It’s a little left for the famous jazzman Levon Malkhasyan (Malkhas), to pass the limit of 70 years, but he already announces everyone that he is 70 years old and looks at everything from the height of 70.
In the conversation with “Aravot”, he is living in Yerevan for 69 years, but it has not been that he was absent from his beloved city for 69 days in a row, although he has visited 35-40 countries with a “jazz.”
He considers that a man is happy with its achieved dreams. In his case, some dreams have already been achieved. He gets annoyed when he is called a “jazz daddy” or “jazz Grandpa”. Before me, there were jazzmen of older generation: Artemi Ayvazyan, Konstantin Orbelyan, Martin Vardazaryan, Stephan Shakaryan, Melik Mavisakalyan … How can one forget these people? Simply, all those names that I mentioned, had great orchestras, and I was the first to establish a trio in Yerevan, in BrusovUniversity (double bass Arthur Abrahamyan, drummer Armen Tutunjyan, pianist Levon Malkhasyan). After us, small groups like mushrooms began to grow.”
Levon Malkhasyan tells that he always wanted to be in the U.S., to be in “close touch” with jazz, and thanks to Henrik Igityan he visited this country in early 90-s. “I was so lucky that I appeared not in Los-Angeles but in New York and Washington. I went to many jazz clubs, I saw how they work, I listened to the stars, where it was possible, I played with black people …… my dream became true,”-tells Malkhas.
Then he continues: “I was dreaming of organizing an international festival with mega stars in Yerevan. I succeeded four times, in 1998, 2000, 2006, and 2008. My friends and I were able to bring almost all stars to Yerevan. My other dream was to own a jazz club, about which I dreamed of 30 years. And now, thanks to my two good friends I have the “Malkhas” jazz club. They were also dreaming of a jazz club. They are young men grown up in the center, they provided their home in Pushkin Street. And it has been 8 years, we are maintaining this club. I have another dream, I will not say…. It’s too early to speak about it.”
Our interlocutor from Yerevan does not like when people say unpleasant things about Yerevan, he considers the capital as his child, even though he always emphasizes that “there are few Yerevan natives left that would fit in a two-entrance apartment building.” “In my opinion, there are no defects in Yerevan, I treat Yerevan as my child, and who will see a defect in his child, well, we understood, problems with garbage, transport… but it is not alone that … I have always idealized Yerevan …. I love Yerevan, I am dedicated to my town. Even in the period of darkness, in the 90-s, I did not abandon Yerevan. I have a lot of titles and the highest state awards, but the most special one for me is being an honorary citizen of Yerevan. That’s why, recently, when during the days of Yerevan organized in St. Petersburg I was asked how to declare me, I said, an honorary citizen of Yerevan,”- smiles the jazzman, who considers himself “Yerevani sick”, but “not medical”. Is there a jazz generation? Or it is just popular, therefore people today are going to jazz club. “Jazz has never been popular, especially in Yerevan. Jazz has its own traditions. A while ago, I gave the names of people, whose work I continue since the beginning of the 60’s. Jazz is not a popular genre, life is one of the interpretations of jazz, how can life be popular,”- said Levon Malkhasyan.
And how about the qualifications that so-and-so is a palatial artist, so-and-so is a national. “I am for being in the art. When a man is born, God gives him a trench, and says, this is your trench. If you start deviating from your trench to the left or right, that’s not good. I am playing jazz for 50 years, and did not agree to any position…. when I was young I was getting many offers both higher and average positions, I refused to stay in music and be free. I was telling to some that I go to bed at six in the morning, because I am playing until then, I can not attend your meetings…. Then, every man should mind its own business, and more you get down to the work, better for you. As for palatial or popular, I have always considered myself a street man, I left my house when I was 16, so far I have not reached home… I mean I started playing when I was 16 years old.”
Levon Malkhasyan considers himself the student of renowned Oscar Peterson. “He has had a big influence on my music. I do not have any special musical education, but I have all CD-s of Oscar Peterson, and I was educated to them, he was a Tchaikovsky school, a Romanos Melikyan Music College, a Komitas Conservatory, and a Moscow Music School (at present Gnesin Institute) for me…. This person is everything together for me.”
We learned from the beloved jazzman that Raimonds Pauls recently accepted him in his summerhouse, who agreed to perform two concerts in Yerevan on October 11 and 12. During our conversation, we referred to the Armenian Music Week to be held on September 23-29 in Yerevan, in which Levon Malkhasyan is also involved. The Jazz Master called it a wonderful project, giving a special place to Mariam Merabova and her pianist husband. “We have no idea of the concert in the form of jam session, in participation of me, Armen Hyusnunts, Vahagn Hayrapetyan and more. Jam sessions are traditional throughout the world, I think it will be a very good concert, Merabova is also an interesting singer.”
Malkhas stated that Yerevan always had an interest jazz army, in the 60-s and thereafter. “Jazz is a required genre in Yerevan, the halls are always full. Moreover, they were full in 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and now. Playing jazz is a typical requirement to our nation.” The jazzman, who has seen many mayors, gives a special place to Grigor Hasratyan. He says he feels the city’s pulse, moreover, all interesting halls are open during Hasratyan, for example, the Museum of Modern Arts founded by Henrik Igityan, which was totally contrary to the ideology of time, and combines ‘dissident’ artists. “Jazz was not amiably accepted during those years, but we were not dissident like Moscow, and Leningrad. Do you know what was our honorarium in 60-70’s, to allow to play, but woe to that permit … In 67-68, when I said to the Secretary of the Regional Committee that I want to organize a city jazz festival, he said, – What? Close the door on the other side…” Talking about the features of Armenian jazz, the master said,- “It is not necessarily to put lute and duduk next to saxophone and say that it is an Armenian jazz… For example, when I am playing in other countries, 10 minutes later, even if I am playing an American play, people say that this man is from the East, this is the Armenian jazz”. Close to the end of the conversation, Levon Malkhasyan also talked about his two dreams: he desires to establish a jazz school – studio and to set up Armenian jazz anthology by the end of the year dedicated to the 75th anniversary of jazz. He would like to invite jazzmen of all times and different generations, and jokes. “Once one of theatrical professors said,- “Malkhas, if you do not compile the anthology, no one will do it, half of the artists is gone, the other half is dead, so you are left to compile it.”
Gohar HAKOBYAN
in the photo Raimonds Pauls and Levon Malkhasyan (from right)
