Pop, blue eyed soul THE BORDER SESSIONS
LATE NIGHT DREAM Presents Atar Shafighian Signature 320kbit/s

Atar Shafighian is a songwriter, composer and producer from the UK. Classically-trained on the piano since the age of four, he discovered his love of Jazz and Funk from the age of ten during the UK Acid Jazz movement. Groups like Jamiroquai and Incognito, amongst others, served as an initial gateway for him to work back through time and discover the ‘greats’. Various addictive phases followed during his early teens with an array of artists including Herbie Hancock, EWF, George Michael, Prince and Michael Brecker. Then at the age of sixteen his girlfriend (now wife) introduced him to Donald Fagen and Steely Dan. That was one of two critical and seminal points during Atar’s musical journey, the second of which would occur in 2005 when he was to discover the music of Ivan Lins whilst studying Jazz at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
In 2002 Atar formed Atar and The Funkadrome, a fifteen-piece funk fusion group. Within a year of formation, the group were signed to D Records and Notting Hill Music Publishing. Their debut album Funkadrome was then released in 2005 and featured the singles You Set My Soul on Fire and Clear Blue Skies.
In 2010 Atar released Chapter One independently with his project Royal Showdown. The group’s style was more minimal and significantly more indie in tone and approach than that of the Funkadrome. The opening track Entertain the Mystery was also to be Michael Chillingworth’s first collaboration as guest saxophonist on Atar’s music. The Royal Showdown album can still be downloaded for free via Bandcamp. Just click here: royalshowdown.bandcamp.com
Atar released his first solo album in 2013 through his own label SUS Music. A concept album entitled The Rise and Fall of Danny Chevron, it features a range of guests including Michael Chillingworth, Pete Churchill, Sue Quin, George Moore and founder of The Doctors of Madness, Richard Strange. The project was a straight-to-tape affair recorded by Joe Leach at The Cowshed Studio in London, mixed by the masterful Russ Hayes and mastered by the legendary Bernie Grundman.
Atar has worked with an array of artists as a keys player, arranger and producer, including Ben Barritt, Nate Williams, Escala and Down to The Bone. He is currently working on new material for a fourth album and is also developing music for a large ensemble instrumental album. He has worked in music education for the past ten years and lectures in harmony, composition and arranging. He is also a recent graduate of law from University of Westminster and is passionate about football, golf and cinema. He lives in London with his wife and two sons.

01.Sting - St Augustine In Hell
02.Donald Fagen - Maxine
03.The Brecker Brothers - Funky Sea, Funky Dew
04.Jamiroquai - Too Young To Die
05.George Michael - Fastlove
06.Dirty Loops - Lost In You
07.Ben Barritt - Westbound
08.Ivan Lins - Daquilo Que Eu Sei
09.Weather Report - Palladium
10.Steely Dan - Glamour Profession
11.Herbie Hancock - Come Running To Me
12.Grace Jones - Hollywood Liar
13.Antônio Carlos Jobim - Two Kites
14.Snarky Puppy - White Cap
15.Michael Franks - Tell Me All About It
16.Uncle Walter - Ben Folds Five
17.Pat Metheny Group - James
18.Vince Mendoza - Angelicus
19.Stevie Wonder - Rocket Love
20.Chicago - Hard Habit To Break