Moscow Jazz Orchestra (MJO) led by the famous Russian reedist Igor Butman celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2019! The celebrations include a concert programme called “Jazz&Jazz”, which the orchestra performs with a Grammy winning singer Kurt Elling.
One of the hottest jazz orchestras in the world was founded in 1999 by the world famous saxophone player Igor Butman. Since then Igor Butman & Moscow Jazz Orchestra (before 2012 - Igor Butman Big Band) has evolved into internationally acclaimed Ambassadors of Russian jazz music in the world! In 2012 Igor Butman Big Band was given a rank of The Moscow state jazz orchestra conducted by Igor Butman.

The Orchestra's intense history of international tours started in 2003 with a sensational doublebill performance with Wynton Marsalis and Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra at Rose Theatre. In the following years, the big band toured the world performing at the most prestigious venues and festivals: from Carnegie Hall and Ottawa Jazz Festival to Bluenote Beijing and Jarasum Jazz Festival in Korea, from Ronnie Scott's and Wigan Jazz Festival to Mumbai's NCPA and Umbria Jazz! In 2018 MJO became the first Orchestra to perform at All Star Global Concert of International Jazz Day in St Petersburg!

For the past five years alone, the orchestra – once praised as “an outfit of virtuosos” “Downbeat” – played more than 500 concerts in Russia, besides regular gigs in South Korea, India, China, Europe, and USA. Throughout the 20 years of its ongoing eventful history, the Orchestra created programs with numerous jazz super stars, among them are George Benson, Wynton Marsalis, Natalie Cole, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Randy Brecker, New York Voices, John Pizzarelli, Larry Corryell, Billy Cobham, Joe Lovano, Gary Burton, and Toots Thielemans.

Artist adored by critics are not always the same as those beloved by usual public. It’s not the case of Kurt Elling, for he is everybody’s darling. With his penetrating four-octave singing voice, he's also a scat and ranting virtuoso.

A Grammy winner, one of the world's best jazz vocalists Kurt Elling will perform with Igor Butman & Moscow Jazz Orchestra for the first time ever at JAB Gala within frames of 6th International St Petersburg Cultural Forum. Kurt Elling has won every DownBeat Critics Poll for the last fourteen years and has been named “Male Singer of the Year” by the Jazz Journalists Association eight times in that same span. Every one of Elling’s ten albums has been nominated for a GRAMMY. His repertoire includes original compositions and modern interpretations of standards, all of which are springboards for inspired improvisation, scatting, spoken word, and poetry. The New York Times declared, “Elling is the standout male vocalist of our time.” The Washington Post added, “Since the mid-1990s, no singer in jazz has been as daring, dynamic or interesting as Kurt Elling. With his soaring vocal flights, his edgy lyrics and sense of being on a musical mission, he has come to embody the creative spirit in jazz.”

Kurt Elling has toured vigorously throughout his career, thrilling audiences throughout the world. In that time he has led his own ensemble and has collaborated with many of the world’s finest orchestras.


The event is organized by
State budget cultural institution of the City of Moscow “Jazz-orchestr led by I.Butman”
TIN 7709897658
Legal address: 109004, Moscow, ul. Alexandra Solzhenitsyna, 17
This concert is not included in #зарядисьмузыкой (get charged by music) discount programme of the Moscow Concert Hall “Zaryadye”.