Arshid Azarine’s two latest albums signified a remarkable journey in reviving Persian jazz by merging the talents of Iranian artists and their diaspora with musicians from Europe and the United States.
The first album, “7 Djan,” is a deep homage to Attar’s Conference of the Birds. The second album, “Sing Me a Song,” explores the rich collaborations between Iranian artists and their global counterparts, featuring contributions from Europe and the United States. Both albums showcase an eclectic blend of styles and talents, drawing on the expertise of Azarine’s long-time partners: Habib Meftah (notable for his work with Trio Joubran and Titi Robin) on percussion and vocals, and Hervé de Ratuld (who has collaborated with Toumast, Ousmane Touré, and Cerrone) on bass.
These albums have been celebrated through numerous international concerts and festivals, such as Elbe Philharmonie in Hamburg, Giardini della Filarmonica in Rome, Sala Puccini in Milan, and the Vaak Festival in London. In Paris, they have graced prestigious venues like New Morning, La Seine Musicale during the renowned “Printemps du Jazz Persan” in 2018, 2022, and 2024, and L’Alhambra. Their performances also featured regularly at Sunside, one of Paris’s main jazz clubs. In the past year, Arshid Azarine’s involvement with the Barayé collective has been particularly noteworthy. Formed in October 2022 to support the “Femme, Vie, Liberté” movement, the collective has brought significant attention to this cause through music. Highlights include a concert at Le Trianon in December 2022, broadcast on France TV, and a performance in April 2023 at the Théâtre du Châtelet, broadcast on TV5. These events facilitated meaningful collaborations with distinguished artists such as Yasmin Hamdan, Lynn Adib, Cissoko Balaké, Keyvan Chemirani, Awa Ly, Cyril Hatef, and Sylvain Barou. “Vorticity”: Arshid Azarine’s New Musical Odyssey “Vorticity” marks Arshid Azarine’s fourth album, deeply influenced by the tumultuous events in Iran and his dual passions: cardiovascular imaging research and musical composition rooted in Persian- inspired jazz.
This album is a groundbreaking convergence of these two facets of his identity, merging seamlessly like the two halves of a whole. Comprising nine tracks, “Vorticity” transcends the boundaries of a traditional music album. The album opens with a hauntingly low piano note, which unfolds into a captivating, beautiful, and gentle motif. Disturbingly, it represents a pulsation or scope noise, well-known to doctors but unexpected here, especially when the bass and tragic 6/8 percussion reminiscent of the funeral trance dances from Habib’s hometown, Boushehr, join in. Arshid dedicates the 5:30-minute of this first piece “75.2 BPM” to the final heartbeats of the victims of flight PS-752, particularly Rira, a promising young pianist on board. This track is mirrored by “Song To Jina,” inspired by a Kurdish lullaby made famous by singer Mazhar Khaleghi. It pays tribute to Jina (Mahsa Amini), the tragic victim who became the symbol of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement.
Other parallel tracks include “Vorticity” and “Helix of Life.” In “Vorticity,” the title track, Arshid Azarine’s signature fluid melodies are set against complex odd-numbered rhythms, specifically 9/8. In these tracks, actress Golshifteh Farahani declaims in her captivating voice: “In every chaos, a Vortex of Love is formed, from which whirlwinds of Life arise.” Azarine elaborates: “As a researcher, I am fascinated by turbulence and vortical flow in the major vessels that sustain life—the aorta and pulmonary artery. A vortical flow, or vortex, is a circular movement of blood around a point, and vorticity is a way to measure this in fluid mechanics. The piece ‘Vorticity,’ along with its accompanying poem, are translations of our biomedical observations. This may be analogized to the present chaos in the world and the pulse of life that, despite turbulence, finds its spiral, whirling path (Helix of Life), creatively navigating around these obstacles to perpetuate life”. Golshifteh Farahani graces also the track “Zomorod”, with a declamation in Persian of an excerpt from a poem by Rumi, set to a solo piano piece aptly titled “Emerald.” Rumi’s poem, which inspired this track, speaks of the invincible power of love. “Yerevan, Tabriz, Tehran” is a musical fable that links these three capitals, recounting Arshid’s journey of initiation to the region’s oldest Armenian monasteries over a two-week period. This voyage followed the wedding of his pianist friend Tigran Hamasyan and took him through the Arax Valley and Iranian Azerbaijan to Tehran—a journey much more complicated in today’s circumstances. “Baharoun” and “Abann” follow each other on the album, thematically tied to the concept of renewal and spring, often associated with “Norouz,” the Iranian New Year. “Bahar” is also the first name of Arshid’s wife, who sings on the track celebrating their son Abann’s first spring. This song is described as “a childish song composed with Abann on my lap.” The album concludes with “One for Unicity,” a track that Arshid typically starts his trio concerts with. It celebrates oneness and the idea that we are all One, even in a world where chaos and conflict often seek to divide us.