‘An astonishing display of musical shape-shifting’ – The Arts Desk
Currently studying at Berklee College of Music, Isfar Sarabski is the great-grandson of Huseyngulu Sarabski, the celebrated Azerbaijani opera singer, actor and one of the founders of Eastern opera. In 2011 he formed the Isfar Sarabski Trio exploring the relationship between jazz and mugham, Azerbaijan’s traditional music.
The pianist, composer and arranger has already made a splash at the Montreux Jazz Festival, winning the Jazz Solo competition in 2009, but the ripples of that success have only lapped gently at the fringes of the British jazz scene thus far. Greater recognition cannot be far behind. His trio – Sarabski himself driving everything forcefully, with the skilful support of Ferenc Nemeth on drums and Maurizio Congiu on bass – play as if the whole of jazz history was available for experimentation.
Together the trio will perform an incredible live show not to be missed.