Upon returning from a six month musical exploration of the Nile River Valley and the Sinai mountains, the vision to bring Middle Eastern / Arabic melodies and rhythms interpreted through the voice of American jazz became increasingly compelling. The original components of the group began with two violins, an acoustic bass, and two percussionists. As the magical potency of the music grew, the group soon morphed into its present incarnation. A revolving door of extremely talented musicians, with a willingness to push themselves and their audience to unforeseen places, fused traditional Arabic music, classical Indian concepts of composition, North African rhythmic grooves, and pure American "old-school Funk" to produce the unique soundscape that is Jaafar.

J A A F A R - A middle eastern jazz Arabic funk fusion ensemble that originates from the Raleigh/Durham Triangle of NC. The instrumentation is usually bass, oud, keys, dumbek, drum set, sometime a double neck guitar is thrown into the mix. It is an awesome blend of western and eastern ideas fusing seamlessly through “traditional” oriental themes, and western jazz/ funk.