Arkady Shilkloper
& BGF Big Band
“Whale Songs”
(Jazzist, 2025)

Coming soon on all streaming platforms

1. Phiga
2. Alpine Sketch
3. Tribute
4. Wupper
5. Crested Butte Mountain
6. Robin
7. Cobra
8. Funk Horn
9. Torn Bag

Arkady Shilkloper: horn (3, 4, 7), alphorn (2, 5, 6, 8, 9), kuhlohorn (1)

BFG Big Band (Khusain Akhmetov Bashkortostan State Philarmony Jazz Orchestra)
Oleg Kasimov: saxophones, art director, bandleader
Anton Salnikov: alto saxophone
Daniil Kasimov: alto saxophone
Albert Khatymov: tenor saxophone
Alexander Lenkov: tenor saxophone
Konstantin Ukradyzhenko: baritone saxophone
Marat Valeev: trumpet
Faiz Sabitov: trumpet
Artur Gimaev: trumpet
Artur Sirazitdinov: trumpet
Baris Nizamutdinov: trumpet
Zagir Lasynov: trombone
Ilmir Yunusov: trombone
Gazim Nabiullin: trombone
Azamat Abdrakhmanov: bass trombone
Anton Antonov: guitar
Oleg Yangurov: bass guitar, double bass
Igor Atapin: piano
Vyacheslav Shumilov: drums
Rustem Karimov: percussion

Soloists
Phiga: Artur Gimaev
Alpine Sketch: Oleg Kasimov
Wupper: Vyacheslav Shumilov and Oleg Kasimov
Robin: Ilmir Yunusov
Сobra: Anton Salnikov and Anton Antonov
Funk Horn: Oleg Kasimov and Faiz Sabitov
Torn Bag: Igor Atapin

Music by Arkady Shilkloper

Arrangements
Phiga: Arkady Shilkloper and Michael Abene
Alpine Sketch: George Gorbov
Tribute: Peter Nazaretov
Wupper: Arkady Shilkloper
Crested Butte Mountain: Peter Nazaretov
Robin: Peter Nazaretov and John Wolf Brennan
Сobra: Florian Ross
Funk Horn: Arkady Shilkloper and Wolfgang Schmidtke
Torn Bag: Arkady Shilkloper and Michael Abene

BGF Big Band recorded at the Khusain Akhmetov Bashkortostan State Philarmony, Ufa. Horn, alphorn and kuhlohorn recorded at Lumen Studio, Ufa. Recorded, edited, mixed and mastered by Mikhail Kuzmichev.

Cover art by Jazzist
Executive producer: Araik Hakobyan

Arkady Shilkloper plays a horn by Engelbert Schmid, an alphorn by Hans Thaler and a kuhlohorn by Fritz Lüttke.

“I would like to thank the Bashkortostan State Philarmony executive team, the big band and Oleg Kasimov, Mikhail Kuzmichev and Lumen Studio, Araik Hakobyan, Lev Borovkov and Mark Nussbaumer/Tatyana Krivenda.”
Arkady Shilkloper

“Thanks to Lumen for providing the equipment and studio for recording.”
Mikhail Kuzmichev

Jazzist, 2025
JZT 023

---