Op 1 december 2017 in Jazzpodium De Tor, Enschede: "De pianiste en componiste woont nu, met fluitist Bart Platteau, in New York. Ze werd geboren in Azerbeidzjan, waar ze werd opgeleid tot klassiek concertpianiste. Maar haar grote passie jazz bracht haar op alle grote wereldpodia." \n\n""Blue Whisper" is her 12th recording as a leader, but her first to feature a band comprised primarily of US-based musicians, including her husband Bart Platteau. Despite the sea-change of personnel, Figarova's identity as a composer-pianist remains intact. Though she leads a relatively large ensemble capable of blasting through her soulful post-bop compositions à la Art Blakey or Horace Silver, she opts for a different, multi-hued approach. Her compositions are subtle and tuneful and often demand a measure of restraint from the soloists. Her arrangements are characterized by a delicate layering of instruments and voicings, with the trademark sound of Platteau's flute leading the front line." (Dave Wayne, AllAboutJazz; 4 uit 5 sterren)
"Azerbaidjan native Amina Figarova is one of those jazz artists who is versatile enough to play electric pop-jazz one minute and acoustic bop the next. The pianist's straight-ahead side prevails on Jazz at the Pinehill: Live in Europe, which documents a 1999 concert in the Netherlands. This Dutch release bills Figarova's group as "the Amina Figarova Quintet featuring Dmitri Matheny," and that's an attention grabber because Bay Area flügelhornist Matheny is a jazz treasure. The lyrical Matheny has impressive chops, but it's his warmth and soulfulness that wins you over more than anything. You have to appreciate this CD's multicultural implications -- there's something nice about musicians who were born in the U.S., the Netherlands, and Azerbaidjan forming a hard bop quintet and acknowledging rhythms from Cuba and Trinidad along the way. Jazz at the Pinehill isn't as strong as Matheny's own albums, but it's still a solid, likable bop outing."(Allmusic).
Amina Figarova is zonder twijfel een van de meest productieve jazzcomponisten en getalenteerde jazzpianisten in Europa. Ze groeide op in Baku, Azerbeidjan en begon al zeer jong te componeren. Op elfjarige leeftijd gaf Amina haar eerste officiële klassieke recital. Een carrière als solopianiste volgde. De op deze cd vastgelegde live-opnamen in Concertgebouw De Doelen maakte ze in de tijd dat ze piano en zang studeerde aan het Rotterdams Conservatorium.
In Nederland woonachtige Azerbeidzjaanse pianiste, klassiek opgeleid, doch nu into jazz. Integreert ook invloeden uit haar geboorteland in kleurrijke en helder gearrangeerde muziek met behalve piano ook uitgekiend fluit/trompet/sax-samenspel.
Debuut, uit 1998, waarop de pianiste fusion- en smoothjazz-achtige muziek maakt en ze ook zelf zingt in romantische soulpopjazz-songs. Met o.a. Hans Eijkenaar (d).
