Already on the ECM album «Aftenland» Jan Garbarek and Kjell Johnsen explored the interplay between organ and saxophone. On «Cycle» the two leading jazz musicians of Azerbaijan Rain Sultanov and Isfar Sarabski develop a cosmic performance out of it.
Three instruments: organ, saxophone and piano. The organ stands for the sacred. The saxophone for our deepest feelings. The piano for evolution.
Here the light is shining: you can almost hear the sunbeams that fall through the windows of the Gothic Church of the Redeemer in Baku, where the album was recorded. An intense, light-filled energy room. No limits.
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Very often while listening to music we think about something personal. We recall images from our past or present, sometimes illusions and dreams take shape of short moving pictures. They can be vivid or not, black and white or have vague shape. When listening to music we reflect, contemplate and travel in time and space.
«The Cycle» is not just a music project. This is creative tandem of two musicians – Rain Sultanov and Isfar Sarabski – who combined their compositions, thus, making a single energy space. Three instruments which have not been used before in combination are magically merged in one theme. Organ, saxophone and piano. They are a perfect combination and harmony in space. Each instrument brings its own philosophy in. Organ – divinity, saxophone – emotions, piano – evolution.
Organ as the basis of life, given from above, reminds about faith. It acts as the peacemaker, wizard, which the listener recalls with a pounding heart. It explains the reasons and calms down bursting expression of the saxophone. The saxophone, like the life itself, raises questions. Saxophone demonstrates phases, cycles, creating subtle improvisations on the theme of existence. Piano supports the saxophone. It is like a friend or companion that is always around, helps to understand and sometimes also questions. Through evolving dialogue between the piano and organ, Isfar Sarabski sort of moderates a conversation that the universe conducts with itself. Both voices create harmony, repeat and support each other discovering the undeniable truth. Merging with saxophone, they get overwhelming strength, stunning and powerful cosmic stream. Unison of these three instruments is, probably, the best discovery made by Rain Sultanov.
«The Cycle» represents consequential phases of human genesis and evolution and explores various options of its development. Rain Sultanov describes emerging of spiritual society and rise of humankind to a higher level not as an utopia but reality that strives for self-expression. Life given to us as a form of perception has become «the Cycle» reborn in more sophisticated way.
