Amir ElSaffar – trumpet & vocal
Tomas Fujiwara – drums
Tania Giannouli – microtonal piano
Ole Mathise – tenor saxophone

Amir ElSaffar New Quartet documents the initial encounter between trumpeter Amir ElSaffar’s trio, consisting of Tomas Fujiwara, one of NYC’s most in-demand and dynamic drummers, and Ole Mathisen, a tenor saxophonist of unparalleled technique and versatility, with Greek pianist Tania Giannouli, a rising star who has headlined almost every major jazz festival and venue in Europe over the past several years.

ElSaffar’s nuanced and vibrant trumpet sound, rooted in Chicago school classical technique, combining subtle ornamentation and microtones of Arab Maqam with Jazz influences ranging from Miles to Woody Shaw, resonates throughout the session, guiding the new ensemble into unexplored musical territories. The music ranges from intensely quiet and nearly silent to ecstatic and declamatory, with the microtonal piano ringing ear-opening and beautifully unconventional harmonies throughout.

“an elegiac tone with ElSaffar’s emotionally strident peals nudged into unfamiliar territory…with the piano’s bell-like chimes in a complex microtonal web.”

–The Wire