Amina Figarova. Photo: courtesy of the artist

Friday September 14, 2012:  Amina Figarova Quintet
Windsor Hall, Cumberland, MD

Monday September 17, 2012: Amina Figarova Sextet
Blues Alley Jazzclub, Washington, DC

Friday September 21: Amina Figarova Trio with Winard Harper
The Dear Head Inn, Delaware Watergap, PA

Saturday September 22: Amina with the Enrico Granafei Quartet
Trumpets Jazzclub, Montclair, NY

“A skilled and imaginative composer…Born in Azerbaijan and based in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Figarova brings a remarkably broad range of influences to her works, which may help explain their appeal. You can hear the influence of her classical training in the care she brings to her scoring. Yet the mercurial, unpredictable nature of her musical themes — and the intriguing way she develops them — points to a composer enraptured with the creative possibilities of jazz.” -  Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune

Date: May 17
Source: mcgjazz.org
News Item:  HD Live stream of  Tinek Postma Quartet and Amina Figarova

Don’t miss the first ever high definition, live stream of an MCG Jazz concert featuring the Amina Figarova Sextet and Tineke Postma Quartet.  Friday, May 18, 8:00pm EDT.  Visit www.mcgjazz.org and click in the button to sign in for our live stream or anytime from May 18-July 17, to watch the concert at your convenience. Part of the Distinctively Dutch Festival, these artists were specially chosen by MCG Jazz and recommended by the Muziek Centrum Netherland.  Called “one of the most important composers to come into jazz: Amina Figarova’s graceful and erudite piano style and show-stopping band will challenge and inspire you.  With her penchant for thoughtful, enthralling melodies and bright, clear alto sax sound, Tineke Postma’s bright voice has been making a mark on the U.S. scene over the last couple years, most recently performing with Herbie Hancock at the International Jazz Day sunset concert at the United Nations on April 30.

 This innovative new technology is premiered as MCG Jazz closes its 25^th anniversary season.  Streaming live beginning at 8:00 pm EDT on May 18.  Go to www.mcgjazz.org to sign in for our live stream.

Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 2.55 PM
New Orleans Jazz festival, New Orleans, LA

Friday, May 4, 2012 at 9.30 PM
Cliff bells, Detroit, MI

Saturday, May 5, 2012 at 8.30 PM
Nighttown, Cleveland, OH

Sunday, May 8, 2012 at 7.30 PM and 9.30 PM
Jazzstandard, New York, NY

Monday, May 9, 2012 at 7.30 PM and 9.30 PM
Jazzstandard, New York, NY

Tuesday, May 10, 2012 at 7.30 PM
The Outpost, Albuquerque, NM

Wednesday, May 11, 2012 at 7 PM
Jazzfresno, Fresno, CA

Thursday, May 12, 2012, from 2.00 PM
Bakersfield Jazz festival, Bakersfield, CA

Friday, May 13, 2012, at 4.30 PM
Bach Society, Half Moon Bay, CA

Saturday, May 14, 2012 at 7.30 PM
Jazzalley, Seattle, WA

Sunday, May 15, 2012 at 7.00 PM
Daly Jazz, Missoula, MT

Monday, May 16, 2012 at 7.00 PM
Daly Jazz, Missoula, MT

Tuesday, May 17, 2012 at 7.30 PM
PDX Jazz, Portland, OR

Wednesday, May 18, 2012 at 8.00 PM
Manchester Craftmen’s Guild, Pittsburgh, PA

Pianist Amina Figarova is still touring the USA, make sure you go to one of her performances if you haven’t seen her yet.

Friday, May 1 and Saturday, May 20
MCG Jazz – Pittsburgh, PA

Featuring composer-pianist bandleader Amina Figarova, jazz saxophonist Tineke Postma, and trumpet player Saskia Laroo.

MCG Jazz is proud to present Holland’s finest female jazz musicians. Specially recommended by the Muziek Centrum Netherland, a distinguished center for the promotion of music both in the Netherlands and abroad, these three diverse bands represent the best in Dutch jazz. On Friday, May 18, MCG Jazz features a double-bill with Amina Figarova Sextet and the saxophone-led Tineke Postma Quartet. The immensely talented and critically-acclaimed Saskia Laroo Band performs on Saturday, May 19. Discounted packages are available if you purchase both performances.

Called “one of the most important composers to come into jazz in the new millennium” by Jazztimes, Amina Figarova’s graceful and erudite piano style and showstopping band will challenge and inspire you. With her penchant for thoughtful, enthralling melodies and bright, clear alto sax sound, Tineke Postma’s bright voice has been making a mark on the U.S. scene over the last couple years. Saskia Laroo, hailed by American public and press at large as “Lady Miles of Europe”, is one of the few women trumpet stylists, and headlines her on show for this once in a lifetime Pittsburgh concert.

May 18, 2012, 8:00 p.m.
Amina Figarova Sextet
Born in Baku, capitol of Azerbijan, to a musical family, Amina Figarova is a jazz composer and jazz pianist, currently based in Rotterdam. A graduate of Baku Conservatory and Berklee College of Music, she has gone on to perform at the Chicago, Portland, Rochester and Tri-C (Cleveland) jazz festivals, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Capetown International Jazzfestival (South Africa), Salvador Bahia Jazz Festival (Brazil), JakArt Festival (Indonesia), in Israel, the United Arab Emirates, in Mexico, Canada and throughout Europe.

Tineke Postma Quartet
Tineke Postma is an internationally renowned jazz saxophonist.  During her college years at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, she received two scolarships to study at the Manhattan School  of Music in New York, where she worked with Dick Oatts, David Liebman and Chris Potter. In 2003, Tineke gratuaded with Honors at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, where she has been teaching since 2005.Tineke plays energetic modern jazz and is inspired by Wayne Shorter, Cannonball Adderly, John Coltrane, Miles Davis and other great legends, without ignoring her own creativity.

May 19, 2012, 8:00 p.m.
Saskia Laroo Band
Hailed by American public and press at large as “Lady Miles of Europe”, Saskia Laroo is one of the few women trumpet stylists, blowing for more than three decades. Born in Amsterdam, Saskia Laroo combines today’s music by uncontrived exploration into new styles: “nu jazz” or “swingin’ body-music”–a vivacious blend of hip-hop, jazz, salsa, funk reggae, and world.

ABOUT MCG JAZZ
MCG Jazz, this year celebrating our 25^th season, is the largest jazz music presenter in the city of Pittsburgh. MCG Jazz’s mission is to preserve, present and promote jazz. Through our performances, we strengthen the long time Pittsburgh jazz community and contribute to the overall cultural and artistic diversity of the region. Through our live recordings we reach a national and international audience – a market we’d like to grow. Through our educational programs we are able to have students attend the concerts at low or no cost to them, make artists available for master classes and provide opportunities for internships in production and marketing.

MCG Jazz
1815 Metropolitan Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15233

Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 8:00 PM and 10:00PM
Kitano Jazzclub, New York, NY

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 9:00 PM
Somethin’ Jazzclub, New York, NY

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 8:00 PM
The Colony Cafe, Woodstock, NY Thursday

February 23, 2012 at 8:00 PM
Andie Musik,  Baltimore, MD

Friday, February 24, 2012 at 8:00 PM
The Dear Head Inn, Deleware Watergap, PA

Pianist Amina Figarova is back touring the USA. Catch her in the North East this time while she is playing with both her sextet and trio.

photo: Courtesy of the Artist

Sunday, November 27, 2011 at 12.30 PM and 2.30 PM
The Blue Note, 131 West 3rd Street, New York, NY 10012
Tickets

Friday, December 2, 2011, 9.00 PM and 10.30 PM
The Jazz Gallery, 290 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013
Tickets

Saturday, December 3, 2011, 8PM
The Falcon, 1348 9W, Marlboro, NY 1254
Tickets

Pianist Amina Figarova pianist is back in the area with her quartet. You can also download a track of Amina this week at  ALL ABOUT JAZZ with Bart Platteau – flutes; Marc Mommaas – tenorsax; Dean Johnson – bass; Chris “Buckshot” Strik – drums

Amina Figarova Sextet, Photo: Courtesy of the artist

Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 2:15 PM
Fox Jazz Festival/Jefferson Park – Menasha, WI
Admission: Free

Sunday, September 4, 2011
Detroit Jazz Festival – Detroit, MI
Admission: Free

Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Old School of Folk Music – Chicago, IL
For tickets

Thursday, September 8, 2011
WDCB Jazz Salon, Mayslake, Oak Brook – Chicago, IL
For tickets

Friday, September 9, 2011
Trio’s Jazzclub – South Bend, IN
For tickets

Saturday, September 10, 2011
Puffin Foundation – Teaneck, NJ
For tickets

Sunday, September 11, 2011 at 7:00 PM
The Metropolitan Room – New York, NY
For tickets

Amina Figarova is without doubt one of the most productive jazz composers and talented jazz piano players from Europe. Now living in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, born in Baku, Azerbaijan, Amina started playing piano and composing at a very early age. She studied as a classical concert pianist at the Baku Conservatory, jazz performance at the Rotterdam Conservatory and the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Amina Figarova performs with her own group at many jazz festivals and jazz clubs around the world, such as The North Sea Jazz Festival, New Orleans Jazz Festival, Capetown International Jazzfestival, Salvador Bahia Jazz Festival, Brasil, JakArt Festival, Indonesia, Yoshi’s in Oakland, CA, Blue Note jazz club New York, and has given concerts in Israel, Europe, United Arabs Emirates, Mexico, USA, Azerbaijan, and many others.

She recorded her first CD Attraction in 1994, a start of a wonderful career as pianist and composer, a CD with all compositions and arrangements of Amina, almost all the music on her CDs are composed by herself. In 1998 she was invited to study at the Thelonious Monk Jazz Colony in Aspen, Colorado. A summer camp for the most talented young musicians. That same year she released her second album Another Me, a mix of funk, fusion and R&B, influenced by jazz, reggae and latin music, again with all original compositions. In March 2000 she was invited as artist in residence for the Dmitri Matheny Home Season in the San Fransisco Bay Area. That is how the Amina Figarova International Band got started, now released two live recorded CDs. Also the colobaration with Kim Prevost and Bill Solley from New Orleans resulted in the recording On Canal Street. Amina is touring and performing often with Denise Jannah. Amina performed with the American All Stars Band with James Moody, Nathan Davis, Claudio Roditi, Larry Corryell, and Wynard Harper.

Amina Figarova. Photo: courtesy of the artist.

Friday, July 22, 2011 at 7:00 PM
The Deer Head Inn – Delaware Watergap, PA
Admission: $7

Sunday, August 7, 2011 at 6:00 PM
The Erie Jazz Festival – Erie, PA
Admission: Free

Amina Figarova is without doubt one of the most productive jazz composers and talented jazz piano players from Europe. Now living in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, born in Baku, Azerbaijan, Amina started playing piano and composing at a very early age. She studied as a classical concert pianist at the Baku Conservatory, jazz performance at the Rotterdam Conservatory and the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Amina Figarova performs with her own group at many jazz festivals and jazz clubs around the world, such as The North Sea Jazz Festival, New Orleans Jazz Festival, Capetown International Jazzfestival, Salvador Bahia Jazz Festival, Brasil, JakArt Festival, Indonesia, Yoshi’s in Oakland, CA, Blue Note jazz club New York, and has given concerts in Israel, Europe, United Arabs Emirates, Mexico, USA, Azerbaijan, and many others.

Recorded her first CD Attraction in 1994, a start of a wonderful career as pianist and composer, a CD with all compositions and arrangements of Amina, almost all the music on her CDs are composed by herself. In 1998 she was invited to study at the Thelonious Monk Jazz Colony in Aspen, Colorado. A summer camp for the most talented young musicians. That same year she released her second album Another Me, a mix of funk, fusion and R&B, influenced by jazz, reggae and latin music, again with all original compositions. In March 2000 she was invited as artist in residence for the Dmitri Matheny Home Season in the San Fransisco Bay Area. That is how the Amina Figarova International Band got started, now released two live recorded CDs. Also the colobaration with Kim Prevost and Bill Solley from New Orleans resulted in the recording On Canal Street. Amina is touring and performing often with Denise Jannah. Amina performed with the American All Stars Band with James Moody, Nathan Davis, Claudio Roditi, Larry Corryell, and Wynard Harper.