Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan who is opening the 19th edition of International Music Festival Jazz Fest Sarajevo 2015 next Tuesday, is coming back to Sarajevo after his first visit in 2010 when he played an excellent solo concert. Back then Jazz Fest introduced him to Bosnian and Herzegovenian audiences as a young artist whose time is still coming.
Five years later Tigran is an artist for whom top musicians and prestigious media don’t spare words of praise. Percussionist Trilok Gurtu, whose music we also listened to at Jazz Fest, predicts a splendid career like the one of famous pianist Keith Jarret, who among other things, holds the record for the most sold solo piano album in the past 30 years with a circulation measured in millions. Chick Corea described him as a great and mature author. One of the greatest pianists today Herbie Hancock didn’t hide his enthusiasm either when he said on stage in New Orleans : “Tigran, you are my teacher now!”
About Hamasyan’s virtuous interpretation and unique music was written in The Guardian, JazzTimes, Downbeat, Liberacion and the Daily Telegraph. A journalist from the American radio NPR wrote about his latest album Mockroot, which he will introduce on 03 November in Sarajevo with his trio: “heavy grooves, ethereal voices, pristine piano playing and ancient melodies – you’ll hear nothing else like this in 2015!”
Hamasyan was described as brilliant by Jools Holland as well when he was his guest four years ago introducing his solo album A Fable. You can watch a recording of the performance below and buy tickets for his concert in Sarajevo at Jazz Fest’s Box Office or here the link tickets.