Amir ElSaffar
Two Rivers CD Release Party

Show Description

"harrowing to absorb; full of as much beauty as pain" BBC World

"Amir ElSaffar, the Iraqi-American trumpeter...is a virtuoso on the horn, but also an imaginative bandleader, expanding the vocabulary of the trumpet and at the same time the modern jazz ensemble." David Adler, All About Jazz

"a staggering accomplishment that subtly erases the lines between [Maqam and Jazz]...While plenty of horn players have tapped into Middle Eastern modalities since John Coltrane became fascinated with Eastern sounds in the late 60s, it's rare to hear it done with such conviction and authority" ~Peter Margasak, the Chicago Reader
Iraqi-American trumpeter Amir ElSaffar put his New York career on hold six years ago to immerse himself in the music of his ancestral past, the Iraqi maqam. Already an accomplished jazz and classical trumpeter, ElSaffar traveled to Iraq, throughout the Middle East and to Europe, where he pursued masters who could impart to him this complex, centuries-old oral tradition. He quickly became versed in maqam, and learned to play the santoor (Iraqi hammered dulcimer) and to sing, and he currently performs maqam to Iraqi and non-Iraqi audiences across the US. He also created new techniques for the trumpet that enable microtones and ornaments that are characteristic to Arabic music but are not typically heard on the trumpet.

Tonight, ElSaffar and Pi Recordings celebrate release of Two Rivers, an emotionally-charged suite that invokes elements of the Iraqi maqam and frames them in a modern jazz setting. The compositions are based on maqam melodies, each of which is believed to have a unique spiritual essence and to contain an aspect of Iraq's history and society. These are set to heavy grooves, multi-layered sound textures, and free playing as the music ranges from slow, rubato song to fast-paced New York-style improvisation. Amir ElSaffar is joined by a sextet that includes Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto saxophone), Nasheet Waits (drums), Francois Moutin (bass), Tareq Abboushi (buzuq and percussion), and Zaafir Tawil (oud, violin and dumbek).

www.amirelsaffar.com