“…unfettered imagination, no-limits technique, and heroic sound”
– Ted Panken (DownBeat, Jazz Times)
Azat Bayazitov is a Russian-born, New York-based outstanding saxophonist, composer, arranger, and educator.
Azat holds a Master’s degree from JAZZCAMPUS (Basel, Switzerland), where he studied with Mark Turner, Larry Grenadier, Jorge Rossy, Guillermo Klein, Domenic Landolf, and others. He also attended the GNESINS Russian Academy of Music (Moscow, Russia), where he studied under Alexander Oseychuk. A winner of international jazz competitions, Azat is a former soloist of the Igor Butman Moscow Jazz Orchestra.
He has toured the USA, Canada, Europe, India, South Korea, China, and Russia.
In 2015, Azat released his debut album IF YOU STILL TRUST (Butman Music Records), which was recorded in New York with the participation of Mark Whitfield Jr.
In 2017, Azat Bayazitov decided to move to New York. In 2019, he recorded his second album, THE DOORS ARE OPEN (Rainy Days Records), featuring David Kikoski, Adam Rogers, and Boris Kozlov. The recording session was held at Bunker Studio in New York, and the album was released in June 2020, receiving critical acclaim from several reputable jazz magazines.
From 2021 to 2022, Bayazitov was awarded the prestigious ESKAS Swiss-government scholarship.
In 2023, Azat self-released his third critically acclaimed album as a leader, EXPECTATIONS, recorded in Basel, Switzerland. He moved back to New York in 2024 to continue his jazz career.
“Bayazitov’s rounded sound, upper register slurs and studied approach reflect those early influences, but his focus and articulation bare the stamp of glossy mainstream New York”
– Mike Hobart (Jazzwise)
“Bayazitov is a musician who plays across several genres, feeling that helps his overall vision. He just seemingly has music running through his veins and takes as many opportunities as he can get – rock, church, funk, Latin. This open-minded spirit and unbridled enthusiasm colors this truly uplifting album. Keep your eyes and ears tuned to Bayazitov. His confidence and expressive playing belie his youth”
– Jim Hynes (Making a Scene)
“The Doors Are Open is full of lively music, inviting the listener in”
– Patrick Hadfield (London Jazz News)
“I walked away quite impressed with the multi-talents of Azat Bayazitov. For this master musician, I have great “Expectations!”
– Dee Dee McNeil (Musicalmemoirs’s Blog)