Label: Outnote Records, 2021

Personnel - Amir ElSaffar: trumpet, vocals; Fabrizio Cassol: alto saxophone; Ole Mathisen: tenor and soprano saxophone; JD Parran: bass saxophone, clarinet; Mohamed Saleh: oboe, English horn; Miles Okazaki: guitar; Tareq Abboushi: buzuq; Tim Moore: dumbek, naqqarat, frame drums; Jason Adasiewicz: vibraphone; Zafer Tawil: oud, nay; Dana ElSaffar: joza, violin, viola; John Escreet: piano; Naseem Alatrash: cello; Rajna Swaminathan: mridangam; George Ziadeh: oud; Carlo De Rosa: acoustic bass; Nasheet Waits: drums.

Trumpeter, composer and bandleader Amir ElSaffar has been expressing his Iraqi-American heritage and artistic identity through successful albums that blend the traditional Iraqi maqam and modern jazz. The Other Shore, the highly anticipated follow-up to Not Two (New Amsterdam, 2017), marks the second time on record he's in the command of the 17-piece Rivers of Sound Orchestra, an extension of the Two Rivers Ensemble. There was one single change in its workforce - John Escreet sits in the piano chair that previously belonged to Craig Taborn.

The imaginative cross-cultural mysticism of “Dhuha” floats with ElSaffar chants and an exotic instrumentation where a robust versatility lurks behind the apparent languidness. This is materialized in a passage prodded by a groove in five where ostinatos serve as a filling during a saxophone solo. The trumpet detaches from its counterparts in the last section, and then the movement is slowed down until fading quietly.

“Transformations” boasts an initial 12-beat cycle bass-oud groove before juxtaposing full-fledged rhythms with a dancing perspective in mind; “Lightning Flash” adjusts the density of its passages by giving it a simultaneously elegant and brazenly energizing feel; and “Medmi” terminates the session in calm waves.

“Reaching Upward” is one of my favorite pieces, and its magic erupts with West classical splendor as the stringed instruments (oud, violin, buzuk) come to the fore. After that, a percolating rhythmic flux in five finds its way, welcoming the inside/outside maneuvers from Belgian altoist Fabrizio Cassol, the intricate chromaticism of guitarist Miles Okazaki, and the microtonal pitches of ElSaffar on trumpet. Just as exciting is the breezily asymmetric {17+16} “Ashaa”, whose arresting rhythm patterns help to create moments of rare beauty. The lutes stand out ahead of a nearly-funkified fusion. Bassist Carlo DeRosa shares his thoughts, and the piece ends brightly in five after a Middle Eastern dance where ElSaffar interacts with another horn player.

Imbued with passionate lyricism, this music feels both cerebral and freewheeling. Composition and improvisation play an equally important role and there’s plenty of good, hybrid sonorities for one’s listening pleasure.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Dhuha ► 03 - Reaching Upward ► 04 - Ashaa

Label/Year: New Amsterdam, 2017

Lineup includes – Amir ElSaffar: trumpet; Ole Mathisen: saxophone; JD Parran: saxophone; Mohamed Saleh: oboe; Miles Okazaki: guitar; Craig Taborn: piano; George Ziadeh: oud; Jason Adasiewicz: vibraphone; Tareq Abboushi: buzuq; Carlo DeRosa: bass; Nasheet Waits: drums; etc.

// this review was originally published on LondonJazz News on May 15 //

The musical capacities of Amir ElSaffar deserved wide recognition in 2007 when his acclaimed debut album entitled Two Rivers was released on Pi Recordings. Born in Chicago to an Iraqi father and an American mother, ElSaffar, a trumpeter, vocalist, composer, and bandleader, has been an enthusiastic emissary of a fusion style that blends Iraqi maqam music and contemporary jazz. His aptitude to merge both styles as an organic whole was strengthened after learning from maqam music masters in Baghdad, as well as collaborating with jazz forward-thinkers like Cecil Taylor, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Oliver Lake, and Vijay Iyer.

ElSaffar’s new double-disc album, Not Now, released on Amsterdam Records, features a closely-knit 17-piece ensemble that comprises both Western and Middle Eastern musicians of remarkable technical caliber.

The disc one opens in a surreptitious way with “Iftitah”, where layers of sound are gradually stacked up, creating mystery at first, and then gaining majestic contours with the horn section. The finale displays the saxophone players embarking on a striking collective improvisation over a racing, swinging pulse commanded by bassist Carlo DeRosa and drummer Nasheet Waits. It took me to another dimension in a rare moment of exalted ostentation. Too bad it didn't last longer!

Exotic perfumes are exhaled from “Jourjina Over Three”, which overflows with serpentine microtonal melodies delivered in unison, and “Penny Explosion”, an enchanting piece that initially dances at 3/4, but eventually shifts in tempo, still maintaining the festive tonalities.

Plaintive and hypnotic, the slow-paced “Ya Ibni, Ya Ibni (My Son, My Son)” is a burst of sentiment. It features an intensely harmonious and glowingly spiritual piano solo by Craig Taborn, who resorts to thoughtful polyphonies to impress. The latter also designs the final setting, together with vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, and guitarist Miles Okazaki in a juxtaposition of provocative ostinatos.

Opening the disc two, “Layl (Night)” is a levitating prayer immersed in Byzantine scales and sinuous phrases played in unison, while “Hijaz 21/8” and “Shards of Memory/B Half-Flat Fantasy” invite us to dance with their modal incursions and chromaticism. On the former, amidst several other improvisations, we can hear ElSaffar’s dissertations on trumpet, while the latter finds the perfect poise between Arabic sounds and chants, sectional classical formulas, jazz infusions, and mesmeric rhythms. Everything leads to a massive collective improvisation.

I've found soul in ElSaffar’s compositions and responsiveness in his arrangements. It’s perceptible that these tunes never close doors to exploration and new possibilities. Regardless the great individual moments, the main force of Not Two comes from the collective whose members, unselfishly and victoriously, walk in the same direction.

Favorite Tracks:
01 (CD1) – Iftitah ► 04 (CD1) – Ya Ibni, Ya Ibni ► 03 (CD2) – Shards of Memory