"TIME REPORT" Jazz Quartet

"Time Report", perhaps, is the only jazz ensemble in the present Armenia, playing ethnic jazz. Officially the ensemble was founded in 1997. The present personnel was assembled step by step. Khachatur Sahakian (keyboards) and Armen Husnunts (saxes) can be considered the founders of the group Their first duo collaborative work, - "Songs Without Words" -1996, was recorded and released in the USA. The album presents a number of compositions by modern Armenian composers, arranged and played in cross-over, pop-jazz and light instrumental.

In 1997 the idea came to these two musicians to form a group, which would perform the original jazz compositions of the group participants. Drummer Alexander "Sash" Grigoryan and bass player Vardan Arakelyan joined the duo. In the beginning the group performed under the name "Khachatur Sahakian Quartet", then, in a year, it was transformed into "Time Report". Finally the style of the music they preferred to play could be defined as "ethnic jazz". Harmonically colorful original compositions created by the members of the group with evident folk ground and the brilliant personal technique had put the "Time Report" at the first place on the modern Armenian jazz scene.

In some compositions the guitarist Boris Andreasyan joined the group and "Time Report" started to be guided in its repertoire by Armenian and World folklore, arranged in fusion, New Age and Adult Instrumental.

Each of the musicians is a graduate of the Yerevan State Conservatory and in spite of their relative youth, has a good music experience and rich creative biography.

Armen Husnunts performed with the sax quintet of E.Bakchiyan, was a member of the jazz-quartet of Yerevan Chamber Theater, played in the staff of the State Jazz Orchestra (artistic director and conductor Konstantine Orbelyan) and with many other groups and ensembles. Khachatur Sahakian played with the groups and bands of various genres and styles, toured the USA and Europe. Vardan Arakelyan very successfully combines his participation in the jazz group with the work as a session musician with the many performers of various genres. The most active collaboration of him is established with the most popular Armenian folk-rock singers Nune Yesayan. Before his "Time Report" period he played with the Vahagn Petian jazz-trio and the State Jazz Orchestra. Drummer Alexander "Sash" Grigoryan began to play jazz on the professional scene with the Artashes Kartalyan Trio and recorded the album in Russia.

Separately, they toured and performed in many countries of the world and participated in various Jazz Festivals. But as "Time Report" they made their debut in October 1998. With the "New York Voices", "Night Ark", Georgy Garanyan, Datevik Hovanesyan, Mark Johnson and many others they participated in The First International Jazz Festival "Yerevan-98", where they succeeded to confirm their high class and got the highest mark of the professionals and love of the audience.

Autumn 1998 "Time Report" recorded their debut album - "Songs Without Words - II", which was released in the USA by "Parseghian Records". According to Khachatur Sahakian, the group leader, they have enough music material to record the third album, this time, containing only the original compositions of the group members.