Yazz Ahmed’s Family Hafla

The trumpeter and composer Yazz Ahmed is one of many musicians of recent generations to use jazz as a platform from which to engage with their particular ethnic backgrounds. Born and based in London, she has Bahraini heritage but also a grandfather, Terry Brown, who played trumpet with Tubby Hayes in the 1950s. With her seven-piece band – “Hafla” means celebration – she combines the use of melodies, harmonies and rhythms from Arabic music with atmospheric textures familiar from Miles Davis’s music of the Bitches Brew era. An experienced and propulsive rhythm section supports the poised solos of Yazz Ahmed herself. Having led her band in concerts in Kuwait, Algeria, Ukraine and Bahrain, Ahmed makes her German debut with this performance.
www.yazzahmed.com