Is jazz meant solely for the men, or what is the “Alex Fokin Radioband” indeed?

In the Ukrainian show business, like any other, there are people who, figuratively speaking, stay behind the scenes, but are responsible for the most essential decisions. They are - the foundation, they are the unseen architects, they are those who make the stars. It is good when ambitions and money are harmoniously combined with professionalism and competent approach to business.

In other words, when people see where to go and know what to start with. Alex Fokin is one of them. Music conductor by education, well-known arranger, and once great professional soundman who “created” stars already during those distant and perhaps, the best times for the Ukrainian music of the 80`s, and nowadays – the politician, he founded the orchestra, now - one of the best in Europe. The “Alex Fokin RadioBand" – these are very talented Ukrainian musicians. Together they play, together they rehearse, and together they take famous guests from all around the world.

- We had plans about the idea of creating a band since 1998, - recalls the author of the project, the leader of the "Radio Band" - Alex Fokin. - When four of my former colleagues who had abandoned playing music long ago and were engaged into different things to earn living, visited me and asked me to find them a rehearsal base, I didn’t realized for the first moment, what they needed it for. Yet, on hearing they just missed the music, I have realized, there is something to be done with this. And I offered to create the collective from the best instrumentalists. Thus was created the “RadioBand” – an anomaly that by the level has no analogues in the history of Ukrainian music. The phenomenon is so unique that a team of performers and a mix of instruments, presumes not only the balance and adequacy of sound, but also virtuosic playing of each musician, without exception. There shouldn’t be any weak points in the collective. It is very important, of course, the overall style, the style of playing of the whole band. And this, of course, is the great merit of those who started with me and those who continue working with me on improving the sound of the orchestra.

As for me personally, - the leader must ensure the sound that he modeled inside himself. This means great and heavy work. Founding the collective of such level, especially in our country, I knew what risk I have been taking. And I didn’t spare anything. Since there were no sponsors and patrons, I did and continue doing everything with my own effort. Of course, an element of vanity is present here. As together with the orchestra I reached the heights I was working for. While to the question: "Why such a collective?" I reply firmly, - so that they didn’t consider us wild “dull minds” exploiting in Moscow and former Soviet republics an image of the Ukrainian durak for the «piasters», in order to make them realize: in our country we have incredibly talented musicians of the world level.

- ЯI saw how it have all started - tells a well-known musicologist and jazzman Alexei Kogan, - there used to come the bass player guitarist, saw an exclusive bass «Tobias» costing over 6 thousand dollars, and like any other musician, had his eyes widely opened, saying: “Oh, yes, I want!”. And the instrument would be bought. The “RadioBand” owns the best keyboards. This is the unique collective in Ukraine that owns the organ “Hammond B-3”, here they have the best brass section, the best percussion, the best sound mixing console, cool rehearsal base and the most famous soundmen. The saxophonist plays very rare and extremely expensive electric wind instrument - EWI – electric wind controller. Fokin dressed up musicians from head to toe, produced audio-video CD-ROM, three DVD discs, made so that the band is already very well known by the most famous jazz musicians in the world. What is the most essential is that the “RadioBand” is indeed the ensemble of soloists. Sometimes it happens so that the great musicians - virtuosos simply cannot play together. These ones can, and how! A. Fokin, above all, created really very rare in the history of music collective. The thing is the number of instruments: more than in an ensemble, and less than in a big band. This is the most complex form - the combo. And the sound they produce, - like a real big band!

By the way, there is one girl in the collective – the vocalist Olga Neka. She was very highly estimated by the overseas jazz-performers, they say that her singing - is a «tuch», that is something that moves. Everyone is a star here, indeed. The “RadioBand” is a much broader notion than the jazz ensemble. Guys, in addition to jazz, can play all - "old" music and modern dance, especially as working with the son of the band leader - DJ Fokin.

And from the commercial point of view, Alex treats everything very wisely. You can play any number of abstruse music, but for the ordinary music lovers this would not be interesting. While here people come to the hall and hear the "My father` s son" by Joe Cocker or "Tequila" of the 50-ies. As this is not the elite kind. They play Santana, Stevie Wonder, Sting. And may it always sound “RadioBand” – like, in its own original interpretation, - the effect of recognition does its job.

When Ukraine is being visited by the western or American stars, they just go into raptures. For, being really young band, not yet very popular, their performances are simply amazing. Very famous brazilian musician Deodato Eumiro invited "RadioBand" to set on tour over the Europe together with him. Even the 75y.o. Maynard Ferguson – “the trumpeter from the stratosphere”, would like to play together with this band! The old man who cannot normally sit, move, eat, - takes trumpet and ... all! Fergusson wanted to bring his young orchestra to play a couple of numbers with the "Alex Fokin RadioBand”, to share the invaluable musical experience. Have not succeeded yet, but everything is still ahead, especially as the next guest of the band will be legendary guitarist Al Di Meola. That is, the orchestra really enjoys great respect. Yes, many will say: foreign musicians are being paid fees, they play and, incidentally, give praises. But you cannot fool the real pros: when the bass guitarist during a TV show made an impromptu passage, Jonathan Butler jerked right on stage and over his shoulder, gave him a sign: "Cool, dude!"

In general, you can say anything - summarizes Alexei Kogan. But while some keep talking - Fokin works. My opinion is: the "RadioBand" will never be popular in the today` s widely accepted sense of the word. I.E., nowadays there is no particular hurry to broadcast this kind of music. But there are always people who would listen to it. And if the band performs on stage with a dozen of the best musicians of the world, it will not, anyway, matter if it is being in the FM-stations` rotations or not.

- We do what no – one has ever done before us in Ukraine, -continues telling Alex Fokin. – All of our audio- and video- recordings are made in the live mode only. This is a principle. Let us take as an example that incredible marathon when we “kept” live air in the program “7 notes” during more than three hours. For the present time, we have shot three “live” TV-shows from the future series of the "World music stars visiting the "Alex Fokin RadioBand”. The greatest musicians – the unique guitarist and vocalist Jonathan Butler and the first vibraphonist of the world – singer Roy Ayers have paid us a visit. I also consider extremely interesting the video of the concert of two orchestras from the Palace "Ukraine": the world's oldest big band of Oleg Lundstrem and our band. What is so special that we have proved with these concerts?

The fact is that musicians, especially of such level, have always visited us with their own orchestras and ensembles. And that's what they wanted, and not just accepted, personally and on an equal to play with us – this speaks for itself. That's one small fact as the proof of the words of Alex Fokin. Afraid to have his super-star status to be injured, Butler sent his musical director for the first rehearsal in order to see and hear what kind of “beast” this is – the "RadioBand"? What he really told Jonathan is unknown, but the next 3 days the greatest guitarist honestly worked in a rehearsal hall together with others, and I suppose, was afraid to look unconvincing during the non – stop TV-shooting with "live" sound and what is more, - in the presence of the fairly sophisticated audience. And Roy Ayers, as a matter of fact, sat in the hall for 4 hours during a sound-check, and patiently waited to be called to rehearse. There was no "stardom"! And standing behind the scenes, while "RadioBand" performed his plays, only shrugged his shoulders: "What is Ukraine? I have never heard of before. But what a band! ” Musicians really learnt from each other and spent wonderful time together.

And the band still has many more of everything in plans. In addition to cooperation with the world stars, from September this year, twice a month on a Saturday night, the orchestra presents on the first ukrainian channel its own "live" music TV-show "Alex Fokin RadioBand” and his stars."

"I really love what I do, - says Alex, - And I think that if you are able to bring to the international level even your hobby - that means you are in good shape”.

Of course, everything does not happen so rosy. Both orchestra members, and their leader, realize they have to come through hard way, and not once to hit their heads on the current unclear situation in the official Ukrainian culture. And more than once the infamous for them "competition" with low-standard opuses in radio- and TV- airs, bought by the performers of these so – called “masterpieces”, will not be in favor of the orchestra. Because these pieces of music, as confidently say those who feed with them our cultural nation, has that very format (their favorite word) that also gives them the rating (very dubious, to our opinion). But eventually, our eyes and ears should open, and wallets - to close for such an "art". In order to estimate the professionalism, the highest quality of performance and not buy into false promises of "live music" on the posters, you need to have something to compare with.

In short, talking about music is like “dancing about architecture”. The “Alex Fokin RadioBand" needs to be seen and heard.

The author of the article: Darya Gorskaya

October, 2005