Very rarely am I surprised like I am with Yelena - somebody that comes out of nowhere with this much maturity, and experience, and musicality.
—Billy Hart
In 2010, jazz pianist Yelena Eckemoff made a brazen decision for the time. She would produce all of her albums independently, despite the interest major jazz labels had shown in representing her. Today—22 masterful albums featuring more than 50 world-class musicians later—Yelena’s artistic vision has come to fruition: an oeuvre of works completely her own.
Yelena understood early on that to communicate her musical vision, she would need a certain measure of creative freedom in her projects. As something of a renaissance woman, she had many tools of artistic self-expression at her disposal: expert pianism, unusual compositional insight, a gift for painting, and a poetic way with words. Independent production would allow her to make full use of all of these talents.
Based in rural North Carolina, Yelena’s musical understanding is truly international in scope. Born in the former Soviet Union and trained in its exacting musical pedagogy, her approach to music-making is both multi-cultural and universal: She pulls ideas from the beauty of nature, the depth of philosophical thought, and the resilience of human artistry across the ages. The result of these efforts has led to gigs throughout the US and Europe, presenting her music on prestigious stages and recording in some of the world’s best studios.
Given the breadth of her background and interests, Yelena can only approach composition through a unique fusion of stylistic languages: She is equally at home in jazz, rock, early music, classical, electronic, experimental, and world music. Her adventurous works—brought to life by the impressive cross-section of jazz masters with whom she collaborates—breathe with joy and excitement.
The critics have agreed. Over the years, Yelena has received superlative commentary on her work, not only in the press but from the prominent jazz musicians with whom she’s played.
For those who are new to Yelena’s music, her collection is waiting for the discovery of the thrilling first listen. And for those who know her work, it’s time to revisit her ever-expanding oeuvre in its entirety—there is so much there yet to discover.
“Yelena is very creative and she has a strong visual, or like a memory, that is associated with everything. And you can feel that in the way she writes and the music itself—that it awakens a feeling. That seems to be the center of where she is approaching music from, which I like a lot.” –Chris Potter
“She has a very romantic sense of harmony, which is unique and personal to her.” –Ben Monder
“It’s a new kind of music, and very high-level music.” –Peter Erskine
“You really have to hand it to Eckemoff. She’s quickly managed to create an enviable body of work that blends post-modern abstraction, classical thought, and jazz language into a seamless whole. There’s a fearlessness in her art that’s not always addressed in discussions of her work…she shows no signs of slowing down. The music continues to flow, and her well clearly runs deep.” –Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz
“Eckemoff’s music blurs the line between melody and improvisation, and between individual solos and ensemble interplay.” –Scott Yanow, DownBeat Magazine
“With a piano style that gracefully combines beautiful touch with aggressive bite, Eckemoff embraces the role of the searcher.“ –Bobby Reed, DownBeat Magazine
My early interest in composing programmatic music never dissipated. Having received a brilliant education as a concert pianist in the classical music world, I loved to prepare and perform classical music repertoire. But still, composing my own music not only seemed more important to me, but was a necessity that helped me to process my feelings and experiences. As a teenager, I started to branch out of the classical music world to learn about other musical styles, including rock and jazz. All these influences were reflected in my compositions, which I arranged for various instruments and voice. I was eagerly searching for different musicians to perform my music and after graduation from the Moscow State Conservatory—I even played piano in progressive rock and jazz-rock bands.
I decided to put my career on hold to start a family, and soon after I immigrated to the United States, with all of the challenges that involved. But I never stopped composing, and after immigration, while raising children, I built and began to work in a home MIDI studio. I became enthralled with the fascinating world of the new MIDI technology, experimenting with an amazing variety of sampled and synthesized instrumental sounds. These experiments resulted in several albums of my own compositions that incorporated many new ideas. But more and more, I felt the need to engage with live players.
Chance favors the prepared mind, they say. One day in 2009 I browsed MySpace and, on the page of the esteemed Danish bassist, Mads Vinding, read the words “Would you like to have my bass on your tracks?” Those words changed the world for me! Needless to say, I jumped on the opportunity and started to send Mads Vinding my piano tracks for his bass overdubs. It was so rewarding to hear the bass lines of this master player so tastefully interwoven with my piano parts! Soon, we recorded enough tracks for the album I had in mind. I decided to send some tracks to renowned drummer Peter Erskine, who, too, was accessible via the Internet. Peter liked what he heard and graciously agreed to overdub his drums onto the piano-bass tracks. And that’s how my first “proper” jazz album, Cold Sun, released on April 12, 2010, was born.
I was thrilled with the result. So much so, that I kept composing, recording and sending piano tracks to Mads, who pointed out that we’d already done more than an album’s worth (actually, over 70 minutes long). So, on July 26th, I released my second (74 minutes) album that year, Grass Catching the Wind, with Mads on bass and another great Danish musician, Morten Lund, on drums. Working with Mads Vinding was especially important for the beginning of my journey in the jazz world, as I learned an incredible amount from him and from our online collaboration, which lasted over a year.
Both of these releases received enough critical acclaim that I was encouraged to venture into a live recording session with Peter Erskine and a Polish-American bassist he recommended, Darek Olezskiewicz. That August, in Pasadena, California, we recorded Flying Steps, which was released in the same year, on December 12th. Three albums in one year, totaling 33 tracks and 3 hours and 42 minutes of new original music, and I absolutely loved how they sounded! This serendipitous turn of events is what propelled my music-making to new heights—I can hardly express the surprise and excitement that I felt at the time.
Since that super productive year, I’ve been writing, recording, and producing one or two albums annually under the auspices of my own label, L & H Production, co-owned with my ever-supportive husband and manager. When asked why I’ve been so prolific, I explain that I’ve been just compensating for not having a chance to work properly until 2009, when I started my musical engagement with maestro Mads Vinding.
I can’t describe how incredibly happy the journey of an independent recording producer makes me feel! On my own terms, I’ve been able to create all these conceptual albums designed to be different from one another, so no two are alike. I used my own paintings as the album artwork to illustrate my poetic or prose liner notes, written to describe the tracks or tell the album’s story. I’ve chosen, too, to work with a great variety of musicians, whether from the US and Europe. Intentionally, I have kept the lineup of musicians different from project to project and have collaborated with some of the greatest players in the field. It has also been important for me to deal with the best studios and sound engineers in bringing each project to life.
To see all these projects through to completion has required much dedication, discipline, and sacrifice. But as I look back over these 15 years—and the 22 albums I’ve launched into the world—I feel extremely fortunate to have succeeded as much as I have on this journey. This said, I am always looking for ways to evolve, and I’m always trying new things. So, I’m not nearly done. Sometimes it feels like I’m just warming up—perhaps the next turn of the spiral is beginning. I can’t help but wonder what next 15 years might bring.
Yelena understood early on that to communicate her musical vision, she would need a certain measure of creative freedom in her projects. As something of a renaissance woman, she had many tools of artistic self-expression at her disposal: expert pianism, unusual compositional insight, a gift for painting, and a poetic way with words. Independent production would allow her to make full use of all of these talents.
Based in rural North Carolina, Yelena’s musical understanding is truly international in scope. Born in the former Soviet Union and trained in its exacting musical pedagogy, her approach to music-making is both multi-cultural and universal: She pulls ideas from the beauty of nature, the depth of philosophical thought, and the resilience of human artistry across the ages. The result of these efforts has led to gigs throughout the US and Europe, presenting her music on prestigious stages and recording in some of the world’s best studios.
Given the breadth of her background and interests, Yelena can only approach composition through a unique fusion of stylistic languages: She is equally at home in jazz, rock, early music, classical, electronic, experimental, and world music. Her adventurous works—brought to life by the impressive cross-section of jazz masters with whom she collaborates—breathe with joy and excitement.
The critics have agreed. Over the years, Yelena has received superlative commentary on her work, not only in the press but from the prominent jazz musicians with whom she’s played.
For those who are new to Yelena’s music, her collection is waiting for the discovery of the thrilling first listen. And for those who know her work, it’s time to revisit her ever-expanding oeuvre in its entirety—there is so much there yet to discover.
Selected Accolades & Comments
“Very rarely am I surprised like I am with Yelena—somebody that comes out of nowhere with this much maturity, and experience, and musicality.” –Billy Hart“Yelena is very creative and she has a strong visual, or like a memory, that is associated with everything. And you can feel that in the way she writes and the music itself—that it awakens a feeling. That seems to be the center of where she is approaching music from, which I like a lot.” –Chris Potter
“She has a very romantic sense of harmony, which is unique and personal to her.” –Ben Monder
“It’s a new kind of music, and very high-level music.” –Peter Erskine
“You really have to hand it to Eckemoff. She’s quickly managed to create an enviable body of work that blends post-modern abstraction, classical thought, and jazz language into a seamless whole. There’s a fearlessness in her art that’s not always addressed in discussions of her work…she shows no signs of slowing down. The music continues to flow, and her well clearly runs deep.” –Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz
“Eckemoff’s music blurs the line between melody and improvisation, and between individual solos and ensemble interplay.” –Scott Yanow, DownBeat Magazine
“With a piano style that gracefully combines beautiful touch with aggressive bite, Eckemoff embraces the role of the searcher.“ –Bobby Reed, DownBeat Magazine
Personal statement by Yelena Eckemoff: Thoughts On My Musical Journey Into Independent Artistry
Music has surrounded me since my very beginning, as my mother was a professional pianist and teacher. I started to play piano by ear around four years of age and made up my own little pieces about things like fish in the pond, birds in the forest, and squirrels cracking nuts, which my mother wrote down (and dated) in a music notebook that I still have in my possession.My early interest in composing programmatic music never dissipated. Having received a brilliant education as a concert pianist in the classical music world, I loved to prepare and perform classical music repertoire. But still, composing my own music not only seemed more important to me, but was a necessity that helped me to process my feelings and experiences. As a teenager, I started to branch out of the classical music world to learn about other musical styles, including rock and jazz. All these influences were reflected in my compositions, which I arranged for various instruments and voice. I was eagerly searching for different musicians to perform my music and after graduation from the Moscow State Conservatory—I even played piano in progressive rock and jazz-rock bands.
I decided to put my career on hold to start a family, and soon after I immigrated to the United States, with all of the challenges that involved. But I never stopped composing, and after immigration, while raising children, I built and began to work in a home MIDI studio. I became enthralled with the fascinating world of the new MIDI technology, experimenting with an amazing variety of sampled and synthesized instrumental sounds. These experiments resulted in several albums of my own compositions that incorporated many new ideas. But more and more, I felt the need to engage with live players.
Chance favors the prepared mind, they say. One day in 2009 I browsed MySpace and, on the page of the esteemed Danish bassist, Mads Vinding, read the words “Would you like to have my bass on your tracks?” Those words changed the world for me! Needless to say, I jumped on the opportunity and started to send Mads Vinding my piano tracks for his bass overdubs. It was so rewarding to hear the bass lines of this master player so tastefully interwoven with my piano parts! Soon, we recorded enough tracks for the album I had in mind. I decided to send some tracks to renowned drummer Peter Erskine, who, too, was accessible via the Internet. Peter liked what he heard and graciously agreed to overdub his drums onto the piano-bass tracks. And that’s how my first “proper” jazz album, Cold Sun, released on April 12, 2010, was born.
I was thrilled with the result. So much so, that I kept composing, recording and sending piano tracks to Mads, who pointed out that we’d already done more than an album’s worth (actually, over 70 minutes long). So, on July 26th, I released my second (74 minutes) album that year, Grass Catching the Wind, with Mads on bass and another great Danish musician, Morten Lund, on drums. Working with Mads Vinding was especially important for the beginning of my journey in the jazz world, as I learned an incredible amount from him and from our online collaboration, which lasted over a year.
Both of these releases received enough critical acclaim that I was encouraged to venture into a live recording session with Peter Erskine and a Polish-American bassist he recommended, Darek Olezskiewicz. That August, in Pasadena, California, we recorded Flying Steps, which was released in the same year, on December 12th. Three albums in one year, totaling 33 tracks and 3 hours and 42 minutes of new original music, and I absolutely loved how they sounded! This serendipitous turn of events is what propelled my music-making to new heights—I can hardly express the surprise and excitement that I felt at the time.
Since that super productive year, I’ve been writing, recording, and producing one or two albums annually under the auspices of my own label, L & H Production, co-owned with my ever-supportive husband and manager. When asked why I’ve been so prolific, I explain that I’ve been just compensating for not having a chance to work properly until 2009, when I started my musical engagement with maestro Mads Vinding.
I can’t describe how incredibly happy the journey of an independent recording producer makes me feel! On my own terms, I’ve been able to create all these conceptual albums designed to be different from one another, so no two are alike. I used my own paintings as the album artwork to illustrate my poetic or prose liner notes, written to describe the tracks or tell the album’s story. I’ve chosen, too, to work with a great variety of musicians, whether from the US and Europe. Intentionally, I have kept the lineup of musicians different from project to project and have collaborated with some of the greatest players in the field. It has also been important for me to deal with the best studios and sound engineers in bringing each project to life.
To see all these projects through to completion has required much dedication, discipline, and sacrifice. But as I look back over these 15 years—and the 22 albums I’ve launched into the world—I feel extremely fortunate to have succeeded as much as I have on this journey. This said, I am always looking for ways to evolve, and I’m always trying new things. So, I’m not nearly done. Sometimes it feels like I’m just warming up—perhaps the next turn of the spiral is beginning. I can’t help but wonder what next 15 years might bring.
Yelena Eckemoff’s Discography for L&H Production
- Cold Sun (2010) – with Mads Vinding and Peter Erskine
- Grass Catching the Wind (2010) – with Mads Vinding and Morten Lund
- Flying Steps (2010) – with Darek Oleszkiewicz and Peter Erskine
- Forget-me-not (2011) – with Mats Eilertsen and Marilyn Mazur
- Glass Song (2013) – with Arild Andersen and Peter Erskine
- A Touch of Radiance (2014) – with Mark Turner, Joe Locke, George Mraz and Billy Hart
- Lions (2015) – with Arild Andersen and Billy Hart
- Everblue (2015) – with Tore Brunborg, Arild Andersen and Jon Christensen
- Leaving Everything Behind (2016) – with Mark Feldman, Ben Street and Billy Hart
- Blooming Tall Phlox (2017) – with Verneri Pohjola, Panu Savolainen, Antti Lotjonen and Olavi Louhivuori
- In The Shadow of a Cloud (2017) – with Chris Potter, Adam Rogers, Drew Gress and Gerald Cleaver
- Lions Live in New York (2018) – with Arild Andersen and Billy Hart
- Desert (2018) – with Paul McCandless, Arild Andersen and Peter Erskine
- Better Than Gold and Silver (2018) – with Ralph Alessi, Adam Rogers, Drew Gress and Joey Baron
- Colors (2019) – with Manu Katche
- Nocturnal Animals (2020) – with Arild Andersen, Thomas Stronen and Jon Christensen
- Adventures of the Wildflower (2021) – with Jukka Perko, Jarmo Saari, Panu Savolainen, Antti Lotjonen and Olavi Louhivuori
- I Am a Stranger in This World (2022) – with Ralph Alessi, Adam Rogers, Drew Gress and Nasheet Waits
- Colors Live at Kito Bremen (2022) – piano solo
- Lonely Man and His Fish (2023) – with Kirk Knuffke, Masaru Koga, Ben Street and Eric Harland
- Romance of the Moon (2024) – with Paolo Fresu, Luca Bulgarelli and Stefano Bagnoli
- Scenes from the Dark Ages (2025) – with Riccardo Bertuzzi, Carlo Nicita, Eloisa Manera, Riccardo Oliva and Trilok Gurtu
For more information contact Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity.
