Jazz
Germany
Kool&Klean
More albums from Kool&Klean
About Kool&Klean
Hometown
Germany
Formed
February 15, 2010
Genre
Jazz
A crossover jazz and electronica project, Kool & Klean is the studio creation of Ukrainian-born/Germany-based saxophonist Konstantin Klashtorni. Since he debuted the project in 2010, Klashtorni has issued a steady stream of Kool & Klean albums including 2011's Volume II, 2014's Volume V, and 2017's Volume VII.
Born in 1971 in Korosten in northern Ukraine, Klashtorni grew up with three older siblings, the son of an engineer father and music teacher mother. At age nine, his mother enrolled him in the local music school, where he started on clarinet. By his early teens, he had switched to saxophone and eventually enrolled at the R. Glier Kiev Institute of Music. It was there that he first discovered jazz. After graduating, he traveled Venezuela, where he developed a love for Latin traditions, playing with performers like Soledad Bravo, Andres Briceno, Gilberto Santa Rosa, and more. Returning to Europe, he furthered his studies at the Rotterdam Conservatory and eventually earned his Masters of Music Arts from the Royal Conservatory of the Hague. From there he moved to Germany, where -- influenced by artists like David Sanborn, Gerald Albright, and Kenny Garrett -- he made his solo debut with 2003's Downtown. The similarly inclined crossover album Led by You followed in 2006.
After building his home studio, Klashtorni began looking for ways to diversify his recorded output and create more avenues by which to explore different sounds. He launched his own YouTube channel, Smooth Jazz Loft, and realized the potential for issuing albums under different names. In 2010, he released his first album under the Kool & Klean moniker, Volume I, drawing upon the influence of artists like Paul Hardcastle, Brian Culbertson, Dave Koz, and others. More well-received volumes followed including 2012's Volume III, 2014's Volume V, and 2017's Volume VII. Along with Kool & Klean, Klashtorni has issued albums under his own name in the Smooth Jazz series, and under the Groove Jazz N Chill title series. In 2019, he returned to the Kool & Klean series with Volume VIII. ~ Matt Collar
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