Andrei Ryabov (musician)

Andrei Ryabov (born July 24, 1962) is a Russian-born jazz guitarist. He has worked with famed jazz guitarists including Jim Hall, Tal Farlow, Joe Pass, Attila Zoller, Gene Bertoncini and others, while producing his own discography.

Born in Leningrad, USSR on July 24, 1962, Andrei Ryabov was inspired by “The Beatles” and other classic rock groups to begin guitar lessons at the age of eleven. A few years later, he became attracted to jazz, especially the work of George Benson, Jim Hall, Joe Passand Wes Montgomery.

In 1982, Andrei Ryabov earned his bachelor's degree from the Mussorgsky College of Music in Leningrad. That same year, he joined David Goloschekin's Jazz Ensemble, at the time one of the best jazz groups in the country, touring and recording with them until late 1988.

Together with well-known Estonian guitarist Tiit Paulus, that year Andrei Ryabov recorded his first album, Tete-a-Tete, as a leader on the Melodia label. In 1989, he became a faculty member at the Mussorgsky College of Music, teaching guitar, jazz improvisation and theory as well as giving master classes and workshops around the country.

Annually from 1989 to 1992, the Russian Jazz Federation voted Andrei Ryabov Best Jazz Guitarist in the country. In 1992, his quartet with pianist Andrei Kondakov was recognized as the Best Jazz Ensemble of 1992. Working in Russia, Andrei Ryabov was featured at many major events throughout the Soviet Union, Europe and South America. He had a chance to meet and play with some of the world's finest jazz musicians, including Dave Brubeck, David Friesen, Dusko Goykovich, Joe Pass, John Stowell, Roger Frampton,Sal Nisticoand Richie Cole, with whom he’d recorded for the Melodia Label "Leningrad Alto Madness" while touring in Russia in 1989.

In June 1992, Andrei Ryabov came to the United States and for two years settled in Western Massachusetts, performing at festivals, jazz clubs and colleges. During this time, he participated in the “Jazz in July” program at the University of Massachusetts, where he studied and played with Billy Taylor, Ted Dunbarand Yusef Lateef . Andrei also participated in the Bright Moments Jazz Festival and opened for the Al Di MeolaTrio at the Bowker Auditorium UMASS, as well as doing numerous concert series with noted jazz guitarist Attila Zollerat the Vermont Jazz Center and other music venues in the New England area.

In an interview for the Jazz Podium Magazine (Germany), Andrei’s colleague and mentor Attila Zollersaid that "Andrei Ryabov plays Bill Evans's neat chords. It sounds fascinating on the guitar. When it comes to improvisation, he is marvelous too. There is no guitarist who ever sounded like him.”

In 1994, his first American-produced album, "Day Dream," was released by Signature Sounds Recording Co, and he has since collaborated and recorded on several other albums as well. Reviewing "Day Dream," the New England Jazz News wrote that "...the conciseness and arrangements of the songs and high caliber of musicianship are impressive."

Shortly thereafter, Andrei Ryabov decided to move to New York City, where he continued to work and perform both as a frontman and a jazz accompanist, trying to carve-out a solid niche for himself in the New York jazz scene. For more than ten years he has been working with Richie ColeAlto Madness Orchestra. In New York City, Andrei had the privilege of playing with many well-known jazz artists, including Attila Zoller, Craig Handy, Gene Bertoncini, Hubert Laws, Jack Wilkins, Paul Bollenback, Peter Bernstein, Richie Cole, Sergio Brandao, Vic Juris, etc. Andrei Ryabov also earned high praise for his artistry from such guitar masters as Jim Hall, Joe Pass, Tal Farlow and Gene Bertoncini. In 1996, he participated in the "Tal Farlow Tribute" concert at the Merkin Concert Hall for the New York City JFC Jazz Festival, where the San Francisco Examiner reported that "Attila Zoller (another legend) had been joined by a marvelously inventive Russian guitarist, Andrei Ryabov."

In 2004, he was invited to perform with the Grammy Award Winning fusion quartet "Yellowjackets,” as broadcast on the BET TV "Jam Studio" program in Philadelphia. For more than 15 years, Andrei played regularly at different venues in New York City, where he was considered one of the finest guitarists playing jazz today. Since 2008, Andrei Ryabov resides in St. Petersburg, Russia performing at many major events in the country. He’s a regular performer at the Jazz Philharmonic Hall and other venues in his hometown.

Andrei Ryabov unites jazz, blues, Latin and pop music styles with a spontaneous and tasteful approach to improvisation. He has firmly established himself as a performer of musical sensitivity and originality, and with his unique chord voicings and strong eloquent melodic style, he has developed a sound that is all his own.

• Bebop Express, with Richie Cole Alto Madness Orchestra (2008)
• Yesterdays, with Myrna Lake (2007)
• I never felt this way before, with Elina Vasiltchikova (2005)
• Back on Top, with Richie Cole Alto Madness Orchestra (2005)
• It's Easy to Remember, Andrei Ryabov Trio (2000)
• Trenton Style, with Richie Cole Alto Madness Orchestra (1999)
• Day Dream, Andrei Ryabov Quartet, Signature Sounds Recording Co. (1993)
• A Well Kept Secret, with Ted Levine, Signature Sounds Recording Co. (1993)
• Jazz At The Old Fortress, with Andrei Kondakov, Melodia (1992)
• Leningrad Alto Madness, with Richie Cole, Melodia (1990)
• Tête-à-tête, with Tiit Paulus, Melodia (1988)
• Stardust, with David Goloschekin, Melodia (1986)
• 15 Years Later, with David Goloschekin, Melodia (1984)

• Autumn Rhythms International Jazz Festival, St. Petersburg, Russia
• Basel Jazz Woche Festival, Switzerland
• Bright Moment Jazz Festival, Amherst, MA
• Debrezen Jazz Days Festival, Hungary
• Ford Detroit International Jazz Fest, Detroit, Michigan
• Jazz & Blues All Star Festival, Stockholm, Sweden
• Jazz & Blues International Festival, Tallinn, Estonia
• Jazz Kevat Festival, Kainuu, Finland
• Jazz Meetings Festival, Sofia, Bulgaria
• Jazz Ost-West, Nuremberg, Germany
• JVC Jazz Festival, New York City, NY
• Moscow International Jazz Festival, Russia
• Parnu International Jazz Festival, Estonia
• Summer Rhythms Jazz Festival, Riga, Latvia