By founding his jazz sextet in 1996, Dainius Pulauskas has
filled a gap that has until now existed in fusion in Lithuania.
The sextet made their début in 1997 by releasing the album Penetration.
Their performance in Birštonas jazz festival in 1998 caught Lithuanian
audience by surprise: this was the kind of jazz that had never been
played in Lithuania before. This gave the sextet an impulse to take
part in all major events of Lithuanian jazz life and release albums.
Vilnius Jazz, Kaunas Jazz, Birštonas jazz festivals and two albums,
namely Penetration and 1999 witness a huge inspiration.
"Autumn Suite" is the name of the sextet's latest
album and performance, which are living proof of the group's inclination
towards freer improvisational jazz and compositions large in form.
Dainius Pulauskas (born in 1960) has been playing the piano
and the violin since he was a child. Later, he studied the piano
at Vilnius Conservatoire, and Lithuanian Music Academy. Pulauskas
played jazz in Conservatoire's Big Band and other bands. Since 1981
he has played in popular music ensemble "Oktava". In 1991
he joined "Skirmantas Sasnauskas Jazz Quartet", and later
collaborated with Danielius Praspaliauskis. In 1996 Pulauskas founded
a new sextet, and named it "Dainius Pulauskas Jazz Sextet".
In the beginning of his career trumpeter Valerijus Ramoska played
exceptionally classical music. He studied trumpet at Lithuanian
Music Academy. In 1990 Ramoška made his début in Birštonas jazz
festival. After the festival, he joined "Oktava" ( a popular
music ensemble lead by Dainius Pulauskas). Currently Ramoška performs
as a soloist in the Lithuanian Radio and Television Orchestra (lead
by Jaroslavas Cechanovičius), collaborates with various Lithuanian
jazz musicians. The trumpeter took part in JazzBaltica, Vilnius
Jazz, performed in France, Germany, Russia, and Estonia. He has
been playing in the sextet since its foundation day.
Vytautas Labutis (born in 1960) is one of the most famous
Lithuanian saxophonists, and one of the first pupils of the celebrated
saxophone player Vladimir Chekasin. Labutis graduated from the saxophone
class of Lithuanian Music Academy, was a member of Petras Vyšniauskas
Quartet from 1982 through 1986. From 1987 to 1991 played in Chekasin
Quartet. In 1988 he gathered his own trio. Labutis takes part in
international music projects, such as JazzBaltica Ensemble, Octet
Ost III, East-West Vapirov Project and others, and is a member of
New European Saxophone Quartet. He has participated in jazz festivals
all over Europe, also in the USA. Writes film music. In 1998, together
with the octet, released his first authorial album Terra Vandetuja.
Bassist Vladimir Borkovski (born in 1968 in Vilnius) graduated
from B.Dvarionas music school and went on studying at Vilnius Conservatoire.
He played in various jazz and pop-music ensembles already during
his school years. A member of Sasnauskas Quartet since 1986. Has
been collaborating with Danielius Praspaliauskis' Dixieland and
the sextet.
Drummer Linas Buda (born in 1962 in Kaunas) is self-educated.
He began with playing rock music in such bands as "Roko laboratorija"
and "Antis". In 1988 he joined Sasnauskas Quartet. Has
also performed together with Danielius Praspaliauskis' and Eugenijus
Kanevičius' bands. Currently, Būda is playing rock music. He is
also a member of Lithuanian Radio and TV Big Band, takes part in
various jazz projects together with Petras Vyšniauskas, Danielius
Praspaliauskis, Vladimir Chekasin, plays in the band named Leonid
Shinkarenko Jazz 4.
Before entering the Music School in Tula, drummer Arkadi Gotesman
(born in 1959) learned to play drums by himself. In Lithuania,
he played in ensembles "Trimitas" and "Oktava",
performed together with Gintautas Abarius, collaborated with Petras
Vyšniauskas. Gotesman has recently been working on various projects
separately.
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Dainius Pulauskas Jazz
Sextet
Dainius PULAUSKAS - piano, sythesizers
Valerijus RAMOSKA - trumpet, flugelhorn
Vytautas LABUTIS - saxes,bass clarinet
Vladislav BORKOVSKI - bass
Linas BUDA - drums
Arkadi GOTESMAN - percussion
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Dainius Pulauskas Sextet
Autumn Suite
P & C Litus Agency, 1999
CD review |
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