Jersika’s first trombonist

Vadims Dmitrijevs: life’s coincidences that resulted in a Jersika Records vinyl

At the very beginning of July, Jersika Records released an album that became the first in the label’s history to feature a trombonist as the bandleader. For Jersika, it was a premiere; for modern Latvia, not entirely — there had been several albums by Laura Amantova before — but overall, the trombone is not the most common soloist’s instrument. Yes, we all know Nils Landgren, who has performed in Latvia multiple times with the Latvian Radio Big Band; Fred Wesley, who played at the Saulkrasti Jazz Festival this summer; and Aubrie Logan, whose performances we are still awaiting. But when it comes to local artists, it’s challenging to recall trombonists who are not only ensemble players, but also leaders, soloists, and composers. Somehow, the trombone has consistently maintained its role as part of the section rather than taking the spotlight.

That is slowly changing, though — and the fact that the trombone now has another record to its name is thanks to Vadims Dmitrijevs, who wrote the music and gathered the ensemble; thanks to Latvian Radio for supporting the project and enabling the group to come together and perform; thanks to M/Darbnīca for providing the stage for the concert recording; and thanks to Mareks Ameriks and Mārtiņš Krastiņš for recording and releasing the album, titled Integration.

On June 6,2024, Jersika Records released this LP, featuring:
Vadims Dmitrijevs – trombone, composer
Kamil Husyainov – tenor saxophone
Sophia Oster – pian
Timon Kraemer – double bass
Bastian Menz – drums

The record contains five compositions: Integration, Tea for Timon, The Hunt (by Timon Kraemer), Looking Back, and How Little I Knew (by Buggy Braune).

The album was presented during the Rīgas Ritmi Festival at the floating gallery NOASS, where Jersika Records artists have performed for several years as part of the «Jersika Stage» program. That evening, we sat down with Vadims to talk about the record, the music, and more.

Congratulations on the release! Tell us about the project — who are these musicians, and what kind of music is it?

Basically, when I went to Hamburg to start my Master’s studies, I decided it was time to form a group. For the first half-year, I thought a lot about which direction to take — should I go towards funk and play something for the crowd, or should I commit to jazz? At the same time, I was trying to compose, but nothing really worked out.

Then in December, a miracle happened — I wrote Looking Back, which turned out to be a real hard-bop piece. I immediately knew the musicians I wanted to feature, and I quickly arranged for them to join me. We tried out the program, and it sounded truly great!

Initially, we had a quartet consisting of Sophia, Timon, and Bastian. Later, saxophonist Kamil — a very close friend and one with whom I play in other projects — joined us. He’s what you might call a «power sax.» In the next semester, I wrote four more jazz compositions.

I was studying composition with Wolf Kerschek, a Guinness World Record holder (conductor of the world’s most enormous orchestra — over 7,000 people in a stadium!), head of the Jazz Department at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre, composer, and regular conductor of the NDR Big Band. He really liked my pieces and strongly supported me.

This became the lineup for my Master’s recital concert. The compositions were ready, and that same year, I was invited to participate in a showcase concert series at M/Darbnīca. I immediately thought of this quintet. Around the same time, I was asked to record a concert program for the Latvian Radio archives. Latvian Radio covered our trip to Riga. We spent two days recording in the studio, and on the third day we played — and also recorded — a concert at M/Darbnīca. The chemistry was fantastic, and that’s how the album came to be.

After that, we kept working together — we performed at the Elbjazz Festival in Hamburg, where trumpeter Charlie Potter from New York joined us. I also began using these compositions in other settings. I’ve played them in Denmark, the Netherlands, and even Georgia with local musicians, and I realized they sound just as good in a quartet setting. That’s why, for today’s concert at Rīgas Ritmi, we’re performing with this lineup.

And what happened with the recordings for the Latvian Radio archives?

They’re now stored in the Radio archives. The idea was that they sent me to the European Radio Jazz Orchestra project in Cologne, where I represented Latvia. It was a fantastic project — we played two concerts, featuring musicians from all across Europe. I formed many close connections, and I still keep in touch with many of them.

We performed at the Stadtgarten, which is one of the most renowned jazz venues in Europe. That concert was broadcast across Europe on stations including the BBC, Radio France, WDR, and others. When I returned, I had complete freedom to propose something for Latvian Radio in return. I told them I had this project in Germany and could bring it over — and they agreed.

Are all the compositions on the record yours?

No, the album has five tracks, three of which are mine. One piece, The Hunt, is by bassist Timon Kraemer — it’s a ballad. Another ballad is a symbolic choice: How Little I Knew by our professor, pianist Buggy Braune, a jam session legend who writes beautiful music. He’s also a very special personality. I’ve learned a great deal from him, and I really love that tune. It has a bit of a gospel feel, and I specifically wanted something like that to close the program. With his permission, we perform it.

The other three pieces are mine: Integration, Tea for Timon, and Looking Back.

Did you want to release the album yourself, or was it Mareks [Ameriks] who suggested it?

We played a concert as part of a compilation LP, and afterwards Mareks came up to me and said the whole concert had been recorded and sounded very good, so maybe it may be worth releasing it as a separate record. I told him I’d think about it. Then I went to the Jersika studio and listened to the recording. I really liked it, but I also took the digital version back to Hamburg, where the whole band listened together. Everyone agreed to release it. So yes — actually, it was Marek’s initiative.

What was it like, the experience of releasing an album on vinyl? How did it feel?

Very interesting! First of all, it’s my label debut, and the feeling is entirely different from producing and releasing your own music independently. The label takes care of everything, and you’re just the name on the cover. Essentially, the label does all the work, which feels great. As I mentioned before, nowadays many musicians are excellent artistically but not very strong in business, and that’s something I’m now learning: how to manage myself better. Seeing how a label handles things is really impressive.

The second moment is hearing yourself on vinyl. That’s a fascinating feeling. Additionally, it is worth noting that in Latvia, vinyl albums by jazz trombonists are scarce. It’s an honor to be one of the few cases. You could say I’m the first jazz trombonist in Latvia in this role.

The first ever?

Well, as a composer and bandleader, yes. And of course, I’m also the first trombonist on Jersika. I like the idea that maybe I’m also helping to popularize the instrument a little. I want to showcase the possibilities of the trombone to Latvian listeners, as many of them aren’t accustomed to hearing it.

Let’s be honest — the trombone is not the most popular instrument. However, it’s now becoming more popular, which is terrific. Before, there was maybe just one trombonist in the spotlight — and that’s precisely what I explored in my Master’s thesis. In Soviet times, there were practically no trombone soloists. Maybe someone played Dixieland, but otherwise… neither in Latvia, nor in the Baltics, nor in Belarus. I researched this and concluded that, over the past hundred years, there have been only about eight to ten notable jazz trombonists across four countries.

Over a hundred years!?

Yes — jazz trombonists who played as soloists in small ensembles and led their own groups.

Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Belarus — that’s quite an unusual list. Why include Belarus?

Because it’s exciting to me, I only recently got to know Belarusian culture, about a year and a half or two ago. I was fascinated by how similar it is to Baltic culture. Although they speak Russian, their cultural heritage is closely tied to Lithuania and Latvia, as the two countries historically shared the same territory.

You mean the Soviet era?

No — the Russian Empire, and even earlier, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Their culture is just as «pagan,» if I can put it that way, as ours, and their statehood has existed for just as long. In 1918, they also began forming something new. It was interesting to explore. Of course, I’d also like to research Russia, but it’s too big to figure out how many jazz trombonists there are. Ukraine is another story — there’s a big jazz school there, it’s a large country, and it leans more toward the south.

But the truth is: trombonists are very few, and their impact has been minimal. The trombone has never been the most popular instrument in jazz, and vinyl records by trombonists hardly ever reached the Baltics during Soviet times.

That’s why I feel a deep sense of satisfaction in playing and representing this instrument on vinyl. Even if it’s not a studio album but a live recording — and not always perfect — I’m pleased with it as it is. I love the raw energy it conveys. It’s fascinating to see my name on a vinyl record, and I’m glad it’s available at M/Darbnīca, Upe, and Rīgas Ritmi.

Now you have two albums. What are your observations about your development when comparing the two works?

That’s a fascinating question, because I actually recorded the second album almost two years ago. I think it depends a lot on my state of mind. I’m an emotional person, like every artist, and if I’m feeling low or a bit depressed, when I listen back, I get the impression I haven’t developed at all. But when I’m in a better mood, I feel that yes — I have grown. I’m getting older, wiser, and more experienced.

I’ve gone through different life situations, both good and bad, and I’ve had the chance to play with excellent musicians. That experience definitely reflects in each new work I write. My first project, Chapter One, was fully self-produced, and I tried to include all my influences and create a diverse mix of genres. Here, with Integration, I go fully in the jazz direction.

Interestingly, while writing Chapter One, I was already thinking about future projects. I thought it would be cool to release a small album from each genre, but I forgot about that idea. It turns out that my first EP is jazz — and maybe the next will be R&B, then funk. I don’t know yet, but I feel I’m on the right path and in the proper flow. I’m convinced the next project will be even better. Every new project is always better than the previous one.

Do you already have plans for the future? Will there be a third album?

Matīss Čudars has a great composition called Biezi plāni («Thick Plans»), and I also have my own thick plans! I plan to work hard, spend more time here in Latvia, take advantage of all the opportunities available, and continue to work intensively in music. I really like electronic genres.

I think in jazz there are two main paths — you can go toward the academic side, or toward popular music. I don’t really see myself as a super serious musician who loves deep philosophies and very avant-garde, experimental things. I prefer writing and playing music that people can listen to while walking through the city, allowing them to enjoy life simply.

That’s what I want to focus on: developing my music, building it up, and expanding my name both in Latvia and internationally.