“Elchin has a really good sense of how to orchestrate for the trio setting. In particular, he finds a distinct place for the piano and the bass in the music. He doesn’t play any extraneous stuff that the bass is already doing. That makes the listening experience pleasing – it’s transparent. His record is a strong achievement – pleasing to listen to, strong compositions, nice improvising, really good trio playing.”
Elchin Shirinov is a jazz pianist, composer and arranger, originally from Azerbaijan. Most recently he was included in All About Jazz's December 2022 poll of the top 200 favourite living pianists in the world.
From 2018 to Oct 2022 he was a member of the famous jazz double bassist Avishai Cohen's trio, during which time he recorded 3 albums as part of the trio and toured internationally at festivals and venues such as Blue Note New York jazz club, Ronnie Scott’s jazz club, Blue Note Tokyo jazz club, Tokyo Jazz festival, Jazz a Vienne, Jazz in Marciac, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Berlin Philharmonie concert hall, Paris Jazz festival. The most recent album Shifting Sands was chosen as Album of the Month in The Guardian newspaper:
"The pianist is Elchin Shirinov, the thoughtful but forceful Azerbaijani musician who played on both Two Roses and Arvoles...Cohen's vivacious bass improv and Shirinov's contrastingly imperturbable lyricism glow through this fine set - and if the new tunes add few surprises to the leader's signature songbook, the playing is incandescent.”John Fordham, The Guardian
“Shirinov has a thorough command of the ornaments of Middle Eastern music and the Sephardic traditions that are part of Cohen’s eclectic ancestry, and with his succinct playing and dependable, uncluttered time-keeping, it’s easy to see why the leader digs him”
Michael Jackson, Downbeat, Review: Avishai Cohen Trio at Ronnie Scott’s 2022
"Shirinov's performance was suave and confident, melting into the lower tones of Cohen's bass. His piano solo in the central number ‘Shifting Sands’was a moment of calm within an electrifying set.”
Izzy Blankfield, London Jazz News / London Jazz Festival Review 2021
His career began in Azerbaijan, and in 2018 He became Honoured Artist of Azerbaijan.
As well as working with Avishai Cohen he has also recorded his own albums, 'Maiden Tower' in 2017 and Waiting' in 2018. As a solo artist he has toured in London, Paris, Berlin, Budapest, Krakow, Milan and Vienna.
“Passionate. Thoughtful. Always playing with care, Elchin Shirinov is a musician for us to discover and enjoy. His original compositions are exciting to listen to. The band on this recording sounds relaxed and in totally sync. Their playing together is smooth as silk and seemingly effortless. Great stuff!”
– Jeff Ballard
“Elchin Shirinov has developed a sound and approach all his own. His writing and piano playing echo another time yet resonate with a modernity that is striking. He really pulls a sound out of the piano making possible a whole palette of sonic color. It is music worth exploring deeply.”
– Larry Grenadier