Marimba Plus - Zebrano

t Marimba Plus is the first and the unique music group in Russia for that marimba is the leading instrument and the creativity basis. Marimba Plus is an instrumental group that combines jazz, ethnic and contemporary music into a stylized musical cocktail able to satisfy the taste of any music connoisseur. The musicians reinterpret classical, academic traditions and ethnic rhythms and tones with jazz improvisation and modern tendencies and technologies. They call this style  art-fusion. Lev Slepner  marimba, malletkat, percussion, drums, composer + Evgeniy Lebedev - piano, composer + Tatiana Shishkova - vokal, percussion + Sergey Nankin  clarinet, bassethorn, vocal, percussion + Timur Nekrasov  tenor, soprano, baritone saxes, percussion + Eugeny Yaryn bass + Alexander Kulkov  drums Marimba is an instrument which originated in Africa. Its a wooden relative to xylophone incorporating in its sound the ethnic shades and extraordinary timbre power, which is capable to touch any listener. Marimba Plus was created in 1999 by the young professional musicians, who have graduated from the Russian Gnesin Music Academy and Moscow State Conservatory (currently our pianist Evgeny Lebedev studies at Berkley College of Music) and have won prizes at foreign competitions and festivals. After that the group started to be more and more popular and appeared very often at prestigious Moscow clubs and concert-halls. The Marimba Plus program is based on the composer works by the group leader  marimbist Lev Slepner, whose composing talent was marked by a Russian national reward Triumph in 2002. The main concept of his work is in fusion of various music genres. Marimba Plus also performs the works by contemporary russian (V.Gorsky, F. Lakhuti, A.Shilkloper) as well as foreign (R.Galliano, L. Schifrin, H.Silver, G.Benson, H. Hancock, S. Wonder etc.) composers in original arrangements, written by Slepner for the special set of instruments. Lev Slepner is the unique composer in Russia who writes especially for marimba and this instruments set. The obvious images are especially involves in this music - often there is a sensation, that musicians simply tell and draw music. East philosophy and African holiday, French elegance and Russian dances, celestial elephant and movie adventures, cosmic travel and nibelungen epic, nature, people, feelings and dozens of other images come together at this ethno-jazz mystery. In 2007 Lev Slepner became the official endorser the marimba mallets of Encore Mallets (USA) in Russia. In 2007 the Malletkat (midi-marimba) became the new instrument in the band and the using of electronic opens the whole new world of sound possibility for the composer and marimbist  now he can use any sound from ethnic, classical to extra cosmic, electronic, use one-line loops and more wide range of music expressiveness. Uniqueness of Marimba Plus is that possessing the refined features of academic music, they have comprehended also jazz secrets, and added modern tendencies, surprisingly organically having made related these not always related qualities. So they reached trust and recognition at each of adherents of these musical directions, having united them in one indivisible audience with identical delight perceiving them, - told Anatoliy Krall, famous Russian musician, pianist, composer, conductor, academic, professor of Russian Music Academy. The combination of energy and professionalism, of jazz playfulness and academic conservatism, of drive and meditation, of virtuosity and thoughtfulness makes the career of the Marimba Plus successful. The group maintains a broad range of concert activity, takes part in numerous festivals in Russia and abroad, and gives performs in different halls and stages, including best Moscow Concert halls: Tchaikovsky Concert Hall and Moscow International Performance Arts Center, and open-airs for thousands people. Marimba Plus has different programs for different halls, places and situations: club performances, philharmonic concerts, art events, chamber music, festivals, open-airs. The new project consists of the trio of live instruments: midi-marimba + clarinet + vocal as well as computer sounds and back-tracks, the project style is close to lounge, house, smooth-jazz. The group cooperates with leading russian jazz musicians - Daniel Kramer, Arkady Shilkloper, Oleg Butman, Felix Lakhuti, Alexey Podymkin, Oleg Osenkov, Eteri Beriashvili and other. In 2003 together with the French violinist Didie Lockwood the musicians went on tour through Russian cities (Perm, Tumen, Samara, Nijni Novgorod and others). The tour was organized by Daniil Kramer - a famous Russian pianist. The band made a lot of tours all over the Russia and abroad: France, Czechia, Germany, St.-Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Rybinsk, Vladimir, Bryansk, Saratov, Vladivostok and other, PRIZES In 2000 the Marimba Plus became the laureate of the Moscow competition Rockpower 2000, having won the second prize. In 2003 the leader of the group Leo Slepner became the Triumph national prize winner as the best composer and jazz performer (youth). FESTIVALS Marimba Plus take part at many festivals in Russia and abroad: The largest Russian jazz festival Usadba Jazz in Archangelskoe Mansion, which gathers hundred of thousands people, the prestigious Moscow festivals: All the Stars of Jazz (curated by Anatoliy Krall), Jazz in the Hermitage Garden, Home of Jazz in Moscow Composers House. Marimba Plus participated at the Second International jazz festival in Petropavlovskoe-2004 (St.-Petersburg), where it performed with the jazz stars - the vibraphonist Mike Manieri and the vocalist Miles Griffith. Another important event for the group was their participation in the Jazz festival of Montabane (France) together with such stars as Monti Alezander and Patricia Kaas. In 2007 the group was invited at the International Moscow Festivals as Russian participants to perform in one program with international stars: at CityJazz with Avishai Cohen trio (Izrael) and at Transformation with Al Di Meola (USA). Marimba Plus presented russian modern music at Russian Seasons-2008 Inteco Gala Night in Munich (Germany). Also the group participated in International Ethno Festival in Prague (Czechia). The band also performed at Tea Festival at Red Square, folk-marathon in Petrozavodsk, traditional Spring Jazz Festival Bohemia-Jazz, Internatiоnal Jazz Festivals in Vladivostok and Bryansk, number of the jazz festivals in Suzdal, Obninsk, Tomsk, Surgut, etc. ALBUMS The group has 5 albums for the present (it`s presentations took place in the best Moscow concert halls  The Concert Hall by name of Tchaikovsky and The International Moscow Art Center): 1.Marimba Plus (2001) 2.Charmed World (2004) (recorded together with A. Shilkloper) 3.Zebrano (2005) 4.Celestial Elephant (2007) 5.Cinemania (presented at October 2008) 6.Flight over the world (2012) MUSIC FOR FILMS Lev Slepner created and Marimba Plus performed music for following movies: " "White Master" ("Quadro" media-group), documentary film in 4 series, animated films: " "Eskimo" (2004), " "A Beetle, A Boat, An Apricot" (2004), " Mother and Music (won prize at Animation festival at Suzdal-2007 for the best sound), " Camilla (presented at 2009, Grand-prise of "Moscow debutes" Festival). PROJECTS The new Marimba Plus and Lev Slepner project calls Seasons - huge music show that combines Marimba Plus and other jazz and improvisation groups, symphonic orchestra, academic chorus, ethno groups and the famous Russian (I. Butman, D.Matsuev, and other) and foreign soloist from every genres in one musical composition, created by Lev Slepner. Marimba Plus works a lot at different music projects: it performs at video-art projects, cooperate with symphonic orchestra, participate at art shows and exhibitions, cultural events, opening, presentations, play with other musicians from classical to modern DJs. Lev Slepner teaches students in his course of percussion to play drums, marimba and percussion. Also he makes open workshops and classes. Marimba Plus has often appeared on leading Russian TV-channels as well as on radio as one of the most interesting music bands. The music activity of the Marimba Plus is often highlighted in press.

Members

• Сергей Нанкин
• Лев Слепнер
• Александр Зингер
• Илья Дворецкий
• Konstantin Bey
• Irina Tsirul