Zen Buddhist monks maintain records of historic teachers who have passed the Dharma, the principle or law that orders the universe, from generation to generation, in an unbroken line since the time of the Buddha. This lineage of ancestors provides both the foundation and validation of the Zen experience for today’s practitioners.
The same can be said of Jazz, for over the course of the last century, our tribal elders, largely African Americans, have created music that still orders a unique musical universe. These remarkable progenitors, with names like Armstrong, Ellington, Parker and Coltrane, have crafted a system for spontaneous creativity that has become a global form of expression. Not surprisingly, the remarkable musical discipline we call Jazz is now practiced by countless artists worldwide. Sans the limelight of the commercial media, scores of listeners and musicians have embraced Jazz. And like the practice of Zen, Jazz is best appreciated and played by those who have both an understanding of, and respect for, the extraordinary lineage of Jazz masters. Russian born guitarist Ilya Lushtak has dedicated his life to the understanding and propagation of Jazz. As a young man, first in the Soviet Union, and later in San Francisco, he discovered the Jazz Masters and soon began a lifelong quest of study and dissemination of American’s homegrown musical art.
read more
Zen Buddhist monks maintain records of historic teachers who have passed the Dharma, the principle or law that orders the universe, from generation to generation, in an unbroken line since the time of the Buddha. This lineage of ancestors provides both the foundation and validation of the Zen experience for today’s practitioners.
The same can be said of Jazz, for over the course of the last century, our tribal elders, largely African Americans, have created music that still orders a unique musical universe. These remarkable progenitors, with names like Armstrong, Ellington, Parker and Coltrane, have crafted a system for spontaneous creativity that has become a global form of expression. Not surprisingly, the remarkable musical discipline we call Jazz is now practiced by countless artists worldwide. Sans the limelight of the commercial media, scores of listeners and musicians have embraced Jazz. And like the practice of Zen, Jazz is best appreciated and played by those who have both an understanding of, and respect for, the extraordinary lineage of Jazz masters. Russian born guitarist Ilya Lushtak has dedicated his life to the understanding and propagation of Jazz. As a young man, first in the Soviet Union, and later in San Francisco, he discovered the Jazz Masters and soon began a lifelong quest of study and dissemination of American’s homegrown musical art.
This quest has resulted in both lessons and working relationships with the living Jazz masters, and the creation of Lineage Records. “Even as a kid in Russia,” Ilya recalls, “Jazz spoke to me instantly, and I’ve wanted to play it ever since I can remember. But hearing guitarist Wes Montgomery, man, that really changed my life and it’s never been the same.”
After nearly two decades of study, both in the shed, and with such teachers as Dr. Barry Harris, as well as performances in the US, with Montgomery’s organist Melvin Rhyne, and in Russia with visiting legends and local musicians, Ilya believes that “my playing is starting to reflect what I hear.” Following a rather circuitous path that eventually led to New York City, the Jazz Mecca of Planet Earth, Lustak’s love for the lineage of Jazz, particularly the living masters, soon led to a new role, producing. Formal studies with Dr. Harris served as the catalyst for a his new role, and he soon began presenting the Detroit Bebop Master in a series of Sunday concerts at Fat Cat, a popular club noted for its laid back demeanor. One thing led to another and soon other Masters were presented as well, including Frank Wess, Jimmy Cobb and Hank Jones. The Sunday sessions proved to be quite popular, and helped to further develop Ilya’s collaborations with the Jazz Masters.
Thanks to the support of his family, Ilya parlayed these relationships into something more, a record label, Lineage Records. “My mission is to document our living Masters, on both audio and video recordings, using state-of-the-art technology.” A working member of the downtown Jazz scene, Ilya Lushtak began devoting his time and money to building a record label that would both document the Masters, as well as present their music in a way that respects the tradition, while utilizing modern recording techniques to share these recordings with current and future generations.
In addition to the initial release of CDs, Lineage has also recorded a series of Video Master Classes, that will be released on both DVD and as downloads on the web. “It’s important,” he explains, that we take this music and bring it into the digital age, using the most advanced audio and video, as well as digital distribution. The music perfectly represents the tradition. What Lineage Records does is take that tradition and bring it straight into the 21 Century, with digital distribution via the web.”
show less