Ba?ak Yavuz: Promised Lands

by Scott Lichtman
June 9, 2024

Vocalist and composer Ba?ak Yavuz is intense. The lyrics of “Promised Lands" state that “someone told me to release the animal," which is exactly she and her band do. Drums and electric bass propel a free jazz-like feel with tinges of James Brown, while the guitar and voice open by harmonizing a tight, descending harmony that ...

Caz Plak Reissues Okay Temiz's Landmark Album, 'Drummer Of Two Worlds'

January 23, 2024

One of Turkish Jazz's most sought-after and sampled records is coming back to life. Caz Plak's partnership with notable jazz drummer Okay Temiz reaches a third stage with the long-awaited reissue of his landmark album, Drummer of Two Worlds. Initially released in Turkey, Scandinavia, and the United States in 1980, Caz Plak's modern reintroduction of a ...

Peter DiCarlo

For nearly two decades, Peter DiCarlo has established himself in a myriad of worlds. Currently based in Izmir, Turkey, Peter is an accomplished saxophonist with a strong tone and style that is distinctly his own. In addition to his focus on performance and composition, he thrives in the world of music education. Peter balances his passion for teaching while also maintaining a rigorous practice schedule. DiCarlo has performed with Scott Wendholt, Rich Perry, Claire Daly, Jim Ridl, Tom DiCarlo, Keisel Jiménez, Chris Parker, Jerson Trinidad, Ralph Bowen, Sean Jones, Stanley Cowell, Vic Juris, Kenny Davis, Mike Richmond and Julius Tolentino. Peter had the utmost pleasure of performing with the legendary artist Ray Charles at two televised benefit concerts.

Caz Plak To Release Don Cherry Trio 'The ORTF Recordings Paris 1971' On Vinyl

September 8, 2023

The second chapter of Caz Plak's ambitious Turkish Jazz Trilogy will be released next month with three region-specific vinyl LP releases of The ORTF Recordings Paris 1971 by Don Cherry Trio, in line with Caz Plak's curatorial efforts in showcasing the far-reach of Turkish Jazz's influence. The Istanbul-based label has licensed two recordings of Don Cherry's ...

Out of the Roma Villages of Turkey, Clarinet Reigns Beyond Its Traditions

by Arthur R George
November 7, 2020

The clarinet, foundational for jazz from Sidney Bechet unto Eric Dolphy, remains in strong use in the indigenous Roma music of the eastern Mediterranean. Elsewhere in the world clarinet generally has been moved aside by saxophone's bigger sound. But in the Balkans, Greece, and Turkey, clarinet provides jazz shadings to traditional music, speaks a range of ...

American Frederick Thomas: 'The Black Russian' Who Connected Jazz To The Margins Of Asia

by Arthur R George
September 1, 2020

The child of former slaves, Frederick Bruce Thomas' New York Times obituary called him “the sultan of jazz," for the jazz palace he founded in Constantinople (now Istanbul) after World War I, a jazz borderland beyond even the music's early Paris outpost. He was hosting bands in Constantinople in 1921 even before Louis Armstrong joined King ...

Onur Aymergen

Born: May 26, 1880

Onur Aymergen started playing classical guitar with Özhan Gölebatmaz and studied classical flamenco with Suat Demirk?ran, then interested in rock, funk and jazz music. He played his own compositions in many festivals and music clubs with his quartet and took part in projects with European musicians. In his jazz projects, he reflected the sounds of European jazz, modern jazz and world music. Afterwards, Aymergen worked with M?s?rl? Ahmet for several years and tried to develop his rhythmic ideas. He worked a variety of styles including Turkish, Indian and jazz music. He recently wrote his thesis on Turkish Maqam Harmonisation with Prof

AkBank Jazz Festival 2019

by Francesco Martinelli
October 29, 2019

AkBank Jazz Festival Istanbul, Turkey October 18-25 2019 I arrived in Istanbul during the world-wide outrage that followed the United States pull-out from Syria and the consequent military intervention by Turkey. The new humongous airport looked rather empty compared to the crowded spaces of the old one; the trip to ...

Volkan Topako?lu

Born: November 9, 1986

Istanbulite bassist, composer and educator Volkan Topako?lu made his debut with his album ��Birdenbire��. Playing the keyboard and the guitar by ten, Volkan started his formal education in music studying cello and piano at Avni Akyol High School of Music and Arts in Istanbul. At fourteen he was influenced by his bass guitarist brother and started to listen to jazz records and play the bass guitar. He continued his education in music at Y?ld?z Technical University in Istanbul, studying electric bass and double bass with K?mil Erdem. After graduation Volkan attended private lessons and workshops of bassists Jacek Meira-Niedziela, Bronislaw Suchanek, Drew Gress, Carlo DeRosa

Istanbul��s ?KSV: An Intensity Beyond Cool

by Arthur R George
October 17, 2018

It would be easy to get breathless, even giddy, about the range and schedule of cultural events organized by ?KSV, the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (in Turkish: ?stanbul K��lt��r Sanat Vakf?). One individual could not possibly keep up with its jazz and classical music festivals and everything else that's offered by ?KSV. It brings ...