From Baku to New York City

Album review

Since 2014, Azerbaijan has been attracting jazz-lovers more and more. That was the year that Shahin Novrasli released the album Bayati with Nathan Peck and Ari Hoenig. Pianist, composer and musical virtuoso from Baku played Rachmaninov’s Concerto No.2 at only 18 years of age. He mixed his classical background with jazz and in particular with mugham, a traditional and highly-skilled genre of Azeri music with a strong emphasis on improvisation. Building bridges between East and West in his own unique way, Vorasli has been highly praised by none other than Ahmad Jamal – a seal of approval for any musician! After the release of the superb album Emanation in 2017, the year he turned 40, Shahin Novrasli reveals even more with the aptly-named album From Baku to New York City.
Jazz master Ahmad, who produced this album, even lent him his beats (James Cammack on double bass and Herlin Riley on drums) for this album which includes all the attributes of his lifelong musical journey from Baku to New York, where he now lives. Between classics such as Salt Peanuts by Dizzy Gillepsie and 52nd Street Theme by Thelonious Monk, as well as covers of songs by Joni Mitchell (Both Side Now) and Michael Jackson (She’s Out Of My Life), Novrasli also includes Memories, a portal into the musical world of its composer, Vagif Mustafazadel, the great guru of mugham and whose melancholy is characteristic of Caucasian blues. As is often the case when listening to Novrasli, it is hard not to be reminded of Ahmad Jamal, Bill Evans and above all Keith Jarrett at certain points. Nonetheless, there is a distinct sense of melancholy entirely of his own creation that envelops his playing in From Baku to New York City. Beautiful. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz