Leonid Ptashka, pianist and composer, was born in 1964 in Baky. He began to study piano at the age of 4, at the age of 14 he started performing at a professional scene. Finished Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow he spread far beyond in the Russian Jazz circuit. His debut album Flight of Fantasy (1984) was a massive seller by jazz terms.
Taking jazz into the worlds of ethnic jazz and improvisation on traditional main-stream, Ptashka has established himself as a virtuoso instrumentalist, a brilliant performer and an artist passionately committed to his music. Through the years, combining acoustic piano, electronics and synthesizer keyboard instruments, he has refined his expressiveness and developed an impressive technique. Performing as a soloist Ptashka played Recital concerts all over the world, including solo recital in Carnegy Concert Hall New York (1988), Boston University Concert Hall (1988), Los Angeles Country Museum of Art (1989). Later on Leonid Ptashka continues his concert tours in France, Yugoslavia, West Germany, Italy.

The intensive concert appearances were combined with musician’s participation in big jazz contests. By the year of his immigration to Israel (1990), Ptashka had received 17 national awards in Jazz. At the international Pianist contest in Kalish, Poland (1987) Ptashka was the first Soviet jazz pianist who was awarded the second prize and got the main award of the Pagart Record Company. He won the first prize in the Pianist Competition in Los Angeles (1988), the special prize at the Jazz Pianist Competition in France (1989), and the first prize in Eilat Jazz Festival in Israel (1991).

Leonid Ptashka recorded and produced 7 records in Russia, USA (Mobile Fidelity Company), Israel 1996 (NMC Company) (see discography). Immigrated to Israel he immediately joined the forefront of the Israeli Jazz scene, performing, teaching and conducting. Since then he has formed and lead several bands in the country.

Leonid Ptashka is a founder & artistic director of International Jazz Festivals in Israel that are taking place since 1994 in different cities across the country . “Jazz in Winter” in 1998 , “Jazzland” in 2001, “25 years & only Jazz” 2002 (see productions) were the most unforgettable ones .

In 2000 he was included into the prestigious list of “100 outstanding musicians of the 20-th century” that was combined by the American Biographical Institute.

In 2003 he received The Medal of Israeli Parlament- Kneset as a state recognition of his achievements & contribution to the country.

Since 2003 Ptashka is a host of popular international television Music Show “ The Night Bird” (Ptashka in Russian is a bird) (See The Night Bird).

He continues to participate in Jazz festivals all over the world and his career includes work with legendary musicians from the first line such as: Larry Porter, Benny Carter, Joan Brekin, Tom Lee, James Newton, Edd Tickepen, Al Foster, Dusco Goikovich ,Freddie Hubbard, Herb Alpert.

Leonid Ptashka plays with powerful intensity, sophisticated technique and remarkable sensitivity.

Paths is constantly continuing to innovate and to renew his repertoire (see news) and styles

Originally born in Moscow and hailing from Israel, for the past 9 years Yaacov Mayman has been contributing his unique musical voice to the vibrant New York Jazz scene, equally earning high praise, as from his peers and musical critics, as from his multi-faceted audience. He has recently released his highly acclaimed debut album “Watercolors” that features some of the most prominent and re-known Jazz musicians today, such as trumpeter Alex Sipiagin and bassist Boris Kozlov. Yaacov has been indulging audiences nationally and internationally in his fascinating performances with powerful, warm sound, dazzling virtuosity, daring interaction and outstanding musicality, accompanied by an impeccable lineup of hard-swinging and powerfully driving rhythm sections.

Yaacov has performed and/or recorded with such Jazz greats, as Latin-Jazz pianist Ray Santiago, bassist Avishai Cohen, percussionist Anthony Carillo, trumpeters Avishai Cohen, Joey Morant and the legendary member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers Valery Ponomarev, drummers Darrel Green, Kim Thompson and Jerome Jennings, guitarist Bruce Edwards, pianist Edsel Gomez, saxophonists Ed Jackson and legendary Arnie Lawrence, vocalists Michelle Volker and Grace Garland. As well, he has been collaborating with world re-known concert cellist Borislav Strulev. Yaacov has performed in such venues, as Birdland, Blue Note, Smalls, Apollo Theater, Carnegie Hall, 55Bar, Smoke, Le-Club and festivals, such as JVC Jazz Festival, Playboy Jazz Festival, Red Sea Jazz Festival, Russian International Jazz Festival, Heineken Jazz Festival, NY Latin Jazz Festival, Massachusetts Jazz Festival and Connecticut Jazz Festival.

Yaacov Mayman is a many-sided composer, whose music incorporates his strong influences by John Coltrane and Dexter Gordon, his deep roots in Be-Bop and his exposure to World, Israeli folk and Classical music into one fresh, unique and original style, full of punchy, unpredictable rhythm riffs, inspiring melodic twists and touching lyricism, all above breath-taking metric kaleidoscope.

His quartet has been conquering audience’s hearts, leaving listeners on the tips of their toes all the way through his exciting performances around USA and abroad and is currently maintaining a busy tour schedule, making New York City its home.

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