Cost of performance
from 150 000 to 300 000 rublesThe price is flexible depending on the scale of the event, the location of the performance, the wishes and interests of the customer.
Description
J. Seven is an extraordinary performer who can create a real atmosphere of romance during the show - the saxophonist plays the music of love. The uniqueness of his talent is that the artist, in addition to the saxophone, has a wonderful command of the Spanish guitar, drums and recorder. The concert will feature a golden collection of world masterpieces: Stevie Wonder, Joe Dassin, Fausto Papetti and much more. You can enjoy in a hoarse voice saxophone and go back to your youth for two hours, remember your first love.
Repertoire
Golden collection of world masterpieces
- Concerts of romantic saxophone music
Duration of the program
from 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours
Compound
Solo artist
(performing as part of a group is possible:
Ronald Lees – keyboards
Saar Anak – bass guitar
Evgenia Ninburg – rhythm-solo guitar
Stas Zilberman – drums
Mikhail Ostrover – violin
Anastasia Kazakova - vocals)
Kaliningradskaya regional philharmonic society them. E.F. Svetlanova / B. st. Khmelnitsky, 61a
Tickets: 500-1000 - r
Contacts: 64-52-94 Age restrictions: 12+
description:
A popular Israeli saxophonist performing under the pseudonym J.Seven (Jay Seven) is a professional with two music education, rightfully won wide popularity in many countries with his talent and fantastic manner of performance.
This is a multi-instrumentalist musician, in addition to playing the saxophone, which is his “priority” instrument, he also plays the Spanish guitar, recorder and drums.
Plus, J.Seven is incredibly artistic and has an active, dynamic demeanor on stage. Despite the fact that he has one of the most complex instruments in his hands, he moves easily, enters the hall, interactively “communicates” with the audience and even dances while playing! So from each of his concerts he also makes a bright beautiful show. And most importantly, it can create a real atmosphere of romance, because this brilliant saxophonist plays the Music of Love - a golden collection of world masterpieces: Stevie Wonder, Joe Dassin, Enio Morricone and much more, no less beautiful.
Jay Seven will perform all this as a soloist and here - in the Philharmonic Hall with Kaliningrad creative teams: Philharmonic Chamber orchestra And jazz ensemble"Baltic Band" under the direction of M. Sirkacik. The concert program “From Israel with Love” will be held as part of International festival Arts" "Amber Necklace".
Text | Yuri KUZMIN
Photo | J.Seven Archive
The famous Israeli musician, saxophonist performing under the pseudonym J.Seven, can be called a one-man orchestra.
He is a multi-instrumentalist who masterfully performs musical works on saxophone, Spanish guitar, recorder and percussion instruments. In his creative biography solo concerts, as well as performances as part of a pop symphony orchestra and music shows around the world. J.Seven told our magazine about how his musical career developed and how creativity is combined with business.
Evgeniy, I’ll be honest: before the interview, I searched the entire Internet to find your real name, and didn’t find it. Why such secrecy and how do you manage to maintain it? What does J.Seven stand for, by the way?
J.Seven is my stage name, in Russian, you are right, my name is Zhenya. That is, if you write my name in English letters, it begins with the letter J, and Seven translated from English is seven, because I was born in the 7th month, in the 7th maternity hospital, in the year 75, and was brought up in 177 -m kindergarten, in 1987 he began to study music, i.e., as you can see, there are sevens everywhere. I deliberately did not post my last name on the Internet, which is why you did not find it there; I prefer to at least keep some secrets about my life and biography.
- Why?
I would like the audience to identify me with my pseudonym. Still, it’s rare to see an artist with that name in the former Soviet Union, but in the West similar names exist. And I would like to remain incognito, so that there is a certain mystery for the viewer: who is this after all - J.Seven?
- Tell us about your musical path. Where did you study, what instruments did you specialize in?
In 1987, I began studying music with a private teacher, his name is Sergei Seryakov, he taught me to play the drums. I came to his group to play guitar, but since the drummer left the group, he offered me this option. He says if you want, take his place. I thought about it and agreed.
- In 1987, how old were you?
I was 12 years old when I started playing music. At the age of 17, he entered the Variety and Circus College and graduated as a drummer and saxophonist. In the Soviet Union, as a rule, they suggested taking a related instrument, and the whole college laughed at me: since the saxophone is a related instrument to drums, this in principle cannot happen. And I said: think as you want, but this is my decision. Everyone laughed, but agreed.
And thank God: I worked as a drummer with stars in the Soviet Union, and when I came to Israel in 2000, I started working with local stars. I remembered that I have a second one, additional education, and started building already solo career as a saxophonist. And since at one time I learned to play the guitar from a teacher, also a private one, at concerts I use a saxophone, a guitar, and a recorder, but with the flute that’s a different story.
- What was the reason for your departure to Israel? By the way, where is your house and how much time do you spend in it?
Unfortunately, I don’t spend much time at home, because I’m constantly on tour, that is, you come for a week, two, three at most and leave again. The house is located in Haifa, in the northern part of Israel.
The departure to Israel was associated with certain spiritual beliefs. The Bible says: God will gather his Jewish people to the Promised Land.
And I probably heard the voice of God - I believe in God. I can’t say that I’m a religious person, I just believe in the existence of God, who created the Earth and everything that fills it. He did not create nations, he created people, and then people were already divided into nationalities.
That is, it was still done out of spiritual convictions, and not in pursuit of material benefits or as an escape from anti-Semitism?
No, right where I lived, Jews were treated very well, especially during perestroika.
- And if you had a choice now - to stay or go, what decision would you make?
I would have left anyway, I even regret that I didn’t do it earlier. I came to Israel at the age of 24, it was the beginning of 2000.
- Were your expectations met?
Expectations were certainly met. Honestly, I can't even compare the former Soviet Union with the West, with Western culture, and Israel is, in general, a Western state. There is a different system, different laws, a different bureaucracy (although it is also present), but all this is at a significantly higher level than in the former Soviet space. There are, of course, some disadvantages, but there are also big advantages.
- How did your musical career develop in Israel? Why did you decide to start solo performances?
In principle, there was nothing unusual in this decision. Everything happened in the following sequence: I came to Israel, graduated from ulpan (this is a Hebrew learning studio), after which I began to look for a job, found it and began working as a drummer with such local stars as Benny Silman. This is Israeli music, the music of the Mediterranean. For quite a long time, 5–7 years, he worked with the stars of Israel as a drummer and percussionist (percussion is when African folk percussion instruments are played with hands).
And then an idea came to my mind: after all, I play the saxophone, why not try to make a solo career, start performing in concerts? The music I perform today is not on the concert market, so I decided to make just this concert program and build your career as a saxophonist artist.
A solo career gives more freedom creativity, self-expression, but at the same time it also implies responsibility with all the ensuing consequences. If difficulties suddenly arise, you can’t delegate the solution to anyone else. complex issues You are responsible for everything yourself. But does anyone help you organize concerts, is there an impresario or partner for organizing concerts abroad?
Yes, of course, because you can’t cope with this task yourself. By the way, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the one who first brought me to Russia, to Chelyabinsk and Yekaterinburg. There is Ilya Belov, director of the production center “World of Show” in Chelyabinsk, and I am very grateful to this person. Next were Tver, Veliky Novgorod, by the way, I visited these cities twice, and despite the fact that I am not a media person, as you usually say, thank God, I have sold-out houses everywhere.
People love this music, now they have already begun to love it in my performance, and there are more and more tours both in Russia and abroad. Of course, it’s impossible without partners: there must be people who organize concerts - managers, promoters, administrators.
you started musical career as a drummer, then they became an artist-saxophonist, moreover, a real virtuoso of this instrument. My family and I were at your concert in Sochi, we had a lot of fun and saw that you also perform with acoustic guitar, with a flute. Still, what is the main instrument for you and how did the other instruments appear in your career?
Thank you, it’s nice to hear that you enjoyed attending my concert in Sochi. I can’t say that any instrument is the main one. I love to play the drums, the saxophone, and the guitar. But, I think, today the saxophone has become the main instrument. I play and my soul sings.
- You have to play drums as part of a band, right?
Well, sometimes I can perform some numbers solo, but mostly, of course, I play drum solos during a concert, accompanied by musicians. Regarding the other instruments that appeared in my life: once in my distant childhood I learned to play classical guitar, and then somehow included several numbers with a Spanish guitar in the concert program, so that the viewer, so to speak, would not be bored listening to one saxophone all the time. Those who love the guitar can listen to the guitar, those who love the flute can hear the flute at my concerts.
The flute is a completely different story: I got the flute completely by accident, I got it from my nephew. This flute was originally intended for students music school. I just liked the sound of this instrument, and I tell my nephew: “Let me buy it from you.” And today this instrument is heard at my concerts.
I want to emphasize: this is not the flute that artists and musicians usually play, but a recorder. Typically, such an instrument was made of wood, but my flute is made of ebonite. I perform works such as, for example, “The Lonely Shepherd” by Gheorghe Zamfira (best known by the James Last Orchestra).
- Your concerts are held under the slogan “This is not jazz, this is the music of love.” Why, by the way, not jazz?
The fact is that not all people love and understand jazz. I believe that jazz is more music for the musicians themselves. Ordinary people who are not professionally associated with music still prefer lighter, melodic music, in the style of Joe Dassin, Stevie Wonder, Ennio Morricone, that is, what is closer and more understandable to their ears, soul, culture, and upbringing. In jazz, musicians to a greater extent demonstrate their mastery of playing the instrument, their virtuosity, and ability to improvise.
True, we must pay tribute, there are wonderful professionals jazz musicians, who do it so creatively that you will listen to them.
- What do you mean by the concept of “music of love”?
The music of love returns a person, in my opinion, to his teenage years, when such masterpieces as Fausto Papetti’s melody from the film “Emmanuelle” and Joe Dassin’s song “If You Weren’t There” were played. This is music that truly literally speaks of love. That’s why I called my concerts “Music of Love.” Basically I play exactly the kind of music that touches a person’s soul, listening to which a person remembers his youth, his first love, a kiss near the entrance under a lantern... You can do it without a lantern, in the twilight, it’s even more romantic (laughs).
-What is love for you?
I think it is impossible to answer this question unambiguously. Love is when a person is ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of another, to overcome any difficulties or obstacles. For me, this is precisely what love is about, because when I loved, I made sacrifices and for the sake of my loved one was ready to get a star from the sky.
- Which composers do you like to perform most? What is on your mind?
Naturally, those whom I have already listed - Joe Dassin, Fausto Papetti, of course, one cannot ignore the world masterpieces of Gheorghe Zamfir, Kenny G.
Well, in general, all those whom I perform at my concerts, as well as other composers who write music in similar styles and musical directions.
- Are there any Jewish compositions?
If an artist is from Israel, everyone, of course, expects some kind of Jewish works from him. IN lately I still included “Hava Nagila” and “Tum-Balalaika” in my concert program; I had not played them before.
- “Hava nagila”, as far as I know, is translated as “let us rejoice.”
Yes, let's have fun and rejoice together.
- So it's not really about love.
Yes, this is a joyful song, but there must be some funny, interesting, invigorating works, because listening to only calm music all the time is probably a little tiring. And then joy and love are very much connected with each other.
- Are there other performers performing in a genre similar to yours?
Yes, sure. Kenny G, Dave Koz. But this is, rather, smooth jazz (American), a new direction in music has appeared today. Smooth jazz is something between jazz and romance.
- Where are they from?
These are, so to speak, Russian Americans, guys from Russia, but raised in America. In terms of mentality and language, they cannot be called Russian people, but by blood they are former Russians.
Solo concert activity suggests that the musician is still quite involved in the economic side of his business. For you, is concert activity a business or more of an art? Sorry for the indiscreet questions.
The question is very correct, a sober question. Of course, show business is a business. But still, this is art, and the satisfaction of spiritual aspirations, and creativity. To do this business you need creativity. Someone invented it, someone wrote it, someone created it. I'm on at the moment I am a performer, but I also have my own works, which I play on the guitar, flute and saxophone, and I think that not only for me, but for most performers these aspects are combined, one is inseparable from the other - show and business .
Of course, world stars have a whole staff of producers, directors, etc. What percentage of your working time is spent on organizational and production activities?
When I first started concert activities, it was quite difficult, and now I already have administrators. In principle, running this business yourself when you enter the concert market simply won’t work, because it is physically impossible to constantly contact someone, send contracts, sign something. That's why I work with administrators both in Russia and in the West.
- Do you yourself take part in this activity?
Now it’s indirect, if they only contact me for some signatures, agreement on contracts, etc.
- I’m not asking how many dollars or shekels you earn, but still the business is profitable, does it allow you to live?
Well, of course, it allows you to live, and allows you to live with dignity, let’s put it that way.
- What advice would you give to musicians who want to start a solo career?
First of all, there is no need to be afraid. By the way, I would like to note this point: when I was going to enter the concert market, no one believed that it could be done. The musicians who work on the same stage with me today didn’t even want to hear about it, didn’t want to talk about it.
Because the music I play today is generally the music of the past. But in the end it turned out that people know her, remember her, love her and get great pleasure from her.
I would like to advise young guys who are afraid that they won’t succeed, that something somewhere won’t work out for them: you need to take yourself into hands, see the path to the goal you want to achieve, and start knocking on all doors. And some door must open, it cannot be that all the doors are locked.
