#Amir Elsaffar + Hyper

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Listed: Atlas Maior

Atlas Maior combines progressive jazz, Middle Eastern, Latin American and Indian music traditions in original songs that nod to tradition without being confined by it. Led by Joshua Thomson (alto saxophone, flutes) and Josh Peters (oud, lavta), the band will be releasing its next album, Hadal, in early 2023. Here is some of the music that inspires them.

Marcel Khalife—Taqasim

Khalife's song "Achikain" is currently featured during live Atlas Maior settings. Here Taqasim is a rare example of Marcel performing in a trio setting. Marcel Khalife would come and play Arab Fest in my hometown of Dearborn, MI. We were so fortunate to be able to host this Lebanese legend in our backyard. 

Amir Elsaffar + Hyper

ElSaffar's work, approach, and sound has influenced the band for years. Fairly recently we've been in contact which has been incredible. He deserves every ounce of success that he receives with his phenomenal growing body of work. I also recommend the album Rivers of Sound. 

Karim Ziad

The Maghreb region has influenced Atlas Maior stretching back to before the inception of the group. Here we represent this with Ifrikya. In 2014, our composition "iddaa!" was accepted as part of a live art sound installation within Moroccan taxi cabs for the Marrakech Biennale 5 Art Festival. 

Ornette Coleman

Ornette! Ornette! Ornette! Our latest single Basalt is quite directly influenced by Ornette Coleman. Specifically ,the rubato melody we perform as the beginning melody. Also the fact that we have composed material incorporating two drum sets reminds me of his son Denardo Coleman. 

Anour Brahem

This is such a beautiful album by one of the greats of the oud. Here, Brahem teams up with Holland and Dejohnette on a truly special performance. All of Brahem's albums are fantastic. 

Tarek Yamani

Atlas Maior caught Yamani's La Merce 2019 Festival performance while we were also on tour in Spain. We were captivated by his approach to both Middle Eastern and Western jazz musical contexts. He is able to blend both approaches in such tasteful well thought out manner while demonstrating his command of both traditions. 

Naseer Shamma

Tablas (both Egyptian, and East Indian) have always been a component of Atlas Maior going back to the beginning of the group in 2009. Today we explore the instrument in several of our live settings as the Atlas Maior Tabla Trio, and in the larger quintet setting. Indian and Pakistani music traditions have always inspired us. This is a fine example of Middle Eastern oud, and East Indian tablas.

Ken Vandermark 

There are so many incredible Vandermark records, this one is just great also because of Atlas Maior's deep love of both Funkadelic and Sun Ra. I love the way he interprets these works in a trio setting. 

Omar Khorshid

A long-time influence on the band. Many never think of Khorshid's approach to the electric guitar. His story, music history, and body of work are legendary in the Middle East.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Here I've selected a concert from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, whom I was into probably five years before forming Atlas Maior. I remember walking around Ann Arbor, MI during a blizzard listening to this album. The legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, definitely one of the world's most prolific voices in all of music history. 

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ITALY: nusica.org March Festival & Tour

March 2018Hyper+ Amir ElSaffarAmir ElSaffar (trumpet)Nicola Fazzini (alto sax) Alessandro Fedrigo (electric bass) Luca Colussi (drums)A virtuous melting pot made of different musicians, with some fundamental common lines: they all like free improvisation and contamination of styles and rhythms.Contemporary language and free jazz are mixed with old arabian roots by the ElSaffar's attitude to "maqaam" and to the ancient musical patterns form his birth place, Iraq.   24 March 2018 h 21.00San Vito Jazz - San Vito al Tagliamento   25 March 2018 h 14.00Jazz Area Metropolitana - Dolo   26 March 2018 h 21.00Carambolage - Bolzano Jazz Area Metropolitana, 2nd editionMarch - May 2018Jazz Area Metropolitana is growing to the second edition, starting on 23th March in the area cross the Riviera Miranese. A nice and original way to enjoy this part of Veneto's territory, through art, music, city life and staying together as a community.The first concert is about Tango mixed with jazz texture (Paolo Giaro TangJazz, 23 March), the other ones are more orientated to "without border" music: free jazz and charming contamination between jazz and electronics (Helga Plankensteiner "Plankton", 24 and 25 March) and improvisation melting with ancient traditional arabian music (Hyper+ Amir ElSaffar, 25 March)On www.jazzareametropolitana.org the whole program of March  via Blogger https://ift.tt/2pHpo14