North Sea Jazz Fest, Sunday, July 12th 2009:

As noted, there were over 1000 musicians that graced the stages of the North Sea Jazz Fest. Many inspiring performances took place on Sunday including performances by Herbie Hancock, Q-Tip and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra; doesn't get more eclectic than that! It was also great to see some of my peers such as Gerald Clayton, Justin Brown, Ambrose Akinmusire and others perform as well. 

But most inspiring was the realization of how fortunate I am in being a part of THE STORY. Things are really moving in a positive direction and although there were many great performances happening throughtout the festival simultaneous to ours, THE STORY performed to a full crowd in the Volga Room.

I feel that I gained an even greater respect for myself and my band through this experience; more than any of the several other times we have been on tour or have performed locally in New York. What was put in perspective was the realization that our music (THE STORY), is very special, just as everyone that performed. Every group had a unique sound and approach to their music and presentation. And THE STORY, although I'm doing my best to be subjective, I felt was really set apart, in a postive way, from all the other performances I saw.

I was extremely happy to see that our group is naturally striving to create music that is so personal to ourselves that nothing else that I heard throughout the festival sounded like it. I also felt the same way about the other performances especially with Ambrose and Gerald's shows. That's what made it so special and important to see. The music that is most inspiring comes from those that our honest with themselves and not afraid to convey their lives through music; sometimes even with some added humor.

I'm now more excited about the future of THE STORY and of music in general than even before. I can't wait to hear more music from others, just as inspiring as the music I experienced at the festival. And, of course most important, I'm excited to continue striving to better myself as a musician, composer, and HUMAN BEING!

Peace

Samir Zarif