Serge and Sergey was the best line-up. Just incredibly good musicians. Love this band.

Of course Leonid is good. Leonid is the one composing and compiling, leading and directing the composition.

To put in perspective - Peter Cetera does the High jump in the melody line vocal in a strain & falsetto ....this Russian talented Tenor is nailing it straight FULL VOICE all through ... some vocal chops !!! GBjj

Robert Lamm - Composer extraordinaire! He borrowed a little Beatles, Jimmy Webb and Burt Bacharach and put this great song together! And of course Leonid & Friends performed it perfectly!

Being a horn player and having grown up listening to Chicago as a kid, no other cover band comes close to Leonid and Friends.

@DOC36121

3 ай бұрын

Totally agree! They nail any group they are paying tribute to every time!

Thank you so much for the cool reaction. I think it's time for L& F to nominate for the Grammy ceremony for popularizing the great Chicago band and making a great contribution to improving relations between our countries.

Exactly what Jeff said! First off: if Chigaco didn´t already existed it HAD to be invented and then... what these guys do is cleaning up and tastefully boost the originals to bring them up to todays production standards - pure gold!!!

Leonid is a Genius !!!!!!

@samhaskins2506

2 ай бұрын

Especially doing ithe arrangements by ear rather than sheet music which we can buy so easily in the West! LOL

Somewhere Terry Kath is smiling down from on high.

Andrey Zyl is one hell of a trumpet player

I miss Sergey as the guitar player

@samhaskins2506

2 ай бұрын

I miss both Serge & Sergey, they are both such excellent part of Leond's ensemble! Sergey nails the lead every time!

@markweber4854

22 күн бұрын

@@samhaskins2506 - Konstantin... they guy they have now is no slouch either! He's just as good a guitarist as Sergey!

Happy Man is incredible

It's amazing how a cover band can bring back the memories just as if you were hearing the original song. L & F can do that.

Chicago was my favorite group in high school. I am 65 years old with a 16 year old daughter. This has inspired me to introduce her to Chicago.

@killiansred1000

7 күн бұрын

Same here. Im the ‘70s Led Zeppelin and Elton John were dominating the music scene. Chicago, along with Earth, Wind and Fire, put out unique music that holds up today.

Your smile says it all. Im sure i was smiling from ear to ear the first time i heard this.

...can't get enough of Leonid & Friends, so glad that you love them! They also do covers of Blood, Sweat 'n Tears, who are kind of the same genre, and of course do that brilliantly so... 💖

Leonid and Friends for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

Just love Igor on the drums. Everything about it.

Jeff, you just need to do all LnF songs, I love seeing you smile, happy and speechless!

@StrateleStudios

3 ай бұрын

Hahaha! Right?!

@kimk.4710

3 ай бұрын

Most Definately! @@StrateleStudios

Chicago has so few of its original members (3 to be exact) that Leonid and Friends sound closer to the original recordings than Chicago does.

I could listen to this endlessly 😭🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

One of my very favorite songs! This band is amazing! 🩷🩷🩷

Your reaction to this "reproduction" is my exact reaction every time L&F puts out a new video. Really agree with you on the talent of these musicians. They make it look so effortless in everything they do. To me....that is a sign of a great musician. Also, glad you cussed ...haha...when you said "that was so D@mn good". That is how good they are!!! :) Keep em coming!

It's a Big Loss losing Sergey and Serge. Both are just Awesome!! But, Leonid filled their spots very well! Hope both are doing Well, Safe and also their Families. Never Forget the Talents!!!!!!

They just love to emulate the CHICAGO sound and the vocals, harmony, horns, drums and instruments ARE DEAD ON !!! GBjj

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one that not only knows what 45's are but actually bought singles on 45's all the time also. 😉

I did not see Leonid & Friends in the title, so I started the video and left the computer room, thinking I was listening to Chicago. While In the kitchen I was saying to myself, "There is no way Leonid & Friends can top this!" When I walked back into the computer room I saw the Leonid & Friends credits scrolling off the screen. Wow! I felt like I was in an alternate universe! Listen to just the audio so there will be no distractions. It is unbelievable! Dan

LOVE these guys

The closest Chicago ever came to sounding like the Beatles, those horn arrangements and the bass...wow!

Thanks, Jeff. Another brilliant cover from L&F. ❤

Awesome cover. I saw the original band with Terry Kath on guitar play this live in concert at Holy Cross college in Massachusetts.

@rickstadel5285

3 ай бұрын

You lucky stiff . .

What a wonderful way to wake up..... coffee, Leonid and friends and Jeff ❤️❤️❤️

@StrateleStudios

3 ай бұрын

Yay! 😃 🎊🎉🎈❤️

The lead singer that was in Ukraine in the early years of this band was the best , also the lead guitarist.

@barryanderson3910

3 ай бұрын

The current lineup is good, but I miss this one, especially Sergey and Serge.

Being a bass player myself, and growing up with Chicago, the bass notes are engrained in my DNA, so hearing Leonid putting it out there so faithfully just penetrates right to my soul! So good to see a professional like Jeff loving this bands accomplishments! Serge really nails the vocals as does Sergey nailing the lead guitar! Thanks for giving this wonderful group of musicians even more exposure Jeff! Much appreciated! PS Do we hear some Carly Simon coming through there when you say "Nobody does it better!" Reminds me of a James Bond film too!

Sergey on guitar is Ukrainian, and he hasn't been with the band on these recordings since the war began. He's awesome, especially on songs such as Beginnings. Pray for peace.

@HideTheTruthInside

2 ай бұрын

Sergei on guitar is Russian and was one of first to leave the band to return to Russia to be with his wife and sons. The singer, Serge Tiagnyriando is the Ukrainian gentleman that was L&F’s singer that sang the Peter Cetera parts and left to return to Ukraine once Ukraine was illegally attacked by Russia.

As close as any cover band I’ve heard attempt this Kath masterpiece. Great stuff.

A few things that you should know about Leonid & Friends... Imagine this... when Leonid was young he fell in love with Chicago but living in the USSR they were not allowed to buy Western music so he and his friends would smuggle in one copy somehow and they would manufacture wax albums with the music on them. Then Leonid was such a music prodigy that he was able to transcribe the music from listening to paper quite often within a day! The lady singer Ksenia is not only beautiful but she's a piano virtuoso with a Master's degree in music and Economics and now she's going for her PhD in the same field. Sergey has had a guitar in his hands since the age of 3 and his voice is natural with no lessons. Serge had to leave the band as he lives in Kyiv and is helping to support the troops there.

@kens32052

3 ай бұрын

Ksenia can also speak 8 languages.

@KittyDad

3 ай бұрын

Sorry, you got the wrong Serge. You’re meaning Serge Tiagnyriadno - lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, percussion (2015-2022). Serge returned to Ukraine to fight in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Sorry, but true. But, to your point, the Serge you mistakenly mentioned is Sergey Kashirin - lead guitar, lead and backing vocals (2014-2021) also no longer with Leonid and Friends. Reasons unknown.

@rgoers

3 ай бұрын

@@KittyDad The reasons were pretty well known. He had at least one young child at home and really couldn't keep touring with the group. I believe he has plenty of studio work for TV or some such and preferred to be closer to home and family.

@Hettepop

2 ай бұрын

@@rgoers He was my favorite; handsome and talented and apparently a Beatles fan (like me !💕)

@janicemartin7560

Ай бұрын

I loved L& F at this stage. Serge and Sergey are incredibly talented

I know you love Leonid. Let's have you review their Chicago cover of "Free" or if you're wanting to slow down, then their "Wishing your were here" is second to none

Does the Original Justice...and then some . This one's in the Sweet Spot of the Terry Kath driven era . Chicago's first 7 Albums in particular had this visceral pulse . Thanks for this one !

These guys are awesome! Brings back memories of when Chicago was a kickass band. After Terry Kath passed away, they morphed.

Rhetorically, they really are "flawless" and anyone with a true ear for musical artistry and perfection knows this! ~Scott from Texas~

Great sound. Great video. Great reaction. Call On Me is also a great Chicago cover

Another great selection from our original L&F team. So nice we can fast forward 45+ years and still be so fully entertained. It's like I'm 15 again. Also I Just love your reaction. Your appreciation of such talent is fabulous. Keep up the great work Jeff. I'm a huge fan of L&F and you. Made my day thank you.!!! Both!!!

@StrateleStudios

3 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

You were talking about Leonid bass playing but he is the one that listens to the music and writes the scores for all the different instruments

@StrateleStudios

3 ай бұрын

I do know this but it doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s a great bass player too.

Another great reaction Jeff! Btw, if youre a fan of Chicago, another one you might want to do is Leonid and friends cover of "The Woman Don't Want To Love Me' from the Chicago VII album. You have to be a real Chicago fan to even KNOW about that song because its a total album cut, but they do a GREAT job on it!

Listen to "Feeling Stronger Every Day" for the ever so subtle background vocals toward the end.. You'll notice they sing a verse from two Rolling Stones songs. I never caught that when listening (numerous times) to the Chicago version but Leonid did!

@StrateleStudios

3 ай бұрын

Oooooooo 👏👏👏

No fake books here ... just good ears and Leonid puts the sounds to paper.

Leonid & friends never disappoint

Wonderful reactions to Leonid & Friends....Had thought that you may have covered ''If You Leave Now' early on...Have been following Leonid and Friends form their 1st youtube beginngs.

Sure miss Serge. Fortunately, he's still performing in Kyiv.

Jeff, it's a good thing you don't put up more than 1 or 2 of these a day. I'd never get anything done. 😄

@StrateleStudios

3 ай бұрын

😂🤣😂

@lisedonsgrnning6518

3 ай бұрын

👍🏼😆🤣😂😂😅🫶🏼

@rickstadel5285

3 ай бұрын

! ! ! Yup !

No everyone is astute enough musically to really understand what's going on with L&F but those of us who do get a kick out of your facial expressions and spur of the moment comments because that's exactly what we did listening to it for the first time or the last time. Same thing happens, always.

I have watched so many of their videos I’ve lost count

@dotlund1096

3 ай бұрын

Me too! Since I’ve started watching Jeff’s reactions...when I’m watching Leonid & Friends videos, I miss seeing Jeff if he’s not in the bottom right corner.😂

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐💗👍😎

1st of all, the band itself is so tight...!!!! 2nd, they've picked out some amazing songs to cover... not just the songs by Chicago, but songs like "Vehicle" and "One Fine Morning..."

I can't wait to see them this May in Annapolis Md.!!!

Their albums are great too

When they say they are paying tribute they really mean it. When you listen to L&F you can't help but realize how good the original Chicago musicians were who wrote this stuff. That said, I have gotten to the point that I prefer to listen to L&F'vs version over the originals. I am just really surprised that this is the first time you are being introduced to groups like L&F, Foxes & Fossils, Lexington Lab, & HSCC. They all put out really good stuff. By the way Jeff, Brand New Love Affair is what kicked things off for L&F. Leonid has said he did that as a birthday present to himself and had no idea it would take off on KZread. FWIW, I grew up in Newbury Park and went to NPHS. I am guessing at close to the same time you were in the area. I went through Oxnard fairly regularly although usually just to get to the beach.

✌👍

I don't know of any other song where the title is not sung until the very end, and just once at that.