Blues harmonica · rock · world
Live
About
Oleksandr Gordeev is a harmonica player from the Kharkiv music scene who works in blues, rock and electronic music. He has performed with Raznye Lyudi and Chizh & Co, recorded with Korol i Shut, and joined Vopli Vidopliassova for a KEXP studio session in 2026. Gordeev joined the circle of Kharkiv musicians around Oleksandr Chernetsky and Sergey Chigrakov in the late 1980s. He played with Raznye Lyudi and Oleksandr Dolgov's band Dozhd, taking part in jams and club concerts. In 1990 he bought a set of blues harmonicas in Germany and played on the streets with Dolgov. A 1994 concert recording of Dozhd captures his solo on Yes, You Know. In 2000 Gordeev recorded harmonica parts for Korol i Shut's album Geroi i Zlodei. He worked with Raznye Lyudi on stage and in the studio; his recording credits include their album Dorogi. He performed in an acoustic duo with Chizh, combining voice, guitar and harmonica. The musicians played one such set at a house concert in California in 2002; a video of that performance appears on this page. Gordeev plays with electronic musicians. In India he joined jams, experimented with harmonica over trance rhythms and worked with Sergey Sobko. In 2021 Seddler, Aleksandr Gordeev and Mehandi Hasan released their joint album GOA Trip. His stage collaborators include Daler Nazarov and Sevara Nazarkhan. With Oleh Skrypka, Gordeev has played at the Kraina Mriy festival and in Vopli Vidopliassova programmes. On 26 January 2026 he joined VV at the KEXP studio in Seattle. The band played five songs, including Tantsi and Kateryna; the station's team published the session on 24 March. In his ArtHarp interview he described playing a blues version of Kateryna on harmonica. Gordeev has worked as a concert director and tour manager. He travelled with Korol i Shut, organised US tours with local promoters and worked with Zakhar May and Shiva. In Kharkiv he worked with the band ShANA. In a 2018 interview he recalled their appearance before Muse at Kyiv's Olimpiyskiy stadium and their set at Upark festival. Backstage he coordinated concerts and travel; during performances he picked up his harmonica and joined the musicians. Based in Montenegro, Oleksandr plays solo sets and joins other artists as a guest soloist. He plays blues with acoustic musicians, takes part in rock concerts and combines harmonica with electronic and folk music.
Photos
Date, city and venue are enough to begin.
