20.09.2017
Text: Haluk Damar
Translation: Yetkin Nural
Illustration: Saydan Akşit
Amina Figarova is from Azerbaijan, just like one of the most important jazz pianists of the jazz history, Vagif Mustafa Zadeh. If you look closely to her piano style, it is possible to see that she took her early piano education in Azerbaijan. And she completed her educational journey in Berklee College of Music, a school that has trained wonderful jazz musicians and composers, during 80’s. It is possible to name Figarova as one of the hidden gems of modern jazz, a composer still waiting to be fully discovered by audiences. Figarova, whose emotionality is coming through her music, is a composer and a musician that doesn’t abstain from exploring dark moments as well. When you look into her general career, it is easy to discover her motivational thresholds.
Amina Figarova Sextet, on the other hand, is a project that pursues a impressive tempo. With Ron Carter’s protégé Rashaan Carter on the bass, Wayne Escoffery from The Brother Thelonious Quintet on the sax, Alex Pope Norris on the trumpet, Jason Brown and Bart Platteau on the drums; Anna Figarova Sextet is a musical formation of inter-tempo travels. Of course Anna Figarova whom the project is named after, is at the heart of this musical creation. Figarova, however, chose a musical frame for the sextet that creates space for music’s instantaneous dashes.
Rather than chasing improvisations, Amina Figarova Sextet prefers to hold on to the passion that lies at the bottom of this project and doesn’t compromise the structure that pushes the members of the sextet for a common creation. And it is possible to say that the sextet succeeds at this vision. In the Amina Figarova’s musical road map, it shouldn’t come as a surprise when you are pulled away from Figarova’s dominant existence and find yourself immersed in sudden, firm bass solos or Escoffery’s long sax melodies…
Amina Figarova Sextet is a musical body that clearly expresses its vision and doesn’t shy away from exploration even though they pursue perfection. And as an active group that extensively tours around the world, their biggest feature is offering their audience with different colors of the jazz spectrum.