MY BANDS

I lead a pretty charmed life partly because I lead some excellent bands, each complete with fantastic musicians.

Hashem Assadullahi Quartet/Quintet/Sextet

​

This group is the flagship of my musical projects.  Based primarily in Oregon, I'm joined by composer and guitarist Justin Morell, bassist Josh Tower, and drummers Jason Palmer and Ryan Biesack.  When the occasion permits the group has been augmented by world renowned trumpeter Ron Miles and pianist-composer James Miley, the most recent addition to the band.  This group's repertoire, penned by myself, Justin and James, draws on a wide array of styles including jazz, classical, pop,  and movie soundtracks, utilizing the band's strength of collectively performing with an emphasis on melody and moods, from introspective to humorous.

​

The Hashem Assadullahi's Standard Deviation Trio

Patterned after Lester Young’s trio with Nat King Cole & Buddy Rich, Hashem Assadullahi’s Standard Deviation Trio features the exemplary talents of Leonard Thompson and Matt Wilson, who, together with Hashem, spontaneously arrange the sometimes-classic, sometimes-rare gems of Kern, Gershwin, Rodgers, Berlin, and many others. The group is defined by a sense of inspired abandon, improvising not only with the inherent harmony of the tunes, but also with the form itself, while vigilantly maintaining the integrity of each piece. The Standard Deviation Trio is an attempt at melding the approach of the great jazz singers, from Ella Fitzgerald, to Nancy Wilson, to Sarah Vaughn, with that of “free” players like Dewey Redman, Ellery Eskelin, and Don Cherry.

​

Hashem Assadullahi's Cadre

Cadre:  A small group of people specially trained for a particular purpose or profession:a small cadre of scientists        

-Oxford Dictionary

Hashem Assadullahi's Cadre: Rich Perry, Leonard Thompson, Yoshi Waki, Mark Ferber. Our purpose... JAZZ!!!  This is my newest pet project and a dream come true, playing with some of my long time heroes and newest friends.

​

Safety Buffalo

Originally thrown together as a last minute sub for a gig cancellation, Safety Buffalo is a recent brain child, or perhaps bastard child.  Having spent my high school music career in concert and marching bands I neglected to release my teen angst in a garage band.  After years of letting my adolescence fester, I formed Safety Buffalo—a juvenile, unabashed union of punk, surf, grunge and jazz.  With tunes that embody a broad scope of musical palates Safety Buffalo has thrilled audiences young and old, virile and impotent, intellectual and primitive.

Duet^2 Ensemble

The Duet^2 (Duet squared) Ensemble is an ongoing side project of mine where I collaborate with other musicians, performing duets together in different configurations. Playing in the duet context offers the performer and listener the opportunity to shed preconceptions about music and rebuild pieces from their most essential components. In the past I've performed duets with trumpet players, bassists, drummers, pianists, guitarists, and other saxophonists.  With this project there is no set personnel but rather it serves an opportunity to perform with some of my favorite musicians as their schedules permit.