Leonid Utyosov

• Born: 1895
• Died: March 09, 1982
• Active: '40s, '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s
• Genres: Jazz
• Representative Albums: "Unknown Utyosov

Biography

Leonid Utyosov, founder and long time (1929-1982) singer and director of very popular in Soviet Union jazz orchestra. He became a legend and pride of the Soviet culture. Regardless of his lack in musical background, he became the most popular singer of his time. In a country where jazz was declared "music of the fats," he managed to not only establish, but to also preserve for many years to come, the first of the Soviet jazz. Leonid Utyosov was born in 1895, in Odessa, to a middle-class Jewish family. In 1911, he became an actor in a provincial theater troop. Traveling with his troop from town to town, and actively participating in various theatrical productions, with the help of his natural talent, Utyosov quickly became a real professional; in the beginning of the 1920's he already performed in various venues in Moscow, and then in Leningrad. But, during all of those years he dreamt about forming his own jazz band. At the end of 1928 he started making his dream come true. In a few months, Utyosov gathered motivated musicians with whom he put on his first program. And, on March 8, 1929, the stage of the Leningrad Small Opera Theater became home to the first debut of the new jazz band. The success of this performance was more than what many hoped for. This is how Leonid Utyosov himself attempted to explain it: "It is easiest to say, that our success was in the novelty-such numbers like our thea-jazz had not yet been performed. There was of course jazz created by a blueprint, a foreign blueprint...We, however, suggested a completely new, genre, untried, theatrical jazz...Our whole program was sprinkled with jokes, sarcasm, humor. In front of the audience not only a band was born, but also a company, a gathering of the happy, not dampened by sadness, people, with whom one could find joy and with whom one was certain to have a good time...I think that the success of our first program was grounded particularly in our optimism, and humor." From that point and to the end of his life, Utyosov became an irreplaceable leader and a soloist of the self-created band. Although many cursed and criticized Utyosov's jazz, the public fell in love with the jazz immediately. The first program, which the group performed, was mostly composed of popular American and European jazz compositions. Afterwards works of Soviet composers such as Isaac Dunayevsky, L. Diderihs, Matvey Blanter and others became a part of the group's repertoire. After that, the group began to include with its jazz numbers popular songs. Leonid Utyosov was the first performer of such a wide array of songs, which left the whole country singing. Among those songs were "The Heart," "By the Samovar," "Everything Is Right My Beautiful Marquise," "Polyushko-Pole," "The Cherished Stone," "The Sea Is Spread Out," and many others. The movie The Cheerful Guys (1934, directed by Grigory Alexandrov), in which Leonid Utyosov starred in the main role, with his band, was a great success. At that time Edit Utyosova, daughter of Leonid Utousov joined him and became a long time vocalist of the orchestra. In the years of the war, Utyosov, with his jazz band, performed in the army, and his performances brought liveliness back to the thankful listeners. In 1965, Utyosov received the title of the people's artist of USSR. Leonid Utyosov died on March 9, 1982. Luckily, his voice remains on tapes and records, as well as in his books. ~ Gregory Ofman, All Music Guide

Unknown Utyosov Buy this CD

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)