In the midst of war, guitarist Mahan Mirarab was able to find solace in his music.
Born in Tehran, Iran on July 13, 1983, Mirarab was raised with the Iran-Iraq War as an ominous backdrop. But proving that music is a universal language, especially the poetry of jazz, Mirarab discovered the records of jazz icons like Charlie Parker and Wes Montgomery. Their artistic brilliance captivated Mirarab as a young teen; they opened a new world to him, one of peace and joy.
Just as he hit his teens, Mirarab found himself behind a piano, learning lessons that were not easily obtainable in his homeland. Living in the small city of Babol, there was basically no place to find music instruction. For someone who wanted to pursue music as a career, it was going to be a difficult road. “In Iran it was initially tough to have a dream and goals for a young teenager like me, coming from hard political and economical situations of the time," Mirarab explained. “When I heard some music that was not popular among the young people from my generation, such as Parker or Montgomery, it gave me an idea, a feeling of something new for me to discover. So I took my chances in getting involved with the idea of doing something in this field."
Fast-forward almost three decades later and Mirarab has a new album, Persian Side of Jazz, which captures the sense of wonder he felt when introduced to jazz while acknowledging his roots in Persian folk and world music. Songs like “Haj Ghorban" and “A Week of Moonlight" dazzle with Mirarab's enigmatic, transcendent guitar playing, fusing Middle Eastern textures with traditional jazz rhythms. “I've always tried to blend these two music languages and make a new sound," Mirarab revealed. “It's a mixture of the music of Iran, which is in my ears since I was a kid, and jazz music."
Born in Tehran, Iran on July 13, 1983, Mirarab was raised with the Iran-Iraq War as an ominous backdrop. But proving that music is a universal language, especially the poetry of jazz, Mirarab discovered the records of jazz icons like Charlie Parker and Wes Montgomery. Their artistic brilliance captivated Mirarab as a young teen; they opened a new world to him, one of peace and joy.
Just as he hit his teens, Mirarab found himself behind a piano, learning lessons that were not easily obtainable in his homeland. Living in the small city of Babol, there was basically no place to find music instruction. For someone who wanted to pursue music as a career, it was going to be a difficult road. “In Iran it was initially tough to have a dream and goals for a young teenager like me, coming from hard political and economical situations of the time," Mirarab explained. “When I heard some music that was not popular among the young people from my generation, such as Parker or Montgomery, it gave me an idea, a feeling of something new for me to discover. So I took my chances in getting involved with the idea of doing something in this field."
Fast-forward almost three decades later and Mirarab has a new album, Persian Side of Jazz, which captures the sense of wonder he felt when introduced to jazz while acknowledging his roots in Persian folk and world music. Songs like “Haj Ghorban" and “A Week of Moonlight" dazzle with Mirarab's enigmatic, transcendent guitar playing, fusing Middle Eastern textures with traditional jazz rhythms. “I've always tried to blend these two music languages and make a new sound," Mirarab revealed. “It's a mixture of the music of Iran, which is in my ears since I was a kid, and jazz music."
