Leonid & Friends

Leonid and Friends is a Chicago tribute band based in Moscow. They began as a YouTube band, and now tour the United States extensively in the spring and fall. Leonid Vorobyev (b. 7 Nov 1954 in Moscow, Russia), is the founder and leader of the band. Vorobyev is a multi-instrumentalist, a recording studio sound engineer and choir conductor by training, at the East Siberian Institute of Culture. Vorobyev made his first Chicago video recording of the song "Brand New Love Affair" in 2014. With Ukrainian vocalist Serge Tiagniryadno, Leonid and Friends' YouTube videos have gone viral, with views in the millions. Leonid & Friends have recorded three Chicago tribute albums, titled Chicagovich. After touring in Russia, the band first toured the United States in 2019. Starting in 2018, songs by Earth, Wind, & Fire, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Tower of Power, The Ides of March, Lighthouse and Steely Dan were added to the playlist. In 2022, their cover of Rufus and Chaka Khan's "Ain't Nobody" with Ksenia Buzina was added to the setlist. Leonid Vorobyev's son, Roman Vorobyev (b. 1991), is the band's manager. The band's instrumental setup features bass and lead guitars, drums, keyboards, saxophone, trumpet and trombone, with occasional flugelhorn, French horn, flute, metal clarinet, cello and violin and miscellaneous percussion.

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