Vyacheslav Nazarov

Vyacheslav Sergeevich Nazarov is a Soviet and American jazz trombonist, pianist, composer and vocalist. He graduated from the school of musicians (an educational structure reminiscent of the Suvorov military school) and the Ufa College of Arts. From the age of sixteen, he began performing professionally in various musical groups of the Soviet Union. He played in the Kadans ensemble of German Lukyanov, was a pianist, trombonist and vocalist of the Novy Elektron, Korobeyniki, Krasnye Maki ensembles; in 1977-1983 he was a leading soloist in Oleg Lundstrem's orchestra, in 1983-1989 he worked in the Allegro ensemble, in 1989-1990 in the Melodiya ensemble. In 1978, he was invited to record the "Ballad of Athos" ("There is a black pond in the Count's park, where lilies bloom..."), which he sang off-screen in the film "D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers" for the actor Veniamin Smekhov. He toured the entire country with these orchestras and performed at foreign festivals and competitions. He collaborated with saxophonists Vyacheslav Preobrazhensky and Sergei Gurbeloshvili, recording two records with them. As a composer, Nazarov wrote the instrumental pieces "The Enchantress", "The Snowman", "Return Address", "Blues", "Obsession", "Dandy", "Four-legged Friend Potap", "Round Dance", "Old Castle". In 1990, he emigrated to the United States. He tried himself with different bands in New York and Denver, including such stars of American jazz as Lou Tabakin, Benny Golson, Valery Ponomarev, Karl Fontana, Freddy Cole and others. In 1995, in the renewed line-up of "Allegro", he participated in the JVC festival in New York's Avery Fisher Hall. He died on January 2, 1996, in a car accident on the outskirts of Denver, Colorado, returning home from Christmas and New Year's concerts from Connecticut.