World Passion

World Passion

Tigran Hamasyan was born in Gyumri, Armenia, in 1987. Ely the age of 7 he was listening to jazz melodies and improvising on piano all day long. He began to study the art of Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, Miles Davis and others, comprehending everything so fast and so deeply that he soon reached a high technique and unique jazz thinking. The First International Jazz Festival of Yerevan (held in 1998) opened a new stage in his creative life; the jazz community looked at him as a real discovery and he received invitations to play concerts and sessions. At the 2000 Festival, he became acquainted with jazz stars Chick Corea, Avishai Cohen, Jeff Ballard and An Roland; the following year he took part several festivals in France, where he played with Philip and Christophe Le Van and was introduced to Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin. Joe Zawinul, Danillo Perez and John Patitucci. A wide study of modern jazz and Armenian folk music followed, reflected on this album, and Tigran participated in several international competitions, winning 1st Prize at Jazz a Juan Revelations, Montreux Jazz Solo Piano Competition, and Monaco Jazz Soloist Competition. World Passion was recorded in Los Angeles with Ben Wendel (sax), Francois Moutin (bass), Ni Hoenig (drums) and Rouben Hairapetyan (duduk & zurna, traditional Armenian instruments).