We are delighted to announce Az Samad as the Modern Guitar Harmony Guitarist of the Month.
Az is also the Modern Guitar Harmony representative for Malaysia as Az has done, and is doing a lot, for jazz guitar in Malaysia and surrounding areas.
His biography makes for impressive reading and he’s a super nice guy too.
Read on!!
“His measured, lyrical approach, warm tone and cleanly articulated solo lines might have conjured notions of Bill Frisell’s influence, though Samad’s sound was all his own.”
– Ian Patterson, All About Jazz
“Az Samad’s new CD, “In the Deep Night / Electric Poetry” is a dreamer’s paradise of contemplative meditation and thoughtful reflections.”
– Garrison Fewell, Jazz Guitarist & Educator
‘Az Samad is THE Malaysian guitar hero. Not only is he an incredibly soulful and accomplished player, he is a talented and well respected educator in all aspects of the guitar. He is also a super nice guy with a wicked sense of humour. Miss him at your peril!’
– Mike Dawes, English Virtuoso Fingerstyle Guitarist & Recording Artist with Candyrat Records
“Az Samad is a master of expression. Every note he plays comes from a place of deep musical knowledge and understanding. He can use his guitar to say “I love you” in 17 languages.”
– Jon Gomm, UK Acoustic Singer-Songwriter and Virtuoso Guitarist
ABOUT AZ SAMAD:
A 3-time TEDx Speaker, Guitarist-Composer-Educator Az Samad has recorded with Grammy Winners Flaco Jiménez & Max Baca; graduated & taught for the Summer Guitar Sessions program at Berklee College of Music; performed in the USA, Europe & Asia; and appeared on 22 CDs. His book, Jazz Improvisation Uncovered, received acclaim from American jazz guitarist Julian Lage.
Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Az began his musical studies with classical guitar lessons before getting into acoustic fingerstyle guitar and jazz guitar. After completing his first degree In Malaysia, he moved to the United States.
He graduated with a dual major in Jazz Composition and Performance (Guitar), Summa Cum Laude, 2007 from Berklee College of Music. Then, he completed his Masters in Music (Jazz Studies), 2010 from San Jose State University, San Jose, CA. In the United States, he studied guitar with many of his musical heroes including Mick Goodrick, Garrison Fewell, Bret Willmott, Jon Damian, David Tronzo, Tim Miller, Ben Sher, Bryan Baker, Rick Vandivier and John Stowell.
An active performer, Az has performed at Jarasum International Jazz Festival (South Korea), Hong Kong International Jazz Festival (Hong Kong), Penang Island Jazz Festival (Malaysia) and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay (Singapore).
In addition to his performance and education work, Az often speaks about the music business, marketing and social media aspects of being a working musician. His group music career coaching program, “Coaching Kerjaya Muzik” has been running from 2021 to 2024. As a consultant, he has advised music college professors, jazz & rock guitarists, session musicians and music producers. Az also shares his experience via the ‘Malaysian Musicians on CH’ in the Clubhouse app, as a co-founder of the room alongside rapper & entrepreneur Altimet.
Az is an advocate of Malay Jazz, focusing on the music of P. Ramlee & Jimmy Boyle. An experienced performer, Az has performed with violinist Roby Lakatos, rock guitarist Bumblefoot, singer-songwriter Zee Avi & fingerstyle guitarists Adam Rafferty and Mike Dawes. Az has performed as part of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and was the classical guitar soloist for the Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy Kuala Lumpur concert. Az is a guest composer for the video game, No Straight Roads (No. 4 indie game of the year chosen by Forbes).
Currently Az develops online guitar courses in Malay to help guitarists improve their skills from beginner to pro. Az has released more than 100 video courses and eBooks. His eBook, Cerita Muzik, was released in 2022. His latest music release is the compilation, Lapan Lagu, released in February 2023.
An active music, course & book reviewer, Az has written 299 reviews on his website, azsamadlessons.com. Az has also worked with the website, Mike’s Masterclasses – writing course descriptions, in-house reviews, copywriting, and video editing for their releases.
You can find out more about Az Samad on his social media:
https://www.instagram.com/azsamad/
https://www.facebook.com/azsamad
His eBooks and courses are available here:
https://azsamadmusic.gumroad.com/
His course, Motives Maximizer is available on Mike’s Masterclasses: https://mikesmasterclasses.com/course/motives-maximizer/
VIDEOS:
1) Duet with Sid Jacobs, Body and Soul:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twuu-MQfjKU
2) Az Samad crashes Jon Finn’s Lesson Studio at Berklee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSH_PPbWmQo
3) Gentle Hearts | Ezra Alfandy Quintet Rhythm Section feat. Az Samad -What About Kuching Festival 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqX8rVKEJnA
You can scroll down here to see previous MGH Guitarists of the Month.
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