InternationalShahan Nercessian jams in Yerevan
Published: Friday December 04, 2009
Shahan Nercessian at That Place Bar in Yerevan.
Yerevan - "Armenia has more musicians per square foot than any other country in the world," says Shahan Nercessian, "and here they mean it when they say they're musicians." Maybe 20 percent of those musicians are jazz musicians, Shahan states. Shahan is from Arlington, Massachusetts, and has been playing guitar in different bands since he was 14 years old. He came to Yerevan in June after completing his master's degree in electrical engineering, hoping that he might ease right into the music scene. On his third day in Yerevan he walked into the Alibi Retro Club on Sayat Nova Street with his Epiphone Emperor II Joe Pass signature model jazz guitar, joined a jam session, and has been playing since then with many of the people he met that night.
Nercessian's interest in music began with heavy metal and hard rock but over the years he became more interested in jazz-based music. He was the main songwriter and arranger for the nine-member hip hop group Melodesiac, which also incorporated elements of jazz, rap, rock, Latin, and soul music. With Melodesiac, Nercessian played at all the notable venues around Boston, opening for many well-known acts.
Since his arrival in Yerevan, Shahan has performed at the Poplavok Jazz Café, at Malkhas Jazz Club, at Club 12, at Ulikhanyan Club, and at many other venues, often playing jazz standards. Due to his frequent performances at different clubs, Shahan met Vahagn Hayrapetyan of the band "Katuner," who brought him in to perform with the band. While playing with "Katuner" he realized his jazz guitar did not fit in with their sound. Shahan returned to the United States in August to continue with his studies and work towards his Ph.D. in electrical engineering. However, upon his arrival in the States, instead of continuing with his Ph.D. program, he decided to take a one-semester leave of absence, grabbed his Fender American Standard Stratocaster and returned to Armenia. He has since fit his sound into that of "Katuner," playing with the group around Yerevan.
Nercessian has played guitar internationally before, in Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Italy, and Canada. Of playing live in Yerevan, Shahan says, "I'm pretty surprised by how well I'm received, and I think it comes from the fact that there aren't too many jazz guitarists around here." He adds, "The jazz musicians here are amazing; I'm pretty sure I'm not at the same level."
When Shahan returned to Yerevan in September he came through the Birthright Armenia program, which brings diaspora Armenians to Armenia to do volunteer work and create ties with their home country. He was placed in an internship position as a software engineer at Imagenomic through the Armenian Volunteer Corps, a program which works to place volunteers in positions that suit their interests and skill sets. With this position he has been able to continue working in his area of study, one might say as a side project from his music.
On November 9, at the Armenian Guitar Festival, Shahan shared the bill, among other local Armenian guitar players, with international jazz musicians May Lian (from Russia) and Dave Martone (from Canada) at the National Academic Theatre after Gabriel Sundukyan. And three days later he met American jazz musician George Benson, whom Shahan describes as one of his lifelong "guitar heroes," after Benson's sold-out show at Malkhas Jazz Club. After his performance, Benson was taken to an after-show jam session where he watched Shahan play. "He told me I was very good; so you can imagine that meant a lot to me." George Benson's drummer and keyboardist participated in the jam session.
Before Nercessian goes back to the States he wants to put together his own project with the local musicians and friends he has been playing with that would mix hip hop, jazz, rap, and other styles. "In general, what I love about being a musician here is you have the opportunity to play every night if you want to. Like if I want to play a certain type of music with my friends on some date at some place, I can usually make it happen," Shahan comments. Shahan has studied guitar with Audie Bridges, a former student of Pat Martino, bass extraordinaire Sabato D'Agostino, trumpeter Scott Aruda, pianist Joel LaRue Smith, a former student of Charlie Palmieri, guitarist Jerry Bussiere, and Berklee College of Music guitar professor John Baboian. See his MySpace, Shahan Nercessian, for his original compositions and arrangements, and check out his stylish multiple genre crossing arrangement of Karnig Sarkissian's "Odaroutyoun," with Sevag Khatchadourian; or frequent your local jazz club in Yerevan and see him play live.
