Jazz Articles about Hafez Modirzadeh

About Hafez Modirzadeh

Album Review

Bobby Bradford / Mark Dresser / Hafez Modirzadeh: Sonic House Reunion

Read "Sonic House Reunion" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe
October 27, 2026

On Sonic House Reunion, three long-time colleagues confirm that familiarity in no way dilutes depth of expression. Cornetist Bobby Bradford and saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh boast a fertile track record, affirmed by discs such as Live At The Blue Whale (NoBusiness, 2019), Live At The Magic Triangle (NoBusiness, 2017) and Live At The Open Gate (NoBusiness, 2016). Bassist Mark Dresser joined on the last of these, and he rounds out the trio here too. Together they combine for a relaxed session ...

Album Review

Warriors of the Wonderful Sound: Soundpath

Read "Soundpath" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
July 9, 2021

If we alter President John F. Kennedy's 1962 moon spaceflight speech just a bit, it easily fits the big band adaptation of Muhal Richard Abrams' magnum opus Soundpath, “We choose to perform this composition not because it is easy, but because it is hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept." Accepting the challenge was band leader Bobby Zankel and ...

Album Review

Hafez Modirzadeh: Facets

Read "Facets" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian

by Hrayr Attarian
June 4, 2021

Innovative composer and saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh has always pushed the idiomatic envelope in his work. His eighth release as a leader, the stimulating Facets is, as hinted on the cover art, a musical kaleidoscope. Consisting of 18 short tracks the album explores various time signatures, modes and tonal colors that fuse many musical traditions. Three equally idiosyncratic artists take turns for a set of solos and duets with Modirzadeh. “Facet Sorey," for instance, is a crystalline tune with ...

Album Review

Warriors of the Wonderful Sound: Soundpath

Read "Soundpath" reviewed by Giuseppe Segala

by Giuseppe Segala
May 31, 2021

Nel 2011 il sassofonista di Filadelfia Bobby Zankel, leader della big band The Warriors of the Wonderful Sound e promotore di laboratori di musica contemporanea, propose a Muhal Richard Abrams un lavoro compositivo che avrebbe dovuto essere affidato alla band, con la direzione dello stesso pianista. Operazioni di questo tipo erano già state realizzate da Zankel negli anni precedenti con le musiche per big band di Julius Hemphill, dirette da Marty Ehrlich, poi con composizioni di Rudresh Mahanthappa e Steve ...

Album Review

Hafez Modirzadeh with Kris Davis, Tyshawn Sorey and Craig Taborn: Facets

by Troy Dostert
March 9, 2021

A rigorous, sometimes imposingly cerebral innovator, tenor saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh has dedicated himself since the 1980s to ever more ambitious ways of opening up the Western musical tradition to scrutiny. A particular obsession is the restrictive quality of conventional instrumental tunings, which, as Modirzadeh perceives them, can limit the possibilities available to improvisers and composers alike, especially when contrasted with the less confining musical traditions of the Middle East. One of his pathbreaking efforts in this regard was his Radif ...

Extended Analysis

Soundpath

by Victor L. Schermer
January 2, 2021

Muhal Richard Abrams (1930-2017) was a revered pianist, composer and teacher of great capability and range who, in addition to his own achievements, inspired and influenced many jazz musicians in both the mainstream and avant-garde categories. Largely self-taught as a result of a personal decision to follow his own path, and early on pursuing church music, big band, blues, bebop and avant-garde jazz in his home city of Chicago, he grasped music from its roots, and so was able to ...

Album Review

Hafez Modirzadeh: In Convergence Liberation

Read "In Convergence Liberation" reviewed by Alberto Bazzurro

by Alberto Bazzurro
January 15, 2015

Inciso nel 2011 riunendo pagine tutte a firma del multistrumentista di origine iraniana (ma nato a Durham, Carolina del Nord, nel 1962) Hafez Modirzadeh, questo lavoro è per più di un verso emblematico di come si possa far felicemente convivere ambizioni compositive post-accademiche, seduzioni di memoria etnica e pruriti jazzistici di stampo contemporaneo.Vi trovano posto cinque brani singoli e tre suite ("Karna Passages," “Suite Compost" e “Sor Juana," rispettivamente in tre, quattro e sei movimenti), il tutto su ...