Amina Figarova - Joy

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:34
Size: 139,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:49) 1. Joy
(4:56) 2. October Phantasy (Feat. Sasha Masakowski)
(4:25) 3. Green Blues
(5:48) 4. Morning Dew
(5:15) 5. Ruby At Play
(8:29) 6. Suddenly Stars Are Falling From The Sky
(5:46) 7. Road Ahead
(6:51) 8. Only Peace Liberates
(4:45) 9. Getting There
(7:25) 10. Muse

Pianist Amina Figarova released an album in 2005 that was about as far away from the theme of "joy" as could be. September Suite (Munich Records) explored the deadly events of September 11, 2001 (she was in New York at the time; she experienced it). It is an album that she called: "An Ode to Mourning striving to articulate the various stages of grief in musical terms."

In 2022 Figarova turns 180 degrees to embrace optimism and a hope for a bright future with Joy. Born in Azerbaijan and now based in New York and New Orleans, Figarova once again displays her genius for arranging for a mid-sized ensemble, a three horn and a rhythm section sextet. On 2019's Road To the Sun (AmFi Records), perhaps her masterpiece, she enhanced her septet writing, on about half the tracks, with a string trio. It was enchanting, a top disc of the year list shoo-in.

On Joy she goes again with a (mostly) septet approach. The front line: the flute in the hands of Bart Platteau, which gives the sound a feeling of refinement; Alex Pope Norris' trumpet and flugelhorn, along with Wayne Escoffery's soprano and tenor saxophones. As always with the pianist, her group sounds bigger than a sextet. Credit Figarova's arranging mastery. Terrific soloing is heard all around, blowing organically out of the polish and shine of the well-crafted charts on the exuberant "Morning Dew," the reflective beauty of "Ruby At Play." Sasha Masakowski's dream-like vocals are featured on "October Phantasy," a recitation of her poem (included on the inside fold of the album cover) seeping softly into the arrangement with a slightly blurred, ghostly delivery.

Joy, with all compositions and arrangements coming from Amina Figarova's pen, is a magically uplifting experience. Figarova hails from Azerbaijan, and she was based in Europe for several years. Now the U.S. has her and her band and her Joy, and the country in trying times benefits from her consistently gorgeous contributions.By Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/joy-amina-figarova-amfi-records

Personnel: Amina Figarova: piano; Bart Platteau: flute; Alex Norris: trumpet; Wayne Escoffery: saxophone, tenor; Yasushi Nakamura: bass; Rudy Royston: drums; Brian Richburg Jr: drums; Sasha Masakowski: voice / vocals; Hasan Bakr: percussion.

Joy

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Amina Figarova - Come Escape With Me

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:55
Size: 149,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:40)  1. Come Escape With Me
(7:02)  2. Hot on the Trail
(7:08)  3. Flight of Fancy
(4:05)  4. Mr. T.M.
(5:22)  5. Dancing in the Wind
(3:15)  6. Buckshot Blues
(6:19)  7. Zealot
(4:35)  8. Awakening
(3:00)  9. Blues for Wiro
(4:46) 10. Destiny
(7:14) 11. Market Place
(5:25) 12. Reaching Out to You

The title of Come Escape With Me resembles the debut recordings of Norah Jones and Nellie McKay within the past few years, and the photogenic cover shot of Amina Figarova on this album seems to announce the arrival of another singer/songwriter. Alas, marketing being what it is, this is neither a debut nor a singer. Jazz pianist/composer Amina Figarova is an Azerbaijan native now residing in Rotterdam who has led this group for several years. This is her fifth album for Munich Records. 

The strength of this release is the pianist's sense of composition and arranging skills, as well as the quality of the musicians in her septet. The dozen tunes are all originals and all fit well within the jazz mainstream. In fact, it is hard to differentiate these Dutch musicians from the many well-known jazz combos that have played and recorded over the past few decades here. Most impressive are the work of flautist Bart Platteau (Figarova's husband) on the ballads "Reaching Out To You" and "Awakening"; the alto sax of Tom Beek on "Market Place" and "Reaching Out To You"; and the trumpet work of Marcel Reys on "Dancing in the Wind." "Destiny" is a reflective piano piece for Amina Figarova. ~ Michael P.Gladstone  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/come-escape-with-me-amina-figarova-munich-records-review-by-michael-p-gladstone.php

Personnel: Amina Figarova, piano;  Bart Platteau, flute, Bb-flute, wooden flutes;  Marcel Reys, trumpet, flugelhorn;  Tom Beek, alto and soprano sax;  Kurt van Herck, tenor sax;  Wiro Mahieu, bass;  Chris Strik,drums

Come Escape With Me

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Amina Figarova, Kim Prevost - On Canal Street

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:04
Size: 112,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:51) 1. Canal Street Blues
(4:46) 2. Fever
(4:50) 3. Averacruz
(3:53) 4. No Means No
(5:02) 5. New Orleans Samba
(3:43) 6. Pass the Word
(4:05) 7. Midnight
(4:17) 8. Night Dream
(4:07) 9. Love Is the Cure
(4:49) 10. Selena
(3:36) 11. Meant to Be

Amina Figarova is without doubt one of the most productive jazz composers and talented jazz piano players from Europe. Now living in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, born in Baku, Azerbaijan, Amina started playing piano and composing at a very early age. She studied as a classical concert pianist at the Baku Conservatory, jazz performance at the Rotterdam Conservatory and the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Amina Figarova performs with her own group at many jazz festivals and jazz clubs around the world, such as The North Sea Jazz Festival, New Orleans Jazz Festival, Capetown International Jazzfestival, Salvador Bahia Jazz Festival, Brasil, JakArt Festival, Indonesia, Yoshi's in Oakland, CA, Blue Note jazz club New York, and has given concerts in Israel, Europe, United Arabs Emirates, Mexico, USA, Azerbaijan, and many others.

Recorded her first CD “Attraction” in 1994, a start of a wonderful career as pianist and composer, a CD with all compositions and arrangements of Amina, almost all the music on her CDs are composed by herself. In 1998 she was invited to study at the Thelonious Monk Jazz Colony in Aspen, Colorado. A summer camp for the most talented young musicians. That same year she released her second album “Another Me”, a mix of funk, fusion and R&B, influenced by jazz, reggae and latin music, again with all original compositions. In March 2000 she was invited as artist in residence for the Dmitri Matheny Home Season in the San Fransisco Bay Area. That is how the Amina Figarova International Band got started, now released two live recorded CDs. Also the colobaration with Kim Prevost and Bill Solley from New Orleans resulted in the recording “On Canal Street”. Amina is touring and performing often with Denise Jannah. Amina performed with the American All Stars Band with James Moody, Nathan Davis, Claudio Roditi, Larry Corryell, and Wynard Harper.

“Come escape with me” (Munich Records, MRCD 465) showcases Amina's exceptional compositional and arranging skills. Her music (all of the CD's 12 tunes are written by her) is tasteful and refined, showcasing her talents as well as those of her band - a three-piece horn section and one amazing flute player. This new release is the most logic follow up of her septet CD releases “Firewind” and “Night Train”, celebrating the fifth anniversary of her septet. At the moment Amina tours with two different groups. Her septet features other wonderful musicians from The Netherlands and Belgium, and her Amina Figarova International Quintet. “Come escape with me” is recorded in the Netherlands with Marcel Reijs on trumpet, Kurt van Herck on tenor sax, Tom Beek on alto sax, Wiro Mahieu on bass, Chris Strik on drums and Amina's husband Bart Platteau on a whole scala of flutes. The music on this Munich Records CD is a great example of Amina's musical and compositional talents. She takes you to unknown areas to let you taste a different atmosphere, always with her own style and magical swing.

“Come escape with me” is allready for three weeks in the Top 10 of the Jazzweek airplay chart with # 7 as highest ranking! https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/aminafigarova

Personnel: Amina Figarova – Keyboards; Kim Prevost – Vocals; Bart Plateau – Flutes; Bill Solley – Guitar and Synthesizers; Ricky Sebastian – Drums; Roland Guerin – Bass; Kenyatta Simon – Percussion; Cope Kirkland – Rap; Sanford Hinderlie – Synthesizers

On Canal Street

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Amina Figarova - Sketches

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:20
Size: 181,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:53)  1. Four Steps to...
(3:09)  2. Unacceptable
(4:43)  3. Sketches
(6:07)  4. Caribou Crossing
(8:53)  5. Breakfast for the Elephant
(5:06)  6. Whotsot
(7:18)  7. Back in New Orleans
(5:56)  8. On the Road
(6:28)  9. Flight N°
(5:38) 10. Look At That
(5:26) 11. Train to Rotterdam
(5:30) 12. Happy Hour
(6:06) 13. Your Room

Thirteen bran the originals composed by Amina Figarova form Sketches, the new album of the pianist of Azerbaijan and resident in Holland. A repertoire born through the travels made with his "musical family," that is the sextet with which he then entered a studio in Amsterdam to record this work composed of songs that bring in a good stylistic variety and a cantabile that it makes the 80 minutes of the CD lasting flowing.The Figarova classical setting and exquisite touch creates figures of shining melodic fluidity ("Four Steps to ...," "Caribou Crossing") and stands out for the simplicity with which it gives character to its solo moments. It is up to the tenorist Marc Mommaas and the trumpeter Ernie Hammes to direct the music to the territories next to the bop, in a band supported by a punctual and solid rhythm section, which however does not have much influence on the final result. While it is determined, with regard to the nostalgic and sentimental element of the whole affair, the contribution of the flautist Bart Platteau, Amina's companion also in life. Sketches turns out to be a job capable of keeping the listener in good company looking for relaxing moments, even if on the whole some more acceleration would not have failed.~ AAJ Staff Italy https://www.allaboutjazz.com/sketches-amina-figarova-munich-records-review-by-aaji-staff.php

Personnel: Amina Figarova: piano; Ernie Hammes: flugelhorn, trumpet; Marc Mommaas: tenor saxophone; Bart Platteau: flute; Jeroen Vierdag: double bass; Chris "Buckshot" Strik: drums.

Sketches

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Jackie Ryan - This Heart of Mine

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:44
Size: 160,5 MB
Art: Front + Back

(3:52)  1. This Heart of Mine
(3:46)  2. Sleepin' Bee
(6:34)  3. Estate (Summer)
(5:50)  4. East of the Sun
(4:00)  5. Jump for Joy
(5:45)  6. Make it Last
(3:59)  7. Anos Dourados
(5:15)  8. Maybe September
(3:39)  9. When I Grow Old to Dream
(5:34) 10. Moon and Sand
(4:13) 11. Come Back to Me, Lover Come Back to Me
(6:48) 12. Sari (Trieste)
(4:49) 13. Velas Icadus (Sails)
(4:34) 14. Seasons of the Heart

You simply cannot sing a song any better than Jackie Ryan does. And you cannot make a better jazz vocal CD than this one. It is perfect. If that sounds too reverent, let me change the praise to “perfectly wonderful.” Each of the elements is truly wonderful: the choice of songs, the arrangements, accompanying musicians, even the ordering of the songs. And, most importantly, of course, Jackie Ryan! She is a smart, sophisticated vocalist for grown ups and this is her finest record and, in fact, may well be the best jazz vocal disc of 2003. If justice does exist, This Heart of Mine should make the San-Francisco-based Jackie a star. She has it all, a luxuriant smoky, rich alto, a feeling for jazz, a deft sense of swing, effortless delivery, stunning presentation and, just as importantly, an unaffected honesty. Each of her four CDs shows the steady growth of this remarkably talented artist, but This Heart of Mine deserves superlatives. How about the spell she weaves on that newest of standards, the jazz elegy to summer, “Estate,” or her moving version of Jobim’s seldom recorded tender “Anos Dourados” (Golden Years) sung in perfect Portuguese. The seldom-performed “Maybe September” is an exceptional song from a very non-exceptional movie (“The Oscar”). 

Alec Wilder’s “Moon and Sand” is getting more attention the past decade, and well it should. Ryan’s version is a wonderful and most tender addition to the growing canon. Other highlights include a gospel-tinged “Jump for Joy” and a graceful “Sleepin’ Bee.” Each track is meticulously constructed but still, the feeling of improvisation so important in jazz abounds. The “construction lines” are not visible only the spontaneity and the joy. You can tell a lot about a singer by the accompanists she keeps and Jackie Ryan keeps the best. This Heart of Mine features two different marvelous core bands. Four Los Angeles-based master musicians include pianist Jon Mayer, drummer Roy McCurdy, guitarist Barry Zweig, and bassist Darek Oles. A San Francisco contingent includes either Leonard Thompson or pianists Amina Figarova, bassists John Wiitala or Ruth Davies, and percussionists Omar Clay or Jason Lewis. The legendary Toots Thielemans adds his lyrical magic on the aforementioned “Estate” and “Maybe September.” Saxophonist Ernie Watts delivers some memorable contributions on three cuts. Yutaka Yokokura provides beautiful strings and Steve Erquiaga gentle bossa guitar rhythms on Jobim’s “Anos Dourados.” Jackie Ryan has a full-bodied voice and she intoxicates with a combination of power and perfume. She can be cute without cloying, sassy without being smug, she can swing but handles ballads with an assured delicacy and depth. Jackie is the real thing, an artist to delight in today and to follow in the future. This Heart of Mine is sixty seven minutes of glorious music. ~ Roger Crane https://www.allaboutjazz.com/this-heart-of-mine-jackie-ryan-openart-review-by-roger-crane.php

Personnel: Steve Erquiaga - Guitar;  Barry Zweig - Guitar;  Ruth Davies - Bass;  Roy McCurdy - Drums;  Jon Mayer - Piano;  Darek Oles - Bass;  Toots Thielemans - Harmonica;  Ernie Watts - Sax;  John Wiitala - Bass;  Jason Lewis - Drums;  Amina Figarova - Piano;  Yutaka Yokokura - Strings; Jackie Ryan - Vocals;  Leonard Thompson - Piano;  Bart Plateau - Flute;  Derek Oles - Bass.

This Heart of Mine

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