News and concert information about Azerbaijani jazz singer Ulviyya Rahimova-Jones.

The fans show their support


We asked several of you to send in photos of yourself supporting Ulviyya. Several of you have. Apologies to many of you that we can't put all of the photos up yet.




For the rest of you, please order your Ulviyya T-shirt - 493-88-47 - or follow the directions in the last post.

When you get the shirt, take a photo of yourself wearing it and send it to us!








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Ulviyya T-shirts!

Get your own Ulviyya T-shirt now! They are available at FotoMarkez, the FujiFilm studio in the back of Molokan garden (Merdanov Qardashlar street 6). Just go in and tell them you are a fan of Ulviyya and want to buy a shirt. It takes about 30 minutes to print. If you want, you can call ahead at 493-88-47 or 493-28-85.

One shirt costs 14 AZN.

If it is still complicated for you, e-mail us at ulviyyajazz@gmail.com, tell us your size and how we can contact you, and we can order it for you.

When you get a shirt, take a photo of you wearing it and send it to us!
 

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Fan Support for Ulviyya!




Recently a group of Ulviyya's fans took action to support their favorite singer. The series of photos, which started on Facebook, has increased creative fanship and as a result has been featured in Azerbaijani media. The story and complete series of photos can be found here. Ulviyya is proud and grateful to have such loyal and creative fans. Creative forces attract each other!

What can you do? Take a photo of you being a creative fan for Ulviyya and e-mail it to us at ulviyyajazz@gmail.com! The best pics will be posted on the blog!

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Song Review – Smells Like Teen Spirit by The Bad Plus

One of the many ways jazz is freer than pop music is in covers. In pop music, certain songs are ‘owned’ by certain artists who get nervous and insecure about them being played by others. And we as listeners closely identify songs with the artists who first performed them, even if later versions are better. But jazz is different. Almost 150 artists have recorded versions of Cry Me a River. Over 200 have recorded versions of As Time Goes By. Other standards like All of Me or Sway have been made popular by, not one, but dozens of artists. While the song is the same, the artists expresses their own sentiments and styles in their own personal version. The key and rhythm may change and sometimes even part of the lyrics. Jazz becomes the anti-karaoke. Instead of simply singing along to another artists’ work, the jazz musician makes every song become a personal statement.


Jazz Trio The Bad Plus (bass, piano, drums) recorded an instrumental version of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit. (The trio has also done covers of Queen, David Bowie, Neil young, Radiohead, and Interpol).

Startling and incredible. The song choice wasn’t for shock value or kitsch. Listening to it, you would think Cobain originally wrote it as an avant-garde jazz exercise. First, let’s look at the arrangement. Nirvana was lead guitar, bass guitar, and drums. Removing Cobain’s mournful murmur and making it instrumental places the focus on the driving succession of rhythms and the plaintive tone of the melody.

The piano plays the role of lead guitar and vocal, adding flats and sharps where Cobain added vocal angst. And the song switches from depression to anxiety to angry excitement, the piano and drums begin furious solo expeditions of their own. Four minutes into the song the trio returns to the melody before launching into a second and heavier set of improvisations ending with the clash of feelings the song expresses.


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Album review – The Fall by Norah Jones

Norah Jones can’t really be classified as a jazz artist, though her breathy throaty voice immediately reminds one of the best of sensual jazz vocalists. In her new album, Jones takes a further step away from jazz without converting all the way to pop. While some condemn forever to being the background music at Starbucks, Jones has always been willing to show her various influences including jazz, country, alternative, and rock ballads (Jones, unbelievably, also has a punk band called El Madmo).


Jones has an entirely new band for the album as well as a new producer. The resulting sound is a little darker, more honest, and a bit more emotionally tired than her previous three albums. Chasing Pirates is a toe-tapping number about not being able to sleep because of thoughts of her crush. Light as a Feather starts out wonderfully, with loneliness, care, and seduction but by the bridge it disappears into easy listening. Young Blood, while lyrics heavy, pounds with rhythm and thumping guitar to say goodbye to a past lover – “You wrote letters you never sent, I made promises I’ll always deny, Now we’ll never know what the other meant. And Man of the Hour wraps up the album with the potential of new found love and a return to a bluesy sweet style while the singer has to choose “between a vegan and a pothead” but ultimately chooses her loyal dog as the only love that won’t make her cry.

Jones is more experimental in this album, but experimental for her never means going too far from a comfortable easiness. Making her various influences unite under the cover of her own likeable and listenable style – being popular without being pop – is Jones’ niche, which she continues here. True, you won’t be blown away by any stunning musical solos, you won’t have the hook of the chorus stuck in your mind, and teenagers won’t be making any of the songs their ringtones. But you’re likely to please all by playing this album at your next dinner party and you’ll be tempted to take it on your next trip anywhere as music to travel by. While soft and sometimes predictable, The Fall never becomes music to do accounting by. In fact, you’ll most likely invite someone to slow dance the evening away.

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Jazz Quote of the Day

...it bugs me when people try to analyze jazz as an intellectual theorem. It's not. It's feeling.


—Bill Evans

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Jazz Photo of the Day


Dexter Gordon by Herman Leonard

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Video of Ulviyya

Recently Ulviyya was recorded at one of her jazz center perfomances. You can see her performing the song Olei at this link, which was made popular by Nino Katamadze (who was profiled on this blog). Last year, Katamadze gave a concert in Baku and invited Ulviyya to perform it as a duet. You can see that video here. But as warning, the video and sound are poor quality as this was shot by a fan with a telephone.

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Poll taken on 1news

The Azerbaijani news portal 1news is taking a poll. Who should represent Azerbaijan at Eurovision 2010? Here's how you can vote. First, go to the site. Then scroll down the left side of the screen until the box that says Опрос. Then it will ask you the question Кто представит Азербайджан на «Eurovision 2010»? which means in English, who should represent Azerbaijan in Eurovision?

Click on the bubble next to Ulviyya's name. Currently she's in first place!!

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Another interview! - English translation

Ulviyya recently gave an interview to Azerbaijani Day.az. The original Russian version can be found here

- Ulviyya, tell us about yourself, please. It happens that few people and little is known about you, except for a circle of local jazz fans.

- I was born in 1983 and graduated from high school number 6, while studying the piano at № 21 music school ( also called Rostropovich). Then there was the University of the Arts - Faculty of pop singing and master's degrees, after which I received a degree in musicology.

I performed in the famous children's band Beri-Bakh led by Rauf Babayev. Currently I’m singing solo. Every Friday you can see and hear me in the Jazz Center.

- You could also be seen in the Baku office of BP ...

- That's right, I worked there for a long time as a logistics assistant. My life was divided into parts - until 18:00 – I worked in the office, after 18:00, I transformed into a singer. However, last Friday I became only a singer, I chose to leave company work . I decided to concentrate on my music career.

- Was the main reason that you were among the main candidates for the selection of Eurovision 2010?

- Let's just say - it was one of the reasons which pushed me to the decision.

- You have much to boast?

- Probably, in that I am one of the six candidates for the trip to Norway. I think that is not bad for the first time. And I can brag that I work with very professional musicians.

- How do you think you "shine" first among the six?

- I want to believe it. We all have a chance. I have very worthy rivals. I really like the singing and musical style of Ellie (Milk & Kisses). And Azad Shabanov also has a strong voice.

- How do you think what you are attracted to members of the jury selection of the organizing committee?

- (Thinking) I would guess, my musical style and tone of voice.

- Why did you choose such a profitless kind of music like jazz? After all, because of this you had to look for other work.

- The fact is that I have listened to jazz since childhood. Also, the repertoire of Beri Bakh consisted mostly of jazz compositions. As for jazz, as clearly a non-commercial kind of music, there are true fans. Jazz lovers can also invite you to sing at weddings or musical parties. However, besides jazz, I also sing ballads and Azerbaijani songs, those by Tofig Guliyev, for example.

- And how much does it cost to the customer to have you sing at the wedding?

- This is a commercial secret (laughs).

- And then, which musical instruments do you play and which languages do you speak, I hope that is not a secret?

- No, that is no secret. I play the piano, and am fond of electronic music. I speak Russian, Azerbaijani and an everyday style of English.

- And finally, the last question. What would it mean to you if you didn’t pass on February 2?

- You know, I'm not addicted to "Eurovision", because I live music. I existed before and will exist without the "Eurovision". If someone else wins, I will be happy to root for him or her because they will represent my country!

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Ulviyya's interview - English translation

Recently Azerbaijani 1news interviewed Ulviyya about her career and her participation in the Eurovision selection. The original interview in Russian can be found here.---

Creative and talented singer Ulviyya Rahimova is familiar to all fans and lovers of jazz. Her jazz variations and improvisations have charmed even the most hard to please listeners who have heard one of the songs in her magnificent performance, instantly forgetting about who sang them before her.


The vocalist graduated from the State University of the Arts and as a member of the ensemble «Beri-Bakh» participated in various competitions and festivals. Now she performs solo and her concerts are always full of loyal listeners and admirers.

- Ulviyya, how did you hear that you were chosen to participate in the semifinal of the national selection of Eurovision 2010?

- To be honest, for me it was a complete surprise. Zara Badalbeyli telephoned me with the news and at that time I was in Tbilisi with friends. When she told me that I was a semifinalist, I went crazy with happiness. My friends celebrated with me, among them was the participant of Eurovision 2008 Elnur Huseynov. At that moment they said so many great things, so many wishes and positive emotions, that can’t be expressed in words. My friends and listeners really supported and believed in me.

- Did believe you can do it?

- For me, this is a defining moment. Earlier, in other competitions I never participated as a solo artist, I always performed in a group. Here is my first performance alone, carrying it out myself . And I will do everything possible (and impossible) to accomplish this feat.

- What is participation in Eurovision for you?

- As I said, this is a trial that I should undertake. As a semifinalist in the national selection, everything will be decided on February 2. Of course, I want to represent our nation, our native Azerbaijan at the international level, to show not only what I can do, but also to participate in this prestigious competition and breakthrough in my musical career.

- Why are you on the air so little?

- We’ll fix that!!! (smiles) I myself have never rushed to be on TV. For me, my focus has always been creativity, interesting musical projects, writing songs, but not flashing on the air. Creativity is my life. For a long time I combined the artistic life with office work, but today is my last day in the office. Now I will devote all of myself and my time exclusively to music and creativity.

- Has something changed after it became known that you're in the semi-finals?

- I just returned yesterday to Baku. The congratulations are endless.m And it is very nice. You have no idea what an incentive to work I receive from the kind words and good wishes that I get from both friends and strangers. I get calls, text messages, Facebook messages - that day I received over 30 friend requests. Thank you all for your support and love!

- How do you see your performance on February 2 in the semifinal of the national selection?

- I'm preparing an interesting composition. My team and I are thinking about all the little details. Not only will the song be new, but I will be new also. On February 2, you will see a new me and be surprised! But everything will be in my style, in my musical format. Wait for the semi-finals, I’ll surprise all of you!!

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Ulviyya announced as one of six finalists for Eurovision!


Azerbaijan media has announced that the semi-final for its Eurovision selection will be held February 2. Out of thirty participants, only six were chosen to perform. In addition to the selection team, the winner of the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest, Ruslana, this year's ruling champion, Alexander Rybak, and Azerbaijan's representative last year, Aysel Teymurzade will participate.

All of us are cheering Ulviyya on and wishing her the best. If you want to show your support, write us, or post your comments on http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=7953&_t=Azerbaijan%20details%20Eurovision%20selection%20plans

You can also dedicate your Facebook or Twitter status to supporting Ulviyya. Let the judges know who we want!!

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