ISFAR SARABSKI: AZERBAÏDJAZZ
Few countries can boast of nearly a hundred years of jazz tradition. This is the case of Azerbaijan, definitely land of prodigy pianists since the first recordings of the genre. The young generation is not left out, as Isfar Sarabski proves.
Isfar Sarabski was only nineteen in 2008 when he stirred up the jury of the Montreux Jazz Festival piano competition and won the Solo Piano Prize with his phenomenal interpretation of Bill Evans' compositions. Boldness, virtuosity and inspired fervor, assembled in an unusual and innovative way, unheard of at the time. This studious pianist, member of several groups, signs a first album in his name: Planet. His sublime Deja Vu is already one of the prettiest jazz themes in absolute terms, and of his new opus more precisely. Dialogue with the one who systematically creates surprise.
How did you get into music?
I need to record and play to give people emotions. Many things are closed and more and more, by the way. Music therefore remains a unique language. The place of expression of the soul. It can be understood by everyone. It is easier for me to express myself through music than through words. I have no censorship in music, it gives me a very clear mood and feelings. I don't know the people I meet at concerts, but I can sense the energy of the crowd, its silence or its tension. It makes sense. That's why I do this job.
Between your illustrious great-grandfather Hüseynqulu Sarabski, opera tenor, playwright, musical pioneer, and the generations of incredible pianists “pianists”, where is the part of the heritage and the part of creation in your work?
A little anecdote in passing, it was through a European journalistic source that I discovered that my grandfather was not only devoted to opera, and was already having “alternative” jazz experiences by performing in Moscow in 1926! He was the vocal soloist of the visionary Eastern Jazz Band, the country's premier jazz group. It's a solid family base that helps me build my music. The inheritance part is huge, even if I try to take it all elsewhere. I use old music from our folklore and I arrange it with new elements, until recently electro. I like to create bridges between jazz and classical music, between east and west, between folk and electro. From my eleven years of classical - at the Academy of Baku and at Berklee College in Boston - I have learned different methods to develop melodies with classical, jazz, or mugham harmonies. They are keys, doors to play further. It's in my blood too! It is crucial to explore new avenues in order to create new horizons. Stagnation is not my idea of art.
Jazz and traditional Azeri scholarly music "mugham" - also based on improvisation - instantly recognized strong affinities. Is it this conjunction that makes Baku one of the most receptive cities for jazz?
Yes, completely! The mugham is a series of movements linked to a particular mode. Their only common point, but not the least, is indeed this freedom to improvise. For the rest, the scales, measures and harmonic structure have nothing to do with Western music. The advent of "Azeri ethno [1] jazz" drawing largely from the Mugham tradition is closely linked to the ingenious personalities of classical pianists and composers Vaguif Mustafazadeh and Rafq Babayev. They experimented with a synthesis between the various jazz rhythms and the melodic and rhythmic peculiarities of mugham folklore. Vaguif has opened a way. It was terribly avant-garde and incredibly elegant! Trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie will say that he created "the music of the future". It's a sensible remark, because it is still an extremely lively management today! And since 2005, the mugham has been classified as a masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
Give us a strong memory of your career.
I have a very old and vivid memory. We are a family of musicians and my mother is a music teacher. I played with the vinyls that I heard, it was my "first instrument" and my favorite game from 2 or 3 years old! Even today I am fascinated by great black vinyl records… I remember precisely what I felt the first time I heard Dizzy Gillespie's records or recordings of works by Bach and Chopin. At the first listening, I felt that I had to go further. Later, I didn't choose jazz exclusively. And we can't attribute everything to it either. I would say that I interpret all types of music. The huge vinyl collection is probably not foreign to my culture and my openness. I don't like limits either, so:
What are the themes of this album?
It is simply my opinion of this planet, of this world and of my experiences. The album took me almost nine years of work. It was done with old compositions alongside new ones. Some themes like Prélude are classic, others are more joyful or even humorous. Swan Lake is loosely inspired by Tchaikovsky. As I like the rhythm, which in our culture is very strong and very present, I wanted to use a lot more 7/8, which was a crazy bet but which combines so well in the end. And then I liked the idea of making the swans dance on 7/8 rather than their usual 4/4!
“Deja vu” is a splendid theme that simultaneously expresses gravity and lightness!
I tried to offer melodies that we remember but whose origin we do not understand. In this piece, the melodies overlap and evoke the phenomenon of déjà vu. The musicians who accompany me give me the energy to build my solos and promote this sublime connection which is essential in a recording! Alan Hampton (bass and double bass) and Mark Guiliana (drums) are devoted to their music, sound, and relationship to the instrument. I admire their pulsation and their ardor [...]
source: https://lincorrect.org/isfar-sarabski-azerbaidjazz-lincorrect/