Radif Suite is an important new recording in the
continuing advancement of jazz from trumpeter Amir
ElSaffar and tenor saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh. The
release marks the first exploration of the Iraqi maqam
and the Persian dastgah in a jazz context. Both ElSaffar
and Modirzadeh are of mixed heritage (Iraqi American
and Iranian American, respectively) whose musical
careers are dedicated to expressing their ancestral
traditions within a highly personalized and creative jazz
language. ElSaffar, who has spent years traveling abroad
seeking out masters who could impart to him the Iraqi
maqam tradition, composed the highly acclaimed Two
Rivers Suite, the first work joining maqam with jazz.
Modirzadeh, who spent years under the guidance of
Iranian master musician Mahmoud Zoufounoun, has
developed his own chromodal approach, which brings
together Persian modes with jazz into one cohesive
system. They are joined here by world-renowned bassist
Mark Dresser and master drummer Alex Cline.