Day" - by bringing your favorite International Woman and joining us at Barbès for our second annual special program of originals and covers to honor and romance the bewitching sex.

This year, swooning with us, will be the wonderful singer-songwriter ROB KENDT (website, MySpace), who himself got engaged just a few weeks ago at Inna & Ljova's apartment.

LJOVA AND THE KONTRABAND (formerly Ljova & the Vjola Contraband) -- is chamber-jam music for the "remix generation". As if by alchemy, Eastern-European and Gypsy melodies, Latin rhythms, Jazz-inspired improvisations, and deeply rooted Classical forms are given new meanings. Founded by the maverick film composer, arranger, and violist Lev 'LJOVA' Zhurbin --- hailed by Billboard magazine as "one of New York's fastest rising composers and instrumentalists" -- the ensemble features two violas, accordion, bass, and percussion. Inspired by his collaborations with Yo-Yo Ma, Osvaldo Golijov, the Kronos Quartet, the rapper Jay-Z and others, Ljova's compositions dazzle with intricate textures, odd rhythms and lilting melodies, creating music that is both fresh and timeless..

Ljova, viola
Inna Barmash, vocal
Patrick Farrell, accordion
Mike Savino, bass
Special Guest: Rich Stein, percussion

Watch videos of Ljova and the Kontraband on YouTube!
Ljova and the Kontraband reviewed by Justin Davidson in NEWSDAY

View Rob Kendt's excellent videos on Youtube!

The romantic duo "BARMALJOVA" (featuring INNA BARMASH on vocals, and LJOVA on viola) teams up with accalimed young Budapest native JENO LISZTES (cymbalom) for a performance of fun Holiday favorites!

For a preview, visit myspace.com/BarmaLjova

When: 13 December, at 13:00
Where: SPINOZA HAZ (website)
1074 Budapest, Dob u. 15.

Tickets: FREE!

   
(Ljova and the Vjola Contraband at Joe's Pub - photos ©J. Pehrson and ©J. Barmash)

Tuesday, August 22, at 7pm
BARBES
376 9th St. (corner of 6th Ave.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718.965.9177

Subway: F train to 7th Avenue

Cost: $8

LJOVA AND THE VJOLA CONTRABAND
Hailed as "one of New York's fastest-rising composers and instrumentalists" by Billboard Magazine , LJOVA transcends the traditional boundaries of his instrument, the viola. From blues to Latin and Gypsy dances, to a nostalgic Russian street-waltz, his compositions and arrangements dazzle with intricate textures, odd rhythms and lilting melodies, creating music that is both fresh and timeless. LJOVA AND THE VJOLA CONTRABAND is the live ensemble performing the music from VJOLA: WORLD ON FOUR STRINGS, the debut release of maverick film composer, arranger, and violist Ljova (Lev Zhurbin). Inspired by his collaborations with Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Project, the Kronos Quartet and Osvaldo Golijov, Ljova draws on a multitude of cross-cultural influences, and echoes them in unique pieces, recorded almost exclusively on multi-tracked viola.

LJOVA AND THE VJOLA CONTRABAND is:
Ljova (viola)
Mike Block (cello)
Mike Savino (bass)
Mathias Kunzli (percussion)
...with special guests TBA!

August 22, at 7pm!

The debut performance of LJOVA AND THE VJOLA CONTRABAND, featuring:
-- Ljova (violas)
-- Patrick Farrell (accordion)
-- Mike Savino (bass)
-- Mathias Kunzli (percussion)

We will perform selections from Ljova's debut album, VJOLA: WORLD ON FOUR STRINGS, as well as a few of our favorites.

Cover: $10 (includes tea + cookies)

WHERE: OM FACTORY YOGA
265 West 37th Street, at 8th Avenue
17th Floor
New York, NY

The ultimate Gypsy Party Band, Romashka, with three special guests!:

--FRANK LONDON, trumpet (of the Klezmatics, among many others)
--GREGG MERVINE, drums (direct from Philadelphia, and the Klez Dispensers)
--JAY VILNAI, guitar

and the regulars:
-- Inna Barmash (vocals)
-- Jeff Perlman (clarinet/alto saxophone)
-- Jake Shulman-Ment (violin)
-- Lev 'Ljova' Zhurbin (viola)
--Ron Caswell (tuba)

ONE NIGHT ONLY SPECIAL TREAT!

WHEN: May 12, 10:00-11:30
DJ Joro-Boro (Bulgarian Bar) spins after Romashka's set
WHERE: MAIA - 98 Avenue B (bet. 6th + 7th)
COVER: A mere $10

Visit ROMASHKA.NET


Romashka @ MySpace

LJOVA AND THE VJOLA CONTRABAND / LUMINESCENT ORCHESTRII
double bill!

Wednesday July 12 at 9:30 PM
Joe's Pub
425 Lafayette Street
New York, NY

$15.00

Tickets available at The Public Theater box office or through Telecharge: http://www.telecharge.com or 212.239.6200.

Featured artists include:
Ljova and the Vjola Contraband http://www.ljova.com
Luminescent Orchestrii http://www.lumii.org

LJOVA AND THE VJOLA CONTRABAND
From blues to Bjork, to Latin and Gypsy dances, to a nostalgic Russian street-waltz, Ljova transcends the traditional boundaries of his instrument, the viola. Using inventive improvisation and arranging techniques, his compositions dazzle with intricate textures, odd rhythms and lilting melodies, creating music that is both fresh and timeless. The Vjola Contraband is the live ensemble performing the music from VJOLA: WORLD ON FOUR STRINGS, the debut release of maverick film composer, arranger, and violist Ljova (Lev Zhurbin). Inspired by his collaborations with Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Project, the Kronos Quartet and Osvaldo Golijov, Ljova draws on a multitude of cross-cultural influences, and echoes them in unique pieces, recorded almost exclusively on multi-tracked viola.

LJOVA AND THE VJOLA CONTRABAND is:
Ljova (viola)
Mike Block (cello)
Ronn Yedidia (accordion)
Mike Savino (bass)
Mathias Kunzli (percussion)

LUMINESCENT STRING ORCHESTRII
Music to make you dance, kiss and scream...straight out of New York City's international underground party scene: an explosive mash of Romanian Gypsy melodies, punk frenzy, salty tangos, hard-rocking klezmer, haunting Balkan harmony, hip-hop beats and Appalachian fiddle, eaten and spit out by violin, viola, resophonic guitar, bullhorn harmonica and a three quarters Argentinian bass. "The balancing of frenzy and finesse is evidently a trademark Luminescent Orchestrii approach, displayed to its utmost in the insanely frenetic dance tunes... The three violins flirt willfully with a cacophony teasingly offset by elegant classical flourishes, swirling and eddying above the rhythm section's bruisingly aggressive but sharply-aimed attack." **** (four star review at The Edinburgh Fringe) -The Scotsman

Ljova performs with Edgar Meyer and others, as part of the Edgar Meyer Workshop at Carnegie Hall.

Featuring performances by:
Edgar Meyer, Double Bass
Mike Marshall, Mandolin, Guitar, and Violin

Hamilton Berry, Cello
Billy Cardine, Dobro
Tashina Clarridge, Fiddle
Karl Doty, Double Bass
Sean Frenette, Guitar
Grant Gordy, Guitar
Katie Hyun, Violin
Jeremy Kittel, Violin
Paul Kowert, Double Bass
Ljova, Viola
Darren Maloney, Banjo
Josh Pinkham, Mandolin
Andrew Pond, Banjo
Kyle Sanna, Guitar
Liesl Schoenberger, Violin
Eva Scow, Mandolin

Tickets + info can be found here