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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZZADEH, Aziza Mustafa(b 19 Dec. '69, Baku, Azerbaijan) Pianist, vocalist, composer. Her father Vagif Mustapha-Zadeh (b 16 March '40, Baku; d 17 Dec. '79) invented a fusion of jazz and mugam, a rhythmically complex folk form; he led groups, made an impressive appearance at a jazz festival in Estonia '67, won a prize for his composition 'Expecting Aziza' in Monaco '79; his albums incl. Jazz Compositions and In Kiev on Soviet labels, Aspiration on East West. Aziza sang professionally at age three, studied classical piano, made debut on stage with her father a year before his death. She first recorded in Ludwigsburg for German Columbia, an eponymous solo album '91 of her own music except for her father's 'Quiet Alone'; Always '93 was a trio with Chick Corea sidemen John Patitucci and Dave Weckl, again all her own except for her father's 'Vagif'. She played at the Brecon Jazz Festival '95; Dance Of Fire '96 incl. Al Di Meola, Stanley Clarke and others, and played solo at Queen Elizabeth Hall early '96. One critic described the album as 'a supercharged Eastern-flavoured fusion' and her solo playing as a 'mixture of Bud Powell, Rachmaninoff and the Arabian Nights'; she sang somewhere between 'Betty Carter and the top of a minaret'. Seventh Truth '96 featured photos of her exotic self half-naked; she multi-tracked herself singing harmony and playing congas on some tracks as well as piano, with percussionist Ramesh Shotam on three tracks and drummer Ludwig Jantzer on one. Some of the songs were based on Azeri classics and some had English lyrics by Aziza; there was Middle Eastern flavour in the vocal style, but the total effect smacked of New Age rather than Bud Powell, complete with dubbed sounds of surf and birds. Jazziza '97 showcased singing, incl. jazz standards plus her own 'Sunny Rain' and 'Character', with Toots Thielemans, Philip Catherine, Eduardo Contrera on percussion. |