THE DEBUT RECORDING FROM TRUMPETER CYRUS NABIPOOR: LIVE AT THE MARIGNY OPERA HOUSE

Cyrus Nabipoor (a recipient of the 2015 International Trumpet Guild Jazz Scholarship) is a multiple-threat artist, making significant contributions as a trumpeter, composer, improviser, singer and teacher. Based in Portland, OR, Cyrus holds a Bachelor of Music from Loyola University, New Orleans, and graduating magna cum laude (awarded outstanding undergraduate in both Jazz and Brass). The young musician has quickly established his voice on the creative music scene, already boasting associations with the likes of Jamison Ross, Elle King, Tarriona Ball (Tank & the Bangas), Jason Marsalis, James Singleton, Steve Masakowski, Johnny Vidacovich, Michael Ray, Mike Dillon, Stanton Moore and Larry Sieberth. "In addition to his work as a solo artist, Cyrus is the co-leader of NORUZ, frequently collaborates with beat-makers Korgy & Bass, and is a co-founder of Lore, a multisensory storytelling performance series, with visual artist Ida Floreak.” During his time at Loyola, Cyrus spent a term at the Grieg Academy in Bergen, Norway studying with ECM legend Per Jørgensen and Martin Winter (principal trumpet of the Bergen Philharmonic), and regularly returns to continue his ongoing collaborations with Simen Kiil Halvorsen, Roar Kjeldahl Berntsen, Arne Fjose Sandberg, Petter Asbjornsen and others.

Recorded live at the beautiful Marigny Opera House in New Orleans, Louisiana on May 23 & 24, 2019, Cyrus Nabipoor’s debut album is a striking reminder about how deep the talent pool is on the jazz scene. Cyrus is a composer with a good work ethic, and found himself composing regularly over the years, amassing a book of tunes crying out to be recorded. After becoming a first call sideman and collaborator for numerous performances and recordings, the time drew near for Cyrus to step out as a leader. He elaborated, “This album is a big step for me. Until now, I had been involved in many records as a band member, sideman, collaborator, etc., and I felt it was time to create something with my name on it. I find myself writing in various styles simultaneously, regardless of whether I actually have a band to play the stuff. Over the last few years I had written a modest stack of instrumental music which had no place in my other groups, and thus had not yet been recorded. So, with this project in mind, I put together a book of those songs, a couple of my ‘electric’ tunes reimagined, and a few covers of songs which are near and dear to me (such as “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” by The Smiths).

The production from which this music was gleaned was really a big, joyous, two-night family affair. Cyrus elaborates that, “the band is comprised of my close friends and mentors. The seats were filled with my friends, local musicians and teachers. The Opera House has always been so supportive of me. Music being such a highly personal endeavor, it was important to me that during every step of the production process, down to the engineer and artwork, the focus was to work within my community and personal network.”

Cyrus thought long and hard about whom he wanted in the band, particularly looking at musicians with whom he didn’t get to play with often enough. He chose Brad Walker (tenor saxophone), George Wilde (guitar), James Singleton (bass) and Brad Webb (drums). “I really can't give enough credit to this amazing band. With this type of music, it's all just notes on pages and imagined sounds swirling in your head until it's actually interpreted by the band. They received my ideas, and breathed so much life and character into them that the result was more than I had ever imagined,” says Cyrus. (For more on Cyrus’ strong feelings for these musicians, check the album’s liner notes.)

The bold, audacious move to record your debut album live at one of New Orleans’ most historic venues, came fairly easy for Cyrus, and was based purely on sound and performance. Cyrus explains, “I asked myself, what room in New Orleans has the most beautiful acoustics? The Marigny Opera House (also known as the Church of the Arts) of course! And I, fortunately, had one of two or three drummers in town who could play that room confirmed for the dates. Then finally, the decision to record my debut, live. The Opera House is a venue, so it made perfect sense to have an audience. And, cats play differently live versus in the studio. They take chances. They don’t just play,

they perform, and that’s what I wanted for this record: fantastic musicians communicating these songs to an audience in a beautiful room. And that’s what we did! Live At The Marigny Opera House.