A few months ago, for reasons I still can’t explain, I followed a YouTube link to a band called Leonid and Friends. I have been a fan of Steely Dan for years and at the time, I was looking for a video of a favorite, called “My Old School”. At the top of the search results was a band I had never heard of before. I clicked on the link, expecting to listen for a few seconds and close the video when the off-key singing and badly tuned instruments assaulted my ears.

Instead of that, I listened to their delightful performance and then started it again. The skill and talent I saw was amazing, as was their treatment of the material. Unlike many of the cover bands I have heard over the years, Leonid and Friends performed the song much like it was originally released:

These are musicians from Russia and Ukraine! This video was recorded two years ago in Kyiv, according to the video, but I believe the recording predates the current war by a few months. Nevertheless, they haven’t let the hostilities between their countries interfere with their music and I, for one, and glad.

They started out in 2014 doing Chicago covers, but have since expanded the repertoire to Earth, Wind, & Fire, Blood Sweat, & Tears, Tower of Power, and other bands. Every performance I’ve heard is excellent. At present they’re touring in the US at least until the end of the year and if I could afford it, I would make buy tickets and take my wife to see them. Unfortunately, they performed in Calgary last year and I missed them.

When you watch these videos, it is easy to see that they are all having a great time. I don’t recall seeing a frown on anybody’s face, especially the fellow playing bass guitar. He is Leonid and the band began with a few friends getting together and playing favorite Chicago songs. From there, it has expanded to sold out tours in Europe and North America. If fate should bring them back to this part of the country, I will be one of the first buying tickets.