About Tigran Tatevosyan and “MER TAN ITEV”

Tigran Tatevosyan was born in a small town in Armenia and began eight years of classical piano training at the age of six.
He developed a strong interest in improvised music at an early age and after completing his bachelor’s degree, he decided to make jazz his artistic path, which for him meant leaving his home country and looking for new opportunities to develop his musical skills.
So in 2017, Tigran enrolled at the Rachmaninov Conservatory in Rostov, Russia, with the aim of completing a Master’s degree in jazz piano. In addition to musically exploring the works of Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Lyle Mays and Keith Jarrett, he also analyzed classical music composers such as Debussy and Rachmaninoff.
Continuing to search for new ways to perfect his art, he moved to Hamburg in 2020, where he was accepted into the Dr. Langner Jazz Master Program at the HfMT Hamburg. There he had the opportunity to learn from masters such as Vladyslav Sendecki and Florian Weber. He shared the stage with Bob Moses, Nils Landgren, China Moses and others.

In the world of the jazz piano trio genre, crafting a truly personal sound is an art form in itself. With his debut recording, “Mer Tan Itev”, Armenian born Tigran Tatevosyan meets the challenge, and emerges as a sincere storyteller with a new, yet mature voice. Influenced both by the treasure of Armenian musical tradition, and by the contemporary energies of modern jazz, Tigran, a classically trained pianist, has shaped his personal artistic expression over the years, now represented and brought to life on this recording.
The music’s playful feeling and beauty obscure the amount of reflection which Tigran put into perfecting these masterfully crafted stories which unfold with logical precision at every turn of events, thus inviting the listener into a world of coherence and meaning. The delicate equilibrium between soul and intellect is distinctive of Tigran’s work, where complexity gracefully supports simplicity. A melodic and harmonic palette rich in emotions, intricate yet groovy rhythms, and the musical sorcery of Ziv Ravitz on drums and Giorgi Kiknadze on bass immerse the listener into a musical world which defies classification.
Performed with meticulous accuracy and elegance, the album showcases the virtuosity of every member of the trio. No technical exhibitionism overshadows the essence and honesty of Tigran’s remarkable artistry, which, when playing live, he complements with a sympathetic and unpretentious presentation.

Tracklist

1 Celebration (5:19)
2 Brilliant Corners (Thelonious Monk / arr. Tigran Tatevosyan) (5:19)
3 Mer Tan Itev (solo) (Traditional / arr. Tigran Tatevosyan) (1:29)
4 Forgotten City (5:09)
5 The Sorcery: Manifestation (solo) (1:19)
6 Memories of a Dream (5:18)
7 The Wind’s Dance (5:31)
8 The Sorcery: Ritual (solo) (1:40)
9 part 1: A Child’s Mind (2:21)
10 part 2: Blessing (6:34)
11 The Sorcery: Reflection (solo) (3:44)

Line-Up
Tigran Tatevosyan – Piano
Ziv Ravitz – Drums
Giorgi Kiknadze – Bass

Production info
Fattoria Musica, Osnabrück – 22./23.04.2022
Recording Engineer – Stephan van Wylick
Mixing and Mastering Engineer – Katsuhiko Naito (NY)
Artwork by Knut Schötteldreier

Tour dates
29.06.2024 – Timmendorfer Strand – Jazzbaltica
14.09.2024 – Bremen – Sendesaal Bremen
30.11.2024 – Bremen – Sendesaal Bremen

Press

“virtuoso, refuses to be categorized, precise, elegant, intimate, a discovery.” hr2 Kultur

“In a spectrum between Armenian tradition, classical music and contemporary jazz, Tigran Tatevosyan is in the process of developing his own voice as a pianist. His album Mer Tan Itev is a promising start.” NDR Kultur

“He treats the original [“Brilliant Corners” by Thelonious Monk] with respect, using whole passages but modifying them in tempo and dynamics, even making them jump and dance for a brief moment. This refreshment suits the classic perfectly.” RONDO