Alexander Vitalyevich Sitkovetsky (born April 5, 1955 , Moscow ) is a Soviet rock musician , guitarist, vocalist, composer. Founder and leader of the “ Leap Summer ” and “ Autograph ” groups. Recognized as one of the best Russian guitarists.
Alexander Sitkovetsky | |
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Birth name | |
Date of Birth | April 5, 1955 (64 years) |
Place of Birth | |
A country | USSR → United States , Great Britain |
Professions | guitarist , vocalist , composer |
Genres | progressive rock , art rock , instrumental rock |
Collectives | “Sadko”, “ Leap Summer ”, “ Autograph ” |
Content
Biography
Born April 5, 1955 in Moscow . Coming from a musical dynasty: paternal grandfather Grigori Moiseevich Sitkovetsky (1897–1970) was a famous music teacher in Kiev , uncle - violinist Julian Grigorievich Sitkovetsky (his wife is pianist Bella Davidovich ). The father is viola player Vitaly Grigorievich Sitkovetsky , the mother is historian-archivist Maya Mikhailovna Sitkovetskaya (nee Smuzikova), the cousin is violinist Dmitry Sitkovetsky [1] .
Musical activities
As a child, he studied at the music school in violin, but later lost interest in it and began to learn to play the guitar. Thanks to his father, who often traveled with the orchestra on tour abroad, the first Fit Stratocaster in the USSR becomes the first guitar of Sitkovetsky. In 1970, he met Chris Kelmi and began to play in his band Sadko .
In 1972, Sadko disintegrated, and the legendary group Leap-Summer , which became one of the pioneers of art-rock in the USSR, appeared on its wreckage. In 1976, thanks to the mediation of Alexander Kutikov , the bass guitar player of the group, Sitkovetsky’s collaboration with rock poet Margarita Pushkina began .
In parallel with “Leap Summer”, Sitkovetsky studies at the chemical faculty of Moscow State University , graduating in 1977 .
In 1979, due to disagreements between the members of the “Leap Summer” group, it falls apart. Even then, Sitkovetsky plans to create a group that professionally performs progressive art rock . As a result, the “ Autograph ” appears on May 2 of the same year. In the autumn “by old memory” Kelmi joins the group, bringing vocalist Sergey Brutyan with him.
The ensemble begins to rehearse in the basement of one of the hostels near the Avtozavodskaya metro station . Soon Artemy Troitsky learns about these rehearsals and offers Sitkovetsky to perform at Spring Rhythms , the first official rock festival in the USSR . The group received 2nd place and 2 special prizes: “For the Best Political Song” and “For the Best Composition of the Festival” and signs a contract with Moskontsert . In the same year, Sitkovetsky together with the group starred in Leonid Kvinikhidze’s “ Hat ” movie, where he played the role of Vyachek Zakharov. The film featured 4 compositions of Sitkovetsky: “Fasten Seat Belts”, “ Ireland , Ulster ”, “Blues Whim” and “Monologue”, where Irina Otieva sang together with the group.
Sitkovetsky was a self-taught guitarist, but Mosconcert believed that the leader of the ensemble could not be without a musical education, and therefore Alexander enters to study at the Gnesin Music School , graduating in 1985. The teacher at Sitkovetsky was jazz, and thanks to him Alexander became known jazz techniques of the game, which later reflected on the work of "Autograph". And on July 13 of the same year, Autograph, the only group from Eastern Europe, took part in the World Live Aid for Africa TV Concert , speaking to 2.5 billion people.
In addition to great musical talent (in particular, he is the author of the keyboard party in “Fasten Seat Belts” and “SOS”), diplomatic skills are opening up in Sitkovetsky. He knocks out foreign tours for the group, defends a number of songs before the KGB commission on the group's first giant disk, released in 1986 and sold 6 million records. Then Sitkovetsky becomes (after Alexander Gradsky ) the second rock musician - a member of the USSR Union of Composers .
Having toured the entire Soviet Union with tours, Avtograf became the first Soviet rock band that achieved commercial success abroad, performing in more than 30 countries around the world. In 1987 she took part in the Soviet-American concert “Our Move”, together with Santana , Doobie Brothers , Bonnie Raitt , James Taylor . Autograph performed at countless international festivals along with John McLaughlin , Murray Head , Kenny Rogers , Tom Cochran , Glass Tiger , Ten Years After , Southside Johny and the Jukes , "opened" concerts for Chicago , worked with producer and composer David Foster in Canada and Moscow, became the laureate of the Sopot -87 festival with individual prizes from the public and the press, with the best song of the “Peace in Oneself” festival.
After two years of working with American manager Mary Becker (who donated Charvel Soloist 6 to Sitkovetsky guitar), in 1989 the group signed a contract with Frank Zappa's management team in Los Angeles, California. The American debut album Tear Down the Border was released in 1991.
Solo Creativity
In 1990, "Autograph" falls apart due to the creative crisis. Sitkovetsky moves to America. He begins to work on a solo career and releases his first (and first in the USSR) guitar instrumental album Zello , which became the “album of the year” (1992) in Russia, and previously the video for the play “Camels” received the main prize of the annual video contest in Moscow in April 1991. In January of the same year, Alexander was officially recognized as one of the three best guitarists in the country, he also became the first Russian musician in history to conclude a direct publishing contract with the British company EMI .
In 1991, Sitkovetsky enters as a partner in А-Т Trade, Inc. businessman Alexei Kurochkin (former keyboard player of the jazz ensemble Nikolai Levinovskiy "Allegro"), engaged in the supply of musical instruments and equipment to Russia and other countries of the former USSR.
In 1992, Sitkovetsky wrote the music for the film London Weekend TV “ Sitkovetsky ” about the history of the relationship between cousins Dmitry (widely known violinist and conductor) and Alexander. The two central plays of the film Tribe Bolero and Ruminations were performed by the Sitkovetsky together with the New European Strings Orchestra conducted by Dmitry. One of the results of the collaboration was a concert tour in France with this orchestra the following year.
At the end of 1998, Alexander released his second solo album, Empty Arena , in his Red Sunset studio in Los Angeles , which was recorded by many famous musicians, including Darryl Johnson from Rolling Stones and Nick D'Virgilio from Spock's Beard .
In 2005 he took part in the autograph reunion for the tour “Autograph - 25 years”. One of the concerts held in the framework of this tour was a concert played on June 23, 2005 at the Olimpiysky Sports Complex (Moscow). After 25 years, the musicians of the legendary group “Autograph” came together again. The last time they played in the "Olympic" 15 years ago. It was in another century, in another country and, as the group leader Alexander Sitkovetsky noted, in other music. But it turned out that even after a decade and a half they can muster a full house. Ordinary music lovers and colleagues in the workshop came to see “Autograph”. The concert was attended by: Alexander Sitkovetsky - guitar, vocals, Leonid Gutkin - bass, vocals, Arthur Berkut - vocals, Viktor Mikhalin - drums, percussion, vocals, Leonid Makarevich - keyboards. Special guests: Sergey Mazaev - saxophone, clarinet, vocal, Sergey Brutyan - vocal, Chris Kelmi - organ.
In 2009, the premiere of Boris Eifman ’s ballet Onegin took place, featuring Sitkovetsky’s music from Zello and Empty Arena albums.
In 2012 he performed with “Autograph” at the festival “Legends of Russian rock”. At the same time in an interview announced the release of a new solo album "Full House" in the spring of 2013.
The double instrumental album Full House was released in the USA in April 2016. 18 pieces (CD), 16 on vinyl. The album was produced by Tears for Fears keyboard player Doug Petty . Well-known musicians Alex Al ( Michael Jackson , Stevie Wonder ), Nick D'Virgilio (Spock's Beard, Genesis ), Louis Conte, and others took part in the recording. The legendary sound producer Chris Lord-Elge (who also worked with Joe Cocker , Tina Turner , Madonna , Rolling Stones , Bruce Springsteen ) at Mix LA, mastering engineer Ted Jensen from Sterling Sound (who worked on Eagles albums, Billie Joel , Norah Jones , etc.).
Discography
Studio Albums
- Zello (1991)
- Empty Arena (1998)
- Full House (2016)
"Autograph"
- Ireland. Ulster (1981)
- Autograph - 2 (1984)
- Autograph (1986)
- Stone Edge (1989)
- Tear Down the Border (1991)
- Autograph - 1 (1996)
- 25 years later (2005)
Family
He was married to Olga Sitkovetskaya, a pianist, and a former teacher at a music school at the Moscow Conservatory .
Second wife Elena Sitkovetskaya, architect, interior designer, artist.
He has three sons. One of them - Alexander Alexandrovich Sitkovetsky , a famous violinist.
Notes
- Sigurd Schmidt “Monuments of literature in the culture of knowledge of the history of Russia” (p. 223) : “ [...] Maechka Smuzikova (now known archivist, who worked for a long time at RGALI Maya Mikhailovna Sitkovetskaya) ”.