Vagif Mustafa Zadeh Transcriptions

Biography of Vagif Mustafa Zadeh

Vagif Mustafazadeh was a Soviet-Azerbaijani jazz pianist and composer acclaimed as the founder of Azerbaijani jazz, known for his pioneering fusion of jazz improvisation with the complex, traditional Azerbaijani musical form called mugham. His virtuosic and lyrical style earned him the praise of international jazz figures like Willis Conover, who called him "the most lyrical pianist I have ever known," and B.B. King. In 1978, his composition "Waiting for Aziza" won first prize at the International Jazz Composers Competition in Monaco, cementing his international recognition shortly before his untimely death at age 39.