The personnel on this record are:
Elina Vasiltchikova-vocal,
Joe Locke-vibes,
Chembo Corniel-percussion,
Misha Tsiganov-piano,
Valtinho Anastacio-percussion,
Cafe-percussion,
Alex Sipiagin -trumpet,
Andrei Ryabov-guitar,
Gary Schreiner-harmonica,
Dmitri Kolesnik-bass,
Boris Kurganov-sax,
Oleg Butman-drums,
Mike Campenni-drums,
Rouslan Khaine-bass.
Influences
Stevie Wonder, Carmen McRae, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Odetta O'Day, Sarah Vaughan, Earth Wind and Fire, Manhattan Transfer, Take 6,
George Benson, Chett Baker, Louis Armstrong, Sting, Oscar Peterson, Thelonious Monk, Michel Legrand, Joao Gilberto, Bobby McFerrin, Brazilian, Latin and World music.
Classical greats: S. Rachmaninoff, F.Chopin, G. Bizet, W.A. Mozart, J.S. Bach, A. Vivaldi, S. Prokofiev, I. Stravinsky, F. Liszt,
C. Debussy, G. Faure, G. Puccini, G. Verdi, E. Grieg and etc.
Born in Baku, Azerbajan (former USSR), Elina Vasiltchikova has been living and performing in the US since 1990. For the past 15 years, along with her singing career, Elina worked as an educator. She has brought up a generation of talented vocalists while teaching "Voice Technique Class" at the Jazz Faculty of The New School University in New York.
In The US Elina worked and performed with such musicians as Joe Locke, Harvie Swartz, Benny Golson, Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Reggie Workman, Cliff Korman, Valtinho Anastasio, Mike Campenni and Chembo Corniel, Cafe, Willie Martinez, Otmaro Ruiz and Aaron Serfaty.
She performed with a great pianist and composer Misha Tsiganov, with wonderfull musicians, as Andrei Ryabov, Arkadiy Figlin, Eugene Maslov, Igor and Oleg Butman, Dmitri Kolesnik and Alex"Sasha" Sipiagin, Rouslan Khaine and others.
Her new album is titled "I Never Felt This Way Before". The name of this album was anything but accidental: Elina was never before so ready to put her heart, talent, feelings, and all of her musical and life experiences into a single project. This collection of songs is pretty unique.
The project includes rarely performed jazz standards, as well as Elina's original score. The first song, "Adios My Love" and the very last one, "I Never Felt This Way Before", were both written by the singer. In the last song, Elina also plays the piano.
The extent of Elina's performances is very broad: she collaborated with Jazz Big Band of Oleg Lundstrem, a brilliant pianist Leonid Chizhik, the Moscow State Orchestra of Radio & Television, St. Petersburg Orchestra of Radio & Television, "Friderikhstate Palace" (Germany), and played at venues in Italy, Germany, USA, Russia, Poland, Mongolia, and other concert halls all over the world.
At the Music School, she trained in classical piano. Later on, she continued her education at Music College of "Asaph Zeinallu".
Her passion for classical music manifested itself in performing pieces by Rachmaninov, Bach, Vivaldi, Brahms, Chopin, Beethoven, Griegg and other greats. This infatuation also made it a difficult feat when it came to choosing between continuing to play piano or singing. Ultimately, Elina realized that her real passion was voice.
Eventually, Elina graduated from School of St. Petersburg Music Hall. At the age of twenty, she became a principle vocalist, actress, and a dancer of the above named Theatre. There she adapted the image of jack-of-all-trades. It was a wonderful experience for the young artist to perform on this world-famous stage, but it was not enough for Elina, whose passionate love for jazz eventually lead her to Moscow and later, to New York.
Elina's soothing velvet voice is sure to touch your heart. From the first sound, the notion of her great stage appearance and performance will amplify your perception of the art of music, word, and movement that this singer is so easily able to deliver to you.
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Thanks so much for the request. I am loving it here. I just finished listening to '1000 Beautiful Things' in its entirety. WOW! I always dug that tune by Annie Lennox. She is a Musical Goddess to me. But my GOODNESS! You've brought a whole new jazzier flava to the arrangement & it resounds so very lovely in the soul of the ear.
Your vocals are absolutely sterling & your band is mad tight.
Keep doing what you do, ma. Keep shining your musical light! I wish YOU a thousand beautiful things in your life & career!
