Zela Margossian’s biographical playlist

If you have been even vaguely familiar with this here website, you probably know Zela Margossian. You know she is a pianist of spectacular prowess, a composer of hear-melting lyricism, and a musical explorer blending the many dialects of jazz with the classical tradition, and the musical heritage of her motherland, Armenia. You might even be aware of her journey in life, that brought her from Beirut to Sydney via Yerevan. Here, she chooses some of the tunes that have been her companions in that journey, leaving an imprint on her life, and influencing the way she creates her version of ‘ethno-jazz’.

What was the first album or single that you ever acquired?

I hope my memory will serve me right here. I don’t remember the first album I acquired (could have been a Queen Greatest Hits album in my teens) but I do remember that when I moved to Armenia to study, there was a CD shop very close to where I lived, and I spent a lot of time in there. My first purchases from memory were Chick Corea: Return to Forever’s Light As a Feather, Sting’s All This Time, Bach’s Cello Suites (the complete collection) and Richard Galliano Septet’s Piazzolla Forever.

What was the most recent album or track that you purchased?

To be honest, the last album that I purchased (which I must confess was a while ago) was Alister Spence Trio’s Asteroid Ekosystem.

Which album should be on everyone’s collection?

There would be so many! In this instance, I would pick Ella and Louis, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong’s iconic album.

Which tune reminds you of your most important rite of passage?

Pink Floyd’s Division Bell was released in 1994 and I remember listening to that album repeatedly. When I look back now, the song that stood out from that album was (and still is) ‘Poles Apart’.

Which tune best describes your relationship to your loved ones?

Arto Tuncboyaciyan’s ‘Zeytuni Zar’ evokes the feeling of warmth and love which I can associate with my feelings towards loved ones in my life.

If your life was to become a movie…

…which tune would be heard on the opening credits?

Dizzy Gillespie’s ‘On the Sunny Side of The Street’.

…which would be on the end credits?

Arvo Part’s ‘Spiegel Im Spiegel’. Happy 90^th to him!

…which would be on the action scene?

I have this tune in my mind for a funny action scene: Goran Bregovic’s ‘Kalashnjikov’.

…which would be on the love scene?

Aram Khachaturian’s ‘Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia’ from his ballet Spartacus. I think it’s one of the most beautiful themes in music ever written.

Which tune do you wish you had written yourself?

Oh, there are lots of magical and amazing tunes out there that I wish I had written myself…

So difficult to pick but I’ll mention ‘Claire de Lune’ by Claude Debussy (I actually love the whole Suite Bergamasque which was one of my favourites in my repertoire back in the day).

I’ll mention another one too from the vast pool of jazz standards and that would be Victor Young’s ‘My Foolish Heart’.

Which tune do you wish had been written about you?

Bob Dylan’s ‘Make You Feel My Love’. It is one of those tunes which makes me very emotional every time I listen to it. The depth in its simplicity is sublime.

Which tune best describes your current state of mind?

I hope this won’t come across as me being arrogant by choosing one of my quintet’s tracks, but ‘Indifferent World‘ describes how my current state of mind is.