Isfar Sarabski is a pianist from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The country with its neighbors Turkey, Russia and Iran has always been exposed to very different cultural influences. The Azerbaijani tradition of mugham music is located between Persian and Arabic music. Sarabski, born in 1989, bows to this by adding the long-necked lute Tar to his brilliant jazz trio. Sarabski studied in Baku and Boston, in 2009 he won the Solo Piano Competition of the Montreux Jazz Festival - at the age of 19 and performed on almost all main stages worldwide. Since then he has developed into a kind of Eurasian Brad Mehldau - a pianist who leaves open mouths and audiences roaring with enthusiasm when he performs. Sarabski is able to quote Tchaikovsky and Coltrane with ease, only to fall seamlessly into a mighty blues. Demanding and serious, but also groovy and rousing. Isfar Sarabski plays with the power of GoGo Penguin and the classic virtuosity of Lang Lang.