Vinnie Venkov was born in 1967 in Sofia,Bulgaria.He entered The bulgarian State Conservatory in 1989 and graduated in 1993,majoring in bass guitar. His second instrument is acoustic Bass (Contrabass).He began playing with different bands of different styles.
His debut was 1994 with the group "Free Point" and called "The Brazilian Project". A year later he played with Orlando Sanches,a famous jazz musician from Cuba.This Project was dedicated to the music of John Coltrane.
Three years later,he was invited to sign a contract to play in Swiss with another band for four months.
In February 1997 Vinnie emigrated to Israel. Six months later he received a 75% scholarship from Rimon School,based on Berklee College of Music. There he was invited to play in three projects:Hot Jazz,The Music of Sting,and the music of Horace Silver.The School invited him to play in different concerts in Israel.
Ten months later he was on the stage with the famous Israeli Gospel Singers Shivahia Bat Israel and Sammy Rushing,with also gospel Singers from The United States.This Gospel Debut in Israel opened the door to other concerts.
In 1998,Vinnie began to play with several musicians from the Israeli Jazz Scene. In 2000,He was invited by other band,Solly's Friends,a jazz septet that focused on jazz standarts.
In 2001 He was invited to The Jazz Festival Ashdod organized by the famous musician Leonid Ptashka.There he played with Ivan Kolev,a famous Bulgarian folk Musician,playing jazz and Bulgarian folk together. Some months later he was invited by another new Group,Taxijazz,with whom he has played until now.He has recorded three CD's with them.
In 2002 He was invited with Taxijazz to The Tel Aviv Jazz Festival call''Jazz,Blues and Videotape"(This was the first group in the Festival that used video while playing). In the same Year he was invited to record Jazz and Gospel Musician Andre Villeneuve.
In 2003 he recorded two CD's with Arik Strauss in the Latin and Fusion Styles.
In 2004 Vinnie build his group ''River Band" and recorded on videotape.
Some months later he did some concerts with his band in different formations trio,quartet and quintet.
In the same year he realized his Acoustic Gospel project,(Contrabass and Piano based on negro spirituals.Igor Khodorkowsky,one from the best piano players in Israel,played on this Project.He also played Gospel for the first time in duet.
In the same year Vinnie was invited by Ari Erev in another jazz project "Jazz from The Heart",dedicated to legendary Jazz Piano Player Bill Evans.In February 2007 He was invited with Ilia Perelstein Trio and Robert Anchipolovsky to The Tel Aviv Jazz Festival 2007. This is his third time on Jazz Festival.
The Festival opened for him new doors,for new projects. In February 2007 Robert invite him in another project. Its Sextet with three alto saxes. There he meet Jamie O'Donnell alto sax,from UK. Also in the same time began to play in other project with Dudi Sofer,piano player.
For The past 8 years he has also been playing in another Gospel Project,with which he went on musical Tours in Canada,Holland,Ukraine,and Swiss - at one of the biggest Gospel Festival In Europe before audience of more than 7000 people.With this group he recorded two CD's.
For the past 8 years Vinnie has played more than 500 concerts in every respected places all over Israel. Vinnie is proffesional Jazz Player and he plays three different Bass Instruments: Acoustic Bass (Contrabass), 6-String Fretted and Fretless
ThadsDelight
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