Ivan Smirnov (guitar player)

Ivan Nikolayevich Smirnov (Иван Николаевич Смирнов; 9 September 1955 in Moscow, USSR – 15 November 2018) was regarded as one of the greatest guitar players in Russia. He was proficient in many different styles, such as fusion, world, Russian folk, folk-jazz, and new flamenco. Smirnov lived in Russia and played with musicians such as Mikhail Smirnov, Sergey Klevensky, Dmitry Safonov, and Aleksei Kozlov.

Affiliations

 * 1975—1979: Moscow's fusion group Second Breath (Второе дыхание).
 * 1979−1983: Experimental electronic music ensemble Boomerang  (Бумеранг) under direction of Eduard Artemyev.
 * 1983: Vocal Instrumental Ensemble Blue Guitars (Голубые Гитары).
 * 1984−1990: Jazz-rock ensemble Arsenal (Арсенал) under direction of Aleksei Kozlov.
 * 1990: Work under his own music projects, concerts with his own group, composing music for the cinema and studio work.

Recognition

 * The Best Guitar Player of the year (1995, Russia, Music Box Journal Professional Request).
 * The Best Guitar Player of the year (1996, Russia, Music Box Journal Professional Request).
 * The Best Fusion Guitar Player (1994, Russia, Jam (Джем) television program, Jury: Allan Holdsworth, Steve Lukather, Scott Henderson, Bruce Kulick).
 * The Best Guitar Player (1994, Russia, Totals-94  (Итоги-94) Professional Request).

Solo work

 * 1996 Merry-go-Round Man  (Карусельный дед), CD/MC, — Music Box records. MB0001-2.
 * 1999 At the other end of the world  (За тридевять земель), CD / MC, — Smirnov Records.  ISCD 99-001.
 * 2003 The Land Where The Sun Slumbers  (Страна, где ночует солнце), live  in  Le Club  (Russia), 2 CD/МС, — Sketis records.  ISMC 99-001.

Collaborations

 * 1986 Arsenal  ensemble,  Pulse-3  (Пульс-3) — LP record,  Melodiya  record company С60.23883009
 * 1991 Arsenal  ensemble,  Arsenal 5  (Арсенал 5), LP,  Melodiya  record company.
 * 1991 Arsenal  ensemble,  Arsenal 6  (Арсенал 6), LP,  Melodiyya record company.
 * 1989—1991 Aleksei Kozlov and Arsenal ensemble, CD, Melodiya  record company USSR SUCD 60-00 134.
 * 1997 Aleksei  Kozlov and  Arsenal  ensemble  Burned by time  (Опалённые временем) 4 CD, —  IT  company/A. Kozlov. CDRDM 711194, CDRDM 711795, CDRDM 712196, CDRDM 712199.
 * 1998 Intermezzo Hand Made Work, CD, — Smakauz production. SP.01 98.
 * 2001 Virtuoso parallels  (Параллели Виртуозов) / 10 years of  ELKO Technology  company, CD, Limited Edition, — RGB ELKO.
 * 2002 Guitar players of Russia  (Гитаристы России), the set of the best guitar players of Russia, CD, — special edition of the publishing house  Salun AV  (Салон AV  in Russian).
 * 2002 These guys with the guitar  (Эти парни с гитарой), the set of the best guitar players of Russia, CD, — special edition of the publishing house  Salun AV  (Салон AV), CD, 1994 — Strings records STR 001 2.
 * 2004 Crimean Holiday  (Крымские каникулы). Mikhail Smirnov, Ivan Smirnov. CD.

Music

 * music.download.com

Video
Washburn Days In Russia / featuring: Michael Angelo (U.S.), Ivan Smirnov, Timur Quitelashvili (Тимур Квителашвили in Russian), Igor Boiko, Dmitry Maloletov, Dmitry Chetvergov / VHS-cassette, 1995 Music Box Records MB 002-3.

Literature

 * Aleksandr Alekseev. Who is who in Russian rock music.  AST: Astrel: Harvest, 2009.   — p. 446-448. — ISBN 978-5-17-048654-0 (AST). — ISBN 978-5-271-24160-4 (Astrel). — ISBN 978-985-16-7343-4 (Harvest).