For someone who doesn't know about you, please give our readers a brief synopsis of yourself as an artist.

PA ~ When did you take up your artistry and how long have you been involved with it?

EM- I've got musical education in Russia. Began piano lessons at age of 5, than 8 years of school of music, 4 years of college of Mussorgsky and 3 years of Conservatory of Rimsky-Korsakov. After 17 yo, I discovered jazz and I focused on jazz ever since.

PA ~ Musically, how would you describe your sound/genre?

EM-  I'm bad with labels, I don't know, but the base is still jazz.  

PA ~ What gravitated you toward your artistic work?

EM-  My ideas, I guess.

PA ~ Who are your influenced by?

EM-  I love very, very many musicians and I'm sure many of them influenced me, but I rather ask this question listeners.

PA ~ I understand you have a CD  called "Where the light comes from..." , what is the listener  in store for?

EM-   Concept and musicianship

PA ~ How is the CD being received?

EM-  I've sent out to radios and festivals and clubs and I received only best responses.   None of the neutral or negative. The song "Mother's prayer" was reviewed by Taxi.com and received 9 on the scale of 1 to 10. 

Here's the review from EOMentertainment.com   :

http://eomentertainment.com/review.asp?id=

260&order=Maslov,%20Eugene&style=Jazz

PA ~ Do you have a favorite composition on the CD?

EM-  Most challenging is "Sketch", with regards to favorite, you put your heart into it and all songs become your favorites ... for a while only.

PA ~ Will you be touring to promote?

EM-  Perhaps, I will be touring with a trio setting and will make another album of jazz standards first. Touring with stars, as Hubert Laws, Bob Sheppard, Boris Kozlov,  Vinnie Colaiuta and other performers on this album is not easy.

  PA ~ Any other projects or follow ups in the works presently?

EM-  Don't know where to start. Too many.

PA ~ Do you perform solo or normally with a group?

EM-   Both. I will perform different program though.  

PA ~ Any performances coming up you'd like to plug?

EM-  In the process of arranging first tour around the globe.   Everyone who gets on my guest list will be informed.  

PA ~ What would someone expect attending one of your shows?

EM-  Usually, it's a lot of excitement, as well as moments to think.

PA ~ Do you perform outside of your hometown?

EM-   Always.

PA ~ During your artistic journey so far, any interesting (funny, bizarre, highlight, nightmare etc...) stories come to mind you'd like to share with us?

EM-   Back in 1989, I came to US, lived and worked around Boston, and once came to visit some   of my friends at Amherst College. I'm waiting outside of the little hall and looking through the glass door where's the student's big band rehearsal. They didn't have a pianist and of course, I felt "a niddle in my behind".  I caught a look of the instructor and first pointed to myself then I showed him my ten fingers and played 16th in the air. He pointed to the piano, I came in , sat down and started playing with them "Embraceable You" by G. Gershwin. And here's the problem:   I'm playing right changes and the bass player is playing God knows what and the instructor is giving all "those looks"... to me. Than he stops the band, with the wave of the finger stands me up, sits down and showing to me the same chord changes that I just played, with the exception his chords were plain, as sample for me. I'm staying red and sweaty and angry. I couldn't speak well English at that time and to explain to the guy, that I have perfect pitch plus I know the tune upside down and that "his guy" is not me, would take forever. When I ask my friend who that instructor was, he said - Archie Shep. It's good I didn't speak English well at that time... I wanted to kill that bass player, because explaining to him, that I just had a chance to be heard and because of him, I wasted it,  would take forever. Oh well...  

PA ~ How is the artistic scene in Leominster evolving?

EM-   None. People move down here to die. Other than that, it's a beautiful area to leave, to raise kids and to enjoy New-England's nature. (only in the summer and fall, right now it's yakki)           

PA ~ What has the highlight of your career been?

EM-  Sharing a Carnegie Hall stage 1997 with Al Jarreau, Joe Lovano, Ivan Lins . Performing in Japan, Rome and Moscow. Recordings with Shirley Horn, Toots Thielemans,   Eddie Gomez, Hubert Laws, Vinnie Colaiuta and all the great performers especially on this album.  

PA ~ What are some goals you hope to accomplish in the future?

EM-  To find a good manager. I asked Santa - he laughed.

PA ~ What are your other interests outside of music?

EM-  None. Kids and music. That's all.

PA ~ What was the best piece of advice you ever heard that motivates you in pursuit of your artistry?

EM-  My teacher's advice: The best way for me to get any problem solved is to sit and practice the piano.   Always works.  

PA ~ Where can someone find out more about Eugene Maslov?