Today marks 72nd birthday of Vagif Mustafazadeh

Vagif Mustafazadeh (born March, 1940) was the most familiar and successful jazz performer in the Azerbaijan history, the first jazz-man in Soviet Union who received the Title of Distinguished Artist, creator of the new direction in jazz – Azerbaijani jazz-mugham. According to many world famous jazz musicians, Mustafazadeh is one of the pioneers and "the architect of jazz in Azerbaijan".

In 70s of the past century he was among the ten best jazzmen of the world, and the only one who had virtuosi? technique of piano jazz performance inherent only in him. He was also the founder of a number of jazz groups, the first of which was jazz trio "Caucasus" at the Georgian State Philharmonic Society. In Baku, he created such jazz groups as "Leyla" (1970), "Sevil" (1971) based on the Azerbaijan State Television and Radio Committee and "Mugham" (1977).

Thanks to his original compositions rich in oriental color, as well as improvisation and mixing of the jazz and mugham rhythms, Vagif became living legend. His creative work was highly appreciated both at home and abroad.

In 1967 legendary saxophonist Charles Lloyd and his quartet, which included young Keith Jarrett and Jack Dejonet, played at Jazz Festival held in Tallinn. Having heard the work of Mustafa-zadeh famous American jazzman Dizzy Gillespie thanked Mustafa-zadeh for his creation of music of the future saying he had heard nothing of the kind before.

Today some foreigners working and living in Azerbaijan fall into a real ecstasy while attending mugham evenings and listening to mugham compositions.

Mustafazadeh died of heart-attack shortly after a concert in Tashkent in 1979.


/Today.Az/