The Azerbaijani jazz is a popular variety of jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

, widespread in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...

. It covers a broad range of styles (traditional, post-pop, fusion

Fusion (music)

A fusion genre is music that combines two or more styles. For example, rock and roll originally developed as a fusion of blues, gospel and country music. The main characteristics of fusion genres are variations in tempo, rhythm, i a sometimes the use of long musical "journeys" that can be divided...

, free flexion) and often features a blend with traditional Azeri music

Music of Azerbaijan

Music of Azerbaijan builds on folk traditions that reach back nearly 1,000 years. For centuries Azerbaijani music has evolved under the badge of monody, producing rhythmically diverse melodies. Azerbaijani music has a branchy mode system, where chromatisation of major and minor scales is of great...

. The Baku International Jazz Festival

Baku International Jazz Festival

The Baku International Jazz Festival is an annual jazz event organized by renowned saxophonist and Baku resident Rain Sultanov. The festival aims to showcase Azerbaijan's long-running attachment to the American-born art form, a connection first established in the country during the 1950s and 1960s,...

 is held annually in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku

Baku

Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...

. Among modern famed Azeri jazz musicians are Aziza Mustafazadeh

Aziza Mustafazadeh

Aziza Mustafa Zadeh also known as The Princess of Jazz, or Die Prinzessin des Jazz or as Jazziza is an Azerbaijani singer, pianist and composer who plays a fusion of jazz and mugam with classical and Avant-garde influences...

, who was influenced by Bill Evans

Bill Evans

William John Evans, known as Bill Evans was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists including: Chick Corea, Herbie...

 and Keith Jarrett

Keith Jarrett

Keith Jarrett is an American pianist and composer who performs both jazz and classical music.Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey, moving on to play with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s he has enjoyed a great deal of success in jazz, jazz fusion, and classical music; as...

, Isfar Sarabski

Isfar Sarabski

Isfar Rzayev , better known as Isfar Sarabski, is an Azerbaijani jazz pianist. He is the great-grandson of opera singer Huseyngulu Sarabski....

, Salman Gambarov

Salman Gambarov

Salman Gambarov Huseyn oglu is an Azerbaijani jazz musician, pianist and composer.-Early years:Salman Gambarov was born in Baku in 1959. In 1977, he has been graduated from the 11-year secondary music school named after Bulbul. In 1983, he completed his study at the Musicology department of...

 and Rain Sultanov

Rain Sultanov

Rain Aladdin oglu Sultanov is an Azerbaijani jazz musician, saxophonist and Honorary Artist of Azerbaijan.-Early years:At the age of fourteen Rain entered the music school for clarinet classes and became interested in Miles Davis...

.

History

The Eastern Jazz Band, whose performances in Moscow

Moscow

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

 were advertised in 1926, included Huseyngulu Sarabski

Huseyngulu Sarabski

Huseyngulu Sarabski , born Huseyngulu Malik oglu Rzayev , was an Azerbaijani opera singer , composer, playwright, stage actor, theatre director, and musician .-Early life:...

 as a soloist. In 1930s Niyazi

Niyazi

Niyazi Zulfigar oglu Tagizade Hajibeyov was a prominent Soviet Azerbaijani musical conductor, composer, author of the famous "Rast" symphonic mugam.-Early life:...

 and Tofig Guliyev

Tofig Guliyev

Tofig Alakbar oglu Guliyev – Azerbaijani composer, pianist, conductor, People's Artist of the USSR.-Biography:Tofig Guliyev was born on November 7, 1917, in Baku, in the family of salary worker. He became a student of the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire when he was 12 years old due to his musical...

 created the first local jazz band

Jazz band

A jazz band is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands usually consist of a rhythm section and a horn section, in the early days often trumpet, trombone, and clarinet with rhythm section of piano, banjo, bass or tuba, and drums.-Eras:SwingDuring the swing era in the mid-twentieth...

. However, between 1920 and 1953, jazz in the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

 has been facing prohibition and censorship. By the 1950s, a blend which came to be known as jazz mugam or mugam jazz had originated in Baku. In that period jazz musicians from many Soviet cities, looking for a safe harbour, gradually gathered in Baku. In the late 1960s, the Azeri jazz music was boosted by such composers as Qara Qarayev and Rauf Hajiyev

Rauf Hajiyev

Rauf Soltan oglu Hajiyev -Soviet and Azerbaijani composer and politician. People’s artist of the USSR . He was Chairman of the Union of Composers of the Azerbaijan SSR, minister of culture of the Azerbaijan SSR .-Biography:...

. It was the era of Rafiq Babayev's jazz quartet, and later, that of Vagif Mustafazadeh

Vagif Mustafazadeh

Vagif Mustafazadeh , also known as Vagif Mustafa Zadeh, was an Azerbaijani jazz pianist and composer, acclaimed for fusing jazz and traditional Azerbaijani folk music known as mugham...

. In 1987 the Baku 87' All Union Jazz Festival was arranged. In April 2002 the Caspian Jazz and Blues Festival was held in the Old City of Baku.

Modern times

The traditions established by the founders of Azerbaijani jazz were continued in 1998 by Syndicate and in 1999 by Bakustik Jazz. Among contemporary Azeri jazzmen are Javan Zeynalli, Shahin Novrasli and singer Ulviyya Rahimova. Azerbaijan took part in several jazz events, such as Montreux Jazz Festival

Montreux Jazz Festival

The Montreux Jazz Festival is the best-known music festival in Switzerland and one of the most prestigious in Europe; it is held annually in early July in Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva...

or UK—Azerbaijan Jazz Summit. Baku houses several jazz clubs.