Not Two is a new work created by Amir ElSaffar for Rivers of Sound. Rivers of Sound presents 17 musicians from a broad spectrum of traditions, from Iraqi maqam to American jazz. Using resonance as its governing principle, the music incorporates elements of maqam modal music of the Middle East with jazz and other contemporary musical practices to create a microtonal musical environment that moves beyond the notions of style and tradition into a realm of uninhibited musical communication. As pitches and rhythms become fluid, so do cultural boundaries: elements that traditionally divide musicians and genre-specific modes are re-contextualized in a fresh transcultural soundscape.
Not Two premieres on April 16 at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center in New York, NY. Tickets and more information are available here.
The Jazz Gallery for Amir ElSaffar received a 2014 MAP grant for this project.
