Take Five With Boris Kozlov

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Published: November 4, 2010

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Meet Boris Kozlov:
Currently serving as a bassist, arranger and Musical Director for the Mingus Big Band Mingus Big Band

band/orchestra , Mingus Dynasty Mingus Dynasty
and The Orchestra The Orchestra
, as well as leading his own projects, he has also been a first-call bassist for such important jazz acts as Michael Brecker Michael Brecker
1949 - 2007
sax, tenor , John Blake John Blake
b.1947
violin , Ray Barretto Ray Barretto
1929 - 2006
congas 's New World Spirit, Lew Tabackin Lew Tabackin
b.1940
sax, tenor , David Kikoski David Kikoski
b.1961
piano , Alex Sipiagin Alex Sipiagin
b.1967
trumpet , Jean-Michel Pilc Jean-Michel Pilc

piano , and many others.

Boris Kozlov was born in Moscow,USSR on December 5, 1967. Having a chance to go to Children's Music School to study piano for seven years, he fell in love with the bass and won the Gnesin Music Academy competition to enter college at the age of 15, on electric bass guitar.

While being influenced by rock and classical music, he took interest in jazz at 17, and went on to study acoustic bass with notable bassist Anatoly Sobolev. Upon graduation in 1987 with Diploma of Honor at the age of 19, he served mandatory two years in the Soviet Army, where he had to play tuba and other brass instruments besides basses in the military band.

Once out of the Army, he was hired by the State owned Melodia Studio Ensemble in 1989, and proceeded to record more than 40 albums with them as well as many other Soviet jazz artists. At the same time, he continued his studies at The State Academy of Music. At the first USSR Competition of Jazz Soloists in 1990, he won The Grand Prix, as well as a special prize for his original composition. After winning the first spot in Young Musician category in USSR Jazz Journal in 1991, he decided to move to New York.

The self-study continued in a specific NY jazz environment, where he was eventually hired by Hassan Williams and Terry Gibbs Terry Gibbs
b.1924
vibraphone /Buddy DeFranco Buddy DeFranco
b.1923
clarinet Band, and later by: saxophonists Bobby Watson Bobby Watson
b.1953
sax, alto , Bob Berg Bob Berg
1951 - 2002
saxophone , Benny Golson Benny Golson
b.1929
sax, tenor , James Moody James Moody
1925 - 2010
reeds , Ronnie Cuber Ronnie Cuber
b.1941
sax, baritone , John Stubblefield John Stubblefield
1945 - 2005
saxophone , Ravi Coltrane Ravi Coltrane
b.1965
sax, tenor , Seamus Blake Seamus Blake
b.1970
sax, tenor , Donny McCaslin Donny McCaslin
b.1966
saxophone ; trumpeters Dizzy Reece Dizzy Reece
b.1931
trumpet , Philip Harper Philip Harper
b.1965
trumpet , Brian Lynch Brian Lynch
b.1956
trumpet (Grammy, 2007), Alex Sipiagin, Ray Vega Ray Vega

trumpet ; pianists Eddie Palmieri Eddie Palmieri
b.1936
piano , Walter Bishop Walter Bishop
1927 - 1998
piano Jr., Michel Petrucciani Michel Petrucciani
b.1962
piano , Arturo O'Farrill Arturo O'Farrill

piano , Michel Legrand Michel Legrand
b.1932
piano , Stanley Cowell Stanley Cowell
b.1941
piano , Jon Ballantyne Jon Ballantyne
b.1963
piano , George Colligan George Colligan
b.1969
keyboard , Orrin Evans Orrin Evans
b.1975
piano , Edward Simon Edward Simon
b.1969
piano , Helen Sung Helen Sung

piano , Joey Calderazzo Joey Calderazzo
b.1965
piano ; vibraphonists Joe Locke Joe Locke
b.1959
vibraphone , Bill Ware Bill Ware
b.1959
vibraphone ; guitarists Mark Whitfield Mark Whitfield
b.1966
guitar , David Gilmore David Gilmore

guitar , Adam Rogers Adam Rogers

guitar , Jack Wilkins Jack Wilkins
b.1944
guitar , Ximo Tebar Ximo Tebar
b.1963
guitar ; drummers Tommy Campbell Tommy Campbell
b.1957 , Victor Jones Victor Jones
, Marlon Simon Marlon Simon
b.1961
drums , Victor Lewis Victor Lewis
b.1950
drums , Johnathan Blake Johnathan Blake

drums , Jeff "Tain" Watts Jeff "Tain" Watts
b.1960
drums , Ali Jackson Jr. Ali Jackson Jr.
b.1976
drums , Antonio Sanchez Antonio Sanchez
b.1971
drums ; vocalists Jay McGovern, Urszula Dudziak Urszula Dudziak
b.1943
vocal , Monday Michiru; trombonists Conrad Herwig Conrad Herwig
b.1959
trombone , Robin Eubanks Robin Eubanks
b.1955
trombone , Andy Hunter Andy Hunter

trombone ; trombonist/vocalist Frank Lacy Frank Lacy
's Experience and the funk/jazz, band NewHypeJazz

After sharing a stage with McCoy Tyner McCoy Tyner
b.1938
piano , Jimmy Cobb Jimmy Cobb
b.1929
drums , Maceo Parker Maceo Parker
b.1943
saxophone , Jimmy Smith Jimmy Smith
1925 - 2005
organ, Hammond B3 , Henry Butler Henry Butler
b.1949
piano , Toots Thielemans Toots Thielemans
b.1922
harmonica and Clark Terry Clark Terry
b.1920
trumpet on multiple occasions, and playing on nine Grammy-nominated albums, plus the Grammy-winning Simpatico—in addition to the other 160 albums, having few of his scores published—Boris continues to serve as Musical Director for all of the Mingus Dynasty projects, touring and recording extensively with multitude of different bands, as well as doing international work with his own Malfunction Alibi. He also performs solo bass and teaches master classes around the world following the release of his acoustic solo album, Double Standard.

Instrument(s):
Bass, bass guitar.

Teachers and/or influences?
Anatoly Sobolev on bass, all the musicians I've played with.

I knew I wanted to be a musician when...
I decided not to be a train engineer.

Your sound and approach to music:
I like when it feels good and when one can hear a story, conversational playing is most appealing to me.

Your teaching approach:
Create directions and not pure instructions for the student.

Your dream band:
I've been lucky to work with a lot of dream bands, but I would love to play with (not necessarily in order, or with all of them together): Jack DeJohnette Jack DeJohnette
b.1942
drums , Zakir Hussain Zakir Hussain
b.1951
percussion , Anthony Jackson Anthony Jackson

bass, electric , Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder
b.1950
keyboard .