BAKU JAZZ

Thus happened that I was always rather far from Jazz, but last year I was invited to a concert of Shahin Novraslı - a 32, Jazz pianist from Azerbaycan.

I didn't know about him before and expected to have just a lovely musical evening. But then came a suprpise! I was so much astonished with his mastery and it led me up just into another level of perception of the music itself.

The video below probably doesn't show all his virtuosity at its maximum as I had pleasure to witness it, but anyway that is a great number from him - it starts quite moderately and gradually comes like a mountain river rolling down...

The winner of the 43rd Montreux International Jazz Festival 2009 was again from Azerbaijan - a 20 years of age, Isfar Sarabski, which performance impressed me much too. The video on You Tube showing his winning number is not embeddable so I can't post it here in its full format, but you may enjoy it clicking this link Novruz /Spring, a composition of his own - it's really worth watching!

And talking about Azerbaycani Jazz is impossible without paying a tribute to VAGIF MUSTAFA-ZADE (1940-1979) - a Legendary Genious Jazz-Man, incredibly talented pianist, versatile musician and the inventor of a special Azerbaycani style of Jazz called Jazz-Mugham - a fusion of classical Jazz and traditional Azerbaycani music.

Following the link you can enjoy a great composition Fantaziya performed by Vagif Mustafa-zade.
And below are 2 of my most favorite numbers (though really everything by him is my favorite) - the first one is called Baku Geceleri/Nights in Baku

And here's a mind-blowing and very deep composition "Samarkand Ornamentation" - a co-work of Vagif Mustafa-zade and Hajibaba Huseinov (vocal). I love how the music varies here guiding you into another world...