Author Archives: JWQ
JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2026: Arshid Azarine Nouvel album Trio + Guests Live / Sortie vinyle et digitale le 24/04/2026 (Ohrwurm Records)
Arshid Azarine – New album: Trio + Guests Live (Ohrwurm Records)
French-Iranian pianist Arshid Azarine returns on April 24, 2026, with the release of Trio + Guests Live, following his 2024 album Vorticity.
Joined by percussionist Habib Meftah (known for collaborations with Trio Joubran and Titi Robin) and bassist Hervé de Ratuld, Azarine presents an organic and expressive work inspired by the theme of freedom in Iran.
The album was recorded in Paris in 2025 at the 360 Paris Music Factory during the Au fil des Voix festival, as well as at the Sunside Jazz Club. It captures the immediacy of live performance—marked by tension, precision, spontaneity, and emotional depth.
Guest appearances include vocalists Nuria Rovira Salat and Golsa, along with a recorded vocal contribution from Golshifteh Farahani.
Trio + Guests Live unfolds as a music of transition and transformation, where harmonies take on shifting, atmospheric textures and rhythms are both grounded and exploratory, drawing influence from diverse musical traditions, including those of the broader Middle East.
| Arshid Azarine – Nouvel album Trio + Guests Live – Sortie vinyle et digitale le 24/04/2026 (Ohrwurm Records) |
| Le pianiste franco-iranien Arshid Azarine est de retour le 24 avril 2026 avec l’album Trio + Guests Live. Cet album fait suite à l’album Vorticity sorti en 2024. Accompagné par les polyrythmies du percussionniste Habib Meftah (Trio Joubran, Titi Robin), et la basse de Hervé de Ratuld, Arshid Azarine signe une œuvre organique dédiée à la liberté en Iran. Enregistré à Paris en 2025, au 360 Paris Music Factory lors du festival Au fil des Voix et au Sunside Jazz Club, cet album capte ce qui ne se répète pas : la tension, l’écoute, le risque, l’émotion. On retrouve en invités Nuria Rovira Salat (voix), Golsa (voix), et la voix enregistrée de Golshifteh Farahani. Une musique de passage, de transformation, où les accords prennent des couleurs aériennes et mouvantes, où les rythmes s’ancrent autant qu’ils s’échappent dans des contrées orientales. Arshid Azarine est aussi radiologue cardio-vasculaire. Il observe les flux, les turbulences, les mouvements invisibles. Et dans la musique comme dans l’image, il cherche la même chose : le cœur. Le premier extrait s’appelle Abann à découvrir avec un clip en animation signé Sarah Tabibzadeh. Pour découvrir le clip d’Abann : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRk1CVcOxq0 |
Pianiste franco-iranien, Arshid Azarine tisse depuis plusieurs années une œuvre à la croisée des mondes, où les racines de la musique persane rencontrent l’espace ouvert du jazz. Une musique de passage, de transformation, où les accords prennent des couleurs aériennes et mouvantes, où les rythmes s’ancrent autant qu’ils s’échappent dans des contrées orientales.
Le live est pour lui une manière d’entrer en relation, de créer, de partager. À ses côtés, deux musiciens d’exception : le percussionniste Habib Meftah dont le jeu polyryhtmique porte en lui les mémoires africaines du sud iranien, et le bassiste Hervé de Ratuld. Ostinatos, pédales, lignes de basse souples. Ensemble, ils forment un trio traversé par les cultures, habité par une même quête : celle du mouvement. Car la vie n’existe qu’en mouvement. Après 7 Djan (2015), Sing Me a Song (2019) et Vorticity (2024), ce nouvel album marque un retour à l’essentiel : le live, la forme qui se construit en temps réel. Écoute, interaction, respiration collective. Enregistré à Paris en 2025, cet album capte ce qui ne se répète pas : la tension, l’écoute, le risque, l’émotion. Il est dédié à celles et ceux qui se battent en Iran pour la liberté. Là où jouer du jazz peut être passible de prison, chaque note prend une autre densité. Ici, la liberté n’est pas acquise : elle est ressentie comme un miracle, un instant fragile.
La version digitale ajoute un inédit « Erevan-Tabriz-Téhéran », récit musical d’un voyage réel devenu mémoire. « Ce titre est né d’un souvenir très personnel : il retrace le voyage en voiture, entrepris pour rejoindre le mariage du pianiste Tigran Hamasyan à Erevan (Arménie).
Entre mémoire et présent, science et sensation, ancrage et vertige, Arshid Azarine Trio + Guests Live est un album de circulation. Une musique qui cherche moins à dire qu’à faire ressentir. Une musique qui, simplement, vit. Sans peur, au-delà des frontières et des barres de mesure.
JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2026
JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2026: ROBERTO MAGRIS / DENIS RAZZ QUARTET-In Action
With the release of the double album “In Action” released by the well established Kansas City label JMood Records, Italian pianist Robero Magris adds to his long and esteemed career another exciting European collaboration, this time teamed-up with three excellent jazz musicians from Croatia.
The band embarks on a varied program that features original material and a couple of standards written by Coltrane, Shorter, Tyner, Lateef, Washington/Young, Smith along with two Sun Ra’s compositions less re-visited by jazz musicians. The energy of the album suggests a live performance full of joy and the freshness of the moment.
Roberto Magris puts his stamp as composer, arranger, playing acoustic and electric piano, Hammond organ and even…Mexican whistles, getting in the spotlight with spirited solos, interacting with the band members, stepping back to let others shine.
Unforgettable is the warm and ample introduction followed by a lively interaction with the saxophone with a jazz rock scent on Il Mare il Fiume composed my Magris.
Anoher highlight is the soulful exchange between Roberto Magris and Karlo Ilić, electric guitar on ‘Double Matrix.
Denis Razz is at his best delivering a series of exciting interventions in which his energy catalyzes the entire group who join him with frenzy on the captivating version of Wayne Shorter’s Black Nile.
The album excells in lyrical moments of great finesse, such as the warm ballad composed by McCoy Tyner You Taught My Heart to Sing.
On Echoes from the Depths Rajko Ergić contributes a compelling soprano sax improvisation over the mysterious background provided by Magris on the keyboards. Also notable is the version of Left Alone a beautiful ballad in which Magris excels adding lyrical twists in full harmony with Razz’s inspired sax.
The two discs of this album, rich in high-class jazz moments, demonstrate so wonderfully that jazz and musical creation, have no borders, the sensibilities of the four musicians complement each other so harmoniously that the result is not only delightful but above all is touching the soul.
JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2025: HII Trio(Brazil)-Connections
The Brazilian jazz scene has been enriched recently with a new release — the debut album by the trio of pianist/composer Henrique Mota, acoustic bass player Iury Batista and drummer Igor Willcox, united into creativity under the name HII Trio.
Alongside the three seasoned musicians, the album benefits from a fruitful collaboration with a number of celebrated voices in contemporary jazz such as Bob Mintzer, Tony Lakatos, Seamus Blake, David Binney, Bob Franceschini, and Rachel Therrien.
The eight original tracks are impressive, revealing strong compositional ability and a remarkable freshness in their interaction driven by the energy they navigate the modern jazz landscape where Brazilian and modern jazz influences merge with each individual’s personal sensibility.
The playful opener “Consciência Plena (Mindfulness)” lets the magic begins in full force. Piano, bass and drums meander freely through rhythms and harmonies continously broadening boundaries of the improvisational territory.
On the syncopated “Talking In Traffic,” renowned trumpeter Tony Lakatos channels the energy of his presence to the piano and bass, while Igor Wilcox’s drums dynamically raise the heat, driving the mood toward a burning peak.
Worth noting the perfect balance in interplay between musicians and the vividity of the dialogues in “Connections” featuring veteran saxophonist Bob Franceschini.
In “Um Voo Sem Destino,” saxophonist Bob Mintzer introduces a warm, lyrical touch that shines amid the intense rhythmic dialogue between bass and drums.
The next highlight of the album is the synergistic energy on “Wine Glass,” where David Binney’s saxophone weaves into the composition with his distinct voice, intensifying the track’s fiery atmosphere.
“Sambatino” tackles a Brazilian theme — with the saxophone of Seamus Blake in tune with the piece’s Latin groove.
On “New Cycles” we hear the virtuosic trumpet of Rachel Therrien improvising with her usual expressiveness in perfect connection with the three Brazilian musicians.
The album ends with Anonymous introduced by the bass lines of Iury Batista— we are enchanted by a solid sense of rhythm and flow that permeates the adventurous interplay among the three band members, combining improvisational idioms with dexterity. together in their exploration
On the closing track “Anonymous,” introduced by Iury Batista’s bass lines — we are drawn in by a strong sense of flowing rhythms permeating the bold interplay among the three musicians engaged in a stunning exploratory journey.
Connections is a smart titled jazz album — a seamless blend of creativity, melody and rhythm connected to the creative and adventurous spirit these three outstanding musicians bring to their art.
JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2025: Roberto Magris-Lovely Day(s)-JMOOD 025
After a long artistic jazz carreer leading bands on both sides of the Atlantic, playing along jazz luminaries, Italian pianist‐composer Roberto Magris is back with a new release through Kansas City’s JMood Records, this time with his first solo album.
In the framework of the bands he played in, Magris’ solos are well-known and admired by those who have listened to his records over the years, but this time we are witnessing a compelling demonstration of virtuosity and inventiveness captured live.
The program is a showcase for his mastery and a window into his musical preferences, all pieces assembled to keep a consistent stylistic path and vibe clearly perceived throughout the musical journey.
The album begins with the powerful original composition “Blues Clues,” opening the program with intensity and spirit, filling the sonic space with that emotion and enthusiasm that permeates the whole album.
Andrew Hill’s “Reverend Du Bop” receives a buoying and bold treatment giving an adventurous edge to the original. “Bemsha Swing” continues the unconventional approach while expanding the boundaries with sparkling inventivity. The lyricism of the “Laverne”, another Hill’s composition, retains the original flavor to reach a beautiful spiritual stage that continues on “The time of this world is at hand” where the gospel vein is running subtlety through the meanderings of Magris’s vision. The piece echoes a needed social awareness clearly in tune with our troubled times.
We hear a vibrant “A Flower is a Lovesome Thing” recreated to naturally accommodate a cascade of innovative deviations.
“Let’s cool one” fast paced and modernized to embrace new striking colors. “Lonely Town” hits a reflective chord, not lacking energy; on contrary the melodic line is strong and clear, Its airy impressionistic touch bringing an exquisite tone to the piece. The album ends on a spiritual “mysterious” note with “the Saga of harrison crabfeathers” by Kuhn, carrying a cinematic impressionistic quality.
Through his music Magris sends a message to the world: freedom is the key of the artistic creation and essential as societal foundation. “Lovely day(s)” stands as an essential listen for those interested in listening one of the best voices of contemporary jazz
JazzWorldQuest WorldMusicMix: East of West(Australia) -Pastorale
Info about song/album:
‘Takt’ is an album cut from the new release ‘Pastorale’ which is a collaborative effort between the East of West trio and renowned pianist Romano Crivici. —— – – This album began with a small piano being crammed into the back of a family car. Malindi, our percussionist, was on a mission to buy a piano that could fit in our tiny apartment. After visiting and rejecting a number of them, Malindi found a beautiful old spinet upright. She called the owner, we drove to the suburbs, walked behind the house – and there was the piano, sitting on the grass, covered in a tarpaulin, in the middle of the rainy, sweaty Brisbane summer. Our hearts sank deeper than our feet into the suburban floodplain mud. The owner’s ex had turfed the piano and all his music gear out of the house to the mercy of the subtropical summer weather. He offered it to us for zero dollars.
Malindi bargained the price up, three of us somehow loaded it into the back of Subaru Forester and took it home. The piano tuner worked hard to give the piano back some self-respect, and on it I sketched out the compositions on this album which were played by the remarkable Romano Crivici to complement East of West’s oud, double bass and percussion. We recorded on a beautiful Steinway piano with an equally interesting story, but we’ll leave that for another time
Recorded live in Brisbane by the extraordinary sound engineer Siiri Metsar, this collaboration further extends the band’s unique sound and style, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in its finely-crafted soundscapes and improvisations.
Over the seven years of their collaboration, East of West have developed an intuitive musical relationship, flourishing through their dynamic interplays, virtuosic unison melodies and expressive soloing. Gajić’s compositions explore gentle melodic motifs nested in uptempo passages set to Balkan-influenced rhythms, interspersed with moments of mesmerising musical sparseness.
New release: PETER XIFARAS-“ADAGIO GROOVES”
New release
PETER XIFARAS-“ADAGIO GROOVES”
RELEASE DATE: August 22, 2025
Jazz meets Classical as The Budapest Symphony intersects with virtuoso jazz saxman & Universal Music Group artist Justin Chart for six blissful tracks that feature orchestral arrangements with beautiful soulful melodies that evolve into addicting grooves.
Artist: PETER XIFARAS
Title: ADAGIO GROOVES
Artist Website: https://PeterX.music
Release Date: August 22, 2025
Label: Music With No Expiration®
Catalog Number: PXCD05 UPC Digital: 199538351040
UPC Physical: 195269379018
Distribution: SONY/Orchard
Featuring: Justin Chart with the Budapest Symphony
TRACK LISTING
1. ADAGIO BLUE 5:12 2. ADAGIO DREAM 3:55 3. ADAGIO GROOVE 4:35 4. ADAGIETTO 5:51 5. ADAGIO DAYS 6:22 6. ADAGIO NIGHTS 5:22
Renowned for his prowess as a composer, guitarist, and producer, Peter Xifaras has masterfully navigated the realm of musical genres, earning widespread acclaim. His versatility is striking; whether crafting compositions for symphonic orchestra or delivering impassioned guitar solos, Peter is at ease. With his music resonating across hundreds of radio stations and enjoying over a decade of rotation on SiriusXM, his impact is undeniable. A recipient of multiple awards, Peter’s music has crowned the summits of BILLBOARD’S Classical & Crossover charts. Notably, he was awarded the AMERICAN Prize in composition, clinched a TELLY for ‘social impact’, and received an Accolade Global Film HUMANITARIAN award for his efforts with the poignant orchestral release, Children Of Conflict.
MUSICIANS:
Peter Xifaras-keys, Justin Chart-sax, Max Gerl-bass, Scott Jackson-drums, Budapest Symphony-orchestra
LISTENING LINKS:
https://orcd.co/7r5qwwa
All music written, arranged, produced by Peter Xifaras