Yervant1 Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 HAMASYAN'S FABLE : ARMENIAN-BORN MUSICIAN GOES SOLO ON NEW RELEASEBy STEPHEN COOKE The Chronicle Heraldhttp://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/60823-hamasyan-s-fableFeb 9 2012Halifax, Canada BY A WEIRD coincidence, this week began with a show by Deep Purple andit wraps up with an artist who lists the British heavy rock legends asa prime influence, yet their music couldn't be more sharply contrasted. Even so, Tigran Hamasyan can generate as much drama from a lone grandpiano as his early idols can with 10,000 watts of sound, which he'lldemonstrate on Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Peggy Corkum Music Room,formerly known as simply the Music Room, on Lady Hammond Road. "Yeah, all these bands, Deep Purple, Nazareth, Black Sabbath andLed Zeppelin, those guys were my heroes when I was a kid," says theArmenian-born musician over the phone from Los Angeles, sounding abit disappointed to learn that original Purple keyboardist Jon Lordhas been sidelined by injury and illness for the past few years. There is no trace of rock and roll overkill on Hamasyan's VerveRecords debut A Fable, just imaginative dexterity and a feel foratmosphere and visual suggestion that can launch a flood of visualimages on What the Waves Brought and The Legend of the Moon. At times, it feels like a soundtrack in search of a silent moviewith settings like a village carnival or the deepest, darkest woodsimaginable. It seems virtually impossible for two people to hear AFable in the exact same way, and it's surprising to learn that this isHamasyan's first solo recording, after a handful of combo recordings. "You grow up playing alone; even with a band, most of your time isspent at home by yourself practising or creating music," he explains. "Playing solo is one of the most natural things for any musician,and I've been meaning to record solo because I've been playing soloconcerts for a while, and it seemed like the right time. "It's a challenge, you know? Because it takes time until you feel thatyou can say something playing by yourself. There are so many solo pianorecords out there, for over a century there's been all this amazingpiano music, so it's a big challenge to come up with something new." Don't be surprised to hear echoes of solo piano work ranging fromErik Satie to Keith Jarrett in Hamasyan's performance, but he alsohas a realm of influence that's just as important in the folk tales,songs and medieval hymns from his native Armenia. "For example, I was inspired by the work of these fabulists that livedin the 13th century, and they wrote an extensive number of fables,and they were also political figures. "It was amazing when I rediscovered them, and I realized that thefables they were writing related to their everyday lives, and I relatedto them as well. They're about the exact same values, and you cansee how people in the world haven't changed. It's pretty remarkable." The concept of fables spans the Bible - What the Waves Broughtreminds me that the Ararat mountain range, the final resting placeof Noah's ark, is in Armenia - to Walt Disney. Snow White's SomedayMy Prince Will Come takes on a tone that's more dark than wistful:"Be careful what you wish for," it seems to say. The album's closer, Mother, Where Are You?, is a medieval Armenianhymn that brings everything back to Earth, and sums up centuries ofthe nation's hardships and persecution in a few succinct lines. "I've always been meaning to arrange that song, because I thought ithad one of the most amazing melodies I've ever heard," says Hamasyan,who feels the meaning comes across even if the listener doesn't knowthe background. "It's challenging to express myself in a way that people can understandit, but I keep getting great feedback. I think all types of folkmusic and religious music are part of something that's universal andit doesn't matter what nationality you are. "Whatever kind of folk music it is, you can understand it." Tickets for Hamasyan areavailable at jazzeast.com/tigran-hamasyan orby calling 492-2225. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ED Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 Thanks Yervant jan, a great story, I can relaite to Tigran, in my youth we always jamed tunes from Deep Purple.those were good old days, now days is lawers and voulchers......what the fook this or Armenia come to:( by the way, whats that phone #? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 Thanks Yervant jan, a great story, I can relaite to Tigran, in my youth we always jamed tunes from Deep Purple.those were good old days, now days is lawers and voulchers......what the fook this or Armenia come to:( by the way, whats that phone #?JazzEast’s 2012 winter season starts Feb. 11, 8 p.m., at the Music Room, Lady Hammond Road, Halifax, with Armenian-born solo pianist Tigran Hamasyan. The New York-based artist, whose latest album is A Fable, is known for virtuosity, compositional voice and energetic experiments with rhythmic and harmony. The number is for ordering tickets, the area code for Halifax is (902) 492-2225. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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