Soviet jazz-rock pioneer Alexey Kozlov dies at 90

Soviet jazz-rock pioneer Alexey Kozlov has died in Moscow at the age of 90, according to his jazz club's Telegram channel. Kozlov was born on October 13, 1935, in Moscow and founded the band Arsenal in 1973. The group gained prominence in the Soviet Union, releasing multiple records and CDs, with one album, "Svoimi Rukami" ("With Our Own Hands"), being reissued in the United States.

Arsenal performed in various countries, including France, Germany, and the United States, and played at Carnegie Hall in New York during a tour with Georgian singer Tamara Gverdtsiteli. Kozlov also presented jazz programs on Russian television and authored a book on rock music history. His music is referenced in numerous books, jazz encyclopedias, and dictionaries.

Notably, Soviet writer Vasily Aksyonov featured Kozlov in his novel "Ozhog" ("The Burn"), while American journalist Hedrick Smith and historian Frederick Starr included him in their works "The Russians" and "Red and Hot," respectively. Meduza, the news outlet, wrote this story using an AI model to translate from Russian while maintaining strict editorial standards, with a human journalist finalizing the piece.