About
Official Seydel Endorser
Leading Ukrainian harmonica player
Blues harp teacher
Music
Latest album "Good Things. A tribute to George Harmonica Smith" is available here https://konstantink.hearnow.com/
You can listen to my music on the all main streaming services , or write me a message if you want autographed CD.
You can also buy my albums in CD format on bluebeatmusic - Hypnotized! , bluebeatmusic - Minor Differences .
2024
2020
2017
2016
2015
2014
Bio
Konstantin's distinctive and modern style of harmonica playing won him the recognition of other musicians and a spot among top Ukrainian harmonica players. At different times he got acclaim from world famous musicians including Guy Davis, Adam Gussow, Jason Ricci, Pierre Lacocque, PT Gazell and Bartosz Leczycki to name a few.
A native of Dnipro, Ukraine, Konstantin's career has spanned 15 years. He began playing harmonica at age 19. In 2008 he joined the Bullet Blues Band - a local Chicago blues band and acoustic duo with guitarist Oleg Lavrik. The band opened for such greats as Lurrie Bell, Guy Davis, Keith Dunn and so on. He took part in the first international harmonica festival in Kyiv, Ukraine in 2011.
In 2014 he released his first album "If You Want to See This Blues". This album was a mix of blues and jazz and got a lot of positive feedback from the fans and other musicians.
The next album "Sweeten It Up" was released in 2015. This all-instrumental EP shows Konstantin Kolesnichenko's tasty harmonica and features a jazzy quartet. Konstantin offered his own interpretation of the five world-famous songs which got an interesting touch of harmonica sound.
In 2016 he released his third album "Hypnotized!". A hot jazzy-blues album which is played in organ combo format with swinging guitar, wailing organ, jazzy drums, and honking harmonica.
In July 14 2017 Konstantin Kolesnichenko Quartet released an album called "Minor Differences". The new album logically follows the previous one. It has the same vintage and sentimental feel.
In different years Konstantin took part as a performer in main Ukrainian jazz and blues festivals, such as: Art-Jazz Cooperation (2016), Alfa Jazz (2017), Koktebel Jazz Fest (2018).
In 2019 Konstantin Kolesnichenko Quartet released an album called «Tenderly». It features a pack of instrumentals with vintage feel, swing and jazzy mood.
In 2022 Konstantin Kolesnichenko Quartet took part in famous SPAH harmonica festival virtually.
At the beginning of 2024 Konstantin released his 6th album «Good Things. A tribute to George Harmonica Smith». The guest list includes: Dennis Gruenling, Alabama Mike, Mátyás Pribojszki, Big Harp George and Daniel De Vita.
Konstantin is well known in Ukrainian harmonica and blues communities. And he's got his audience in the US and Europe as well.
"Konstantin Kolesnichenko is one of my favourite living harmonica players playing some of my very favourite music. I am a huge fan of both his playing and his artistic direction to the point of jealousy."
- Jason Ricci
"Konstantin Kolesnichenko (don't say it with a drink in your hand) is an exceptionally good Ukrainian harmonica player. He's a modern blues guy."
- Adam Gussow
"There is a whole new breed of exciting harmonica players on the scene today. One of the young lions clearly leading the charge is Konstantin Kolesnichenko."
- PT Gazell
"This wonderful CD takes the listener on a musical journey from vintage Jazz to inspiring South American rhythms and gentle swings.
The 7 songs are well crafted instrumentals led by Konstantin Kolesnichenko's soulful and lyrical harmonica. The arrangements are creative and the bandleader's harp playing is masterful. Throughout, his harmonica sounds like a horn adding so much to the band’s ensemble feel. A stellar performance.
***** FIVE STARS"
-Pierre Lacocque
Bandleader
Mississippi Heat
"I love Konstantin's playing. Soulful, powerful, emotionaly strong"
- Jelly Roll Johnson
Media
Press
Steve Jones for Blues Blast Magazine
Marty Gunter for Chicago Blues Guide
PT Gazell
David Mac about "Tenderly" (Blues Junction Productions)
Blues Blast Magazine review ("Minor Differences" album): A native of Dnipro, Ukraine, Konstantin Kolesnichenko is a refreshingly different harmonica player who’s proving once again that you don’t have to be born in Chicago, Memphis or the Mississippi Delta to play the blues with understanding, emotion and feel. His growing legion of fans in the U.S. boasts a host of harp luminaries, including Jason Ricci, Adam Gussow, Mississippi Heat front man Pierre Lacocque and Guy Davis
BluesJunction (January 2018): Best Jazz-Blues album of 2017 and #19 in Top 40 of 2017 albums!
Minor Differences, the latest offering by the Ukrainian harmonica master Konstantin Kolesnichenko, is what it feels like when jazz and blues climb into the same bed and make passionate love. - David Mac
Hypnotized! is the third album from this extremely talented Ukrainian harmonica player. – David Mac (http://www.bluesjunctionproductions.com/recommended_listening_-_november_2016)
Monthly Artist Spotlight on bluesjunctionproductions.com: Konstantin Kolesnichenko
Blues Blast Magazine review("Hypnotized!" album): You just can’t go wrong with this level of musicianship. A clear case of instruments in the hands of players who love and are well schooled in the music. You’ll never get tired the this musical journey. Jazz, blues, South American rhythms, it’s all here. If you are of a lover of music in general you are going to find much to like here.
National Harmonica Magazine Review: The sophistication of the music jumps out immediately with overtones of jazz. This isn't your standard set of blues riffs.Yet it stays closely enough within the boundaries of blues to keep to sate the appetite of the hungry blues harmonica fan craving a new, yet familiar, taste.
The music from my last album was played on BBC radio station! - BBC radio station
The song from "Hypnotized!" album was in Bluesmusic magazine April 2017 CD Sampler
Review of my "Hypnotized!" album by French "Soul Bag" magazine
https://bluesjunctionproductions.com/konstantin_kolesnichenko_-_the_interview - Interview for BluesJunction magazine with David Mac
"I think blues music helps to break boundaries between all those aspects. It's common interest and love between a millions people all over the world and that make it so important as a root music." - Interview for Blues @ Greece
КОНСТАНТИН КОЛЕСНИЧЕНКО КАК ЕСТЬ: О ФЕСТАХ, ГАСТРОЛЯХ И ГУБНОЙ ГАРМОШКЕ - Александр Топилов
Запись радиоэфира на Old Fashioned Radio. - ведущий Артур Ямпольский
Один невеличкий альбом для людини, і величезний стрибок для українського блюзу. Точніше, для самого автора альбому – 33-річного виконавця на губній гармоніці з міста Дніпро Костянтина Колісниченка. - Viachek Kryshtofovych Jr для cultprostir.ua
"Прорив року 2016" за версією журналу cultprostir.ua - Viachek Kryshtofovych Jr для cultprostir.ua
Blues courses
I'm teaching three blues courses at harmonica-school.pro (ukrainian language only):
https://harmonica-school.pro/123 - advanced blues course (1st, 2nd and 3rd position playing).
https://harmonica-school.pro/2 - 2nd position playing.
https://harmonica-school.pro/3 - 3rd position playing
Schedule
September 2021
12.09 20.00 - арт-кафе "Невідомий Петровський" м. Дніпро, Blues Jam
18.09 20.30 - "Pepper's Club" м. Київ. Konstantin Kolesnichenko Quartet and frontman Lurrie Bell
30.09 20.00 - арт-кафе "Невідомий Петровський". Bullet Blues Band, м. Дніпро
August 2021
29.08 20.00 - арт-кафе "Невідомий Петровський". Bullet Blues Band, м. Дніпро
