Parviz Rustambayov

Parviz Rustambeyov was Azerbaijan-born saxophonist and jazz musician who fell victim to Soviet repressions.

Life Parviz Rustambeyov, the son of Ismayil was born on January 7, 1922, in Baku. He attended a music circle at the Pioneers' Palace, where he played the clarinet. At the age of 18, in 1940, Tofig Guliyev invited him to perform in the orchestra at the "Senetkarlıg" cinema.

After the start of World War II, the young performers of the orchestra continued their activities within the military division. They were sent to the 402nd artillery division stationed in Nakhchivan. By the end of 1942, after the disbandment of the orchestra, Parviz Rustambeyov was assigned to the Aviation Jazz under the leadership of A.V. Shustapalov. However, due to illness, he was discharged from there in July 1943. Parviz accepted the invitation and started performing with Rosner's orchestra. He lived in Moscow for a while during this period and was also invited by Leonid Utyosov to join his ensemble.

Parviz was invited on stage to perform with the jazz orchestra while dining at the "Metropol" restaurant in Moscow with his friends. His rendition of American classics caught the interest of the Americans at the restaurant. After his performance, they approached Parviz, inviting him to the United States to gain experience in the homeland of jazz. He went to the US Embassy upon their invitation, seeking to meet the cultural attaché, but couldn't locate them and returned without success.

After being dismissed from work, he struggled to find employment for a while. Later, he secured a job at a small restaurant near the railway station. However, on May 20, 1949, Parviz Rustambeyov was arrested upon the orders of Ayriyan, the military prosecutor of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Azerbaijan SSR. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Family Parviz Rustambeyov's grandfather, Asad bey, lived in Salyan and was a landowner. Among Asad bey's four sons, one of them, Mammad, died at the age of 19. The other three sons, Fetulla, Bakhısh, and Shahbaz, received higher education in St. Petersburg. Since Bakhısh didn't have any children of his own, he took in Ismayıl, the orphaned son of his deceased brother Mammad.

Memory In 2002, the film "Vaxtın o Üzündə" (On the Face of Time) dedicated to the musician's life was produced on Lider TV, with screenplay by Nariman Abdulrahmanlı and directed by Akif Arifoghlu.

In 2016, the artist Vuqar Ali painted portraits of Azerbaijani and foreign jazz musicians, including Parviz Rustambeyov. These artworks were showcased in a solo exhibition during the International Jazz Festival held in Baku.

On December 22, 2017, the film "Ölümündən sonra məhkəmə" (Court after His Death) about Parviz Rustambeyov's life was presented at the Gara Garayev Central Music School by ARB Aran Film Creative Center. The film is a docudrama that uses archival materials and information from the criminal case of Parviz Rustambeyov. The screenplay was by Yegane Abdulmammedova, who also directed the film.

On April 10, 2022, within the "Qətl planı" (Assassination Plan) project aired on Azerbaijan Television, a film directed by Elnur Aliyev, who also wrote the screenplay, was produced about the murder of Parviz Rustambeyov.

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