Mahan Mirarab

Born on 13 July, 1983 in Tehran, started his first experience of art with painting, he spent his childhood during the war of Iran-Iraq in 80's. he started his first musical activities with playing piano at the age of 12 and after a year he switched to classical guitar. At that time there was no opportunities in Iran to listen to jazz music but at the age of 16 he could find the access to some tapes of Wes Montgomery and he started transcribing his tunes. In spite of lack of any approach to the basic learning instrument or any kinds of media in the form of books or any kind of recordings, he started to learn jazz. Although there was no teacher and school of music in Iran and the first step of his learning process was really hard, later after the development of media in Iran in Mid 90`s he had the opportunity to listen to other jazz musicians and Kept continuing transcribing and analyzing the music of jazz legends like Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Clifford brown, John Coltrane and many more. Nearby tacking the first steps of learning music, according to his excessive passion to get influences from Persian traditional music, he started to play one of the main Persian musical instruments, called TAR. The influences and inspirations that he achieved from getting involved in learning traditional music, have an indispensable role to shape his character as a musician, that is not only interested in jazz music but also is always grateful for Persian folk and traditional music. The main idea of playing fretless guitar is on the one hand the difference between Persian and classic scales, because of existence of quarter tones in Persian music which makes it possible to be played by F.Guitar, and on the other hand it derived from his intention to find an appropriate and sufficient instrument that can accurately describe and express iranian identity in his musical character. The summer of 2003 was an important point of jazz music in iran because the Legendary Armanian Pianist, Vahag Hyrapetian, organized the first jazz workshop in Iran since the Revolution of 1979. It was a determinative event that was held for the first time in the realm of jazz music in Iran. Mahan attended to this workshop and also was asked by Vahag to play a duo concert with him. Right after that he established his first Band as a Trio set up with Dara Daraeei on bass and Amin Taheri on Drums. After some Concert Hamzeh Yeganeh a great persian pianist and composer joined the band. Beside his own project he cooperated with many concert and recording sessions as a side man during all this time . On 2008 he finished his studies in architecture in Tehran art and architecture university and decided to move to Vienna. There he organized some concerts and recorded his first Album with Wolfi Rainer (drums) and Robert Jukic (bass). This album is a combination of Persian folk and traditional music with jazz . Literally this is a collection of illustrations and pictures that were engraved in his memory from his childhood and youthful days which are embellished by the modern elements, the effects that will remain forever in his mind from the Iranian architecture art such as Bazars and Mosques which are always mixed with a musical instinct from the very beginning of his carrier as a musician.he always tries to translate this kind of inspirations and effect in a kind of musical language that can provide a wide range in order to be comprehended by everyone all over the world. The composition and arrangement of this project that started in Iran in 2006 is already concluded and recorded in Vienna`s session in title "The Persian Side of Jazz".