“Arsenal” is the first Soviet jazz-rock band, founded in 1973 by saxophonist Alexei Kozlov.
The group began to gain its popularity by performing the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, which was banned in the USSR and arranged by Alexei Kozlov in 1974. They even managed to sneak into the House of Radio Broadcasting and Sound Recording in Moscow, where they recorded several fragments of the opera, which were later published in the album Underground Arsenal (2005)[2]. In 1976 the ensemble finally gained official status at the Kaliningrad Regional Philharmonic Society and ceased to be considered “underground”.
The group's calling card was the piece “Nostalgia” from the album “Second Breath”, which was repeatedly reissued. It is still performed at Arsenal concerts.
