Amir ElSaffar at Firehouse 12

From Improvised Communications:

On Friday, May 30th, New Haven’s Firehouse 12 will present the penultimate event of its 2008 Spring Jazz Series, a two-set performance by Iraqi-American trumpeter/composer Amir ElSaffar and his working group, Two Rivers. This group takes its name from ElSaffar’s groundbreaking cross-cultural suite, which was commissioned by Philadelphia’s Painted Bride Arts Center and documented on the acclaimed 2007 recording, Two Rivers (Pi Recordings). The music is a result of ElSaffar’s immersion in the music of his ancestry, the Iraqi Maqam, and the blending of those traditions with his background as an accomplished jazz and classical trumpet player. His ensemble will feature Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto saxophone), Zafer Tawil (violin, oud and percussion), Carlo DeRosa (bass) and Eric McPherson (drums).