Amir ElSaffar

Jazz  Trumpeter

Composer 

Iraqi Maqam Singer

Santoor Player

"There was a moment in one piece, a soft slow piece, when all the others fell away and left Amir by himself. He played with a quiet, airy intensity that not only quieted the whole band, but paralyzed the entire room. After about 30 seconds by himself he simply stopped. There was a collective gasp in the room that stunned."  

   - Dave Douglas

"...this music celebrates the ability of

great musicians to imagine unfamiliar

territory, and navigate it in a way that

makes for both intuitive understanding

and compelling listening."

~ NPR: song of the day Iraqi Jazz Gets 'The Blues'

by Patrick Jarenwattananon

Upcoming performance: ElSaffar/Modirzadeh with Mark Dresser and Alex Cline perform

their New York debut at Alwan for the Arts on June 19. See calendar for details.