Though his records are often found in the jazz section in your average record store, keyboardist/composer Tigran Hamasyan’s work has moved way beyond that. His latest album Manifeste makes that plain. Jazz technique, progressive rock sweep, global rhythms, and a subtly integrated pop sensibility blend with Hamasyan’s beloved Armenian folk and devotional melodies to paint a widescreen soundscape that’s equal parts head and heart. His piano playing ripples across the tracks with rock propulsion, and the percussion – whether provided by a human or Hamasyan’s own programming – keeps everything whipping between time signatures and styles. At the same time, the tunes themselves remain approachable, and he often adds wordless vocal textures that drip with deep feeling. “Ultradance” and the title track dazzle with technical accomplishment, but balance their cerebral progression with true emotion. “Seven Sorrows” and “A Window from one heart to another (For Rumi)” wear pulsing hearts on soft sleeves, but convey it through exceptional musicianship. Throughout, Hamaysan proves he’s a powerhouse when it comes to his instrument, exploring it to the full extent of its capabilities and his training. But he never forgets that he’s using all of this razzle-dazzle to express human emotion, rather than simply overwhelm, and that’s what makes Manifest special.
