Istanbul to host jazz legends

Only great names are on the list of performers at 15th International Istanbul Jazz Festival between July 2-16. During two-week event legends as Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller, Stacey Kent or Buena Vista Social Club’s Omara Portuondo, to name only a few, will perform live in front of Turkish and international audience

ISTANBUL - Turkish Daily News

Istanbul Jazz Festival Celebrates 15th Anniversary

This summer from July 2 the International Istanbul Jazz Festival will celebrate its 15th anniversary, presenting nearly 40 concerts and featuring both jazz artists and musicians from genres as diverse as pop, rock, folk, and world music.

The festival began in 1984 with the performance of Chick Corea and Steve Kujala at the Atatürk Culture Center, and since then it has featured some 300 concerts. Over the years, the musical spectrum of the festival has widened to include different genres, and in 1994 jazz even became a separate festival category. Since then, some of the world's top musicians, including Eric Clapton, Sting, Lou Reed, Bryan Ferry, Dead Can Dance, Suzanne Vega, Patti Smith, Bobby McFerrin, Jan Garbarek, Keith Jarrett, Wynton Marsalis, Goran Bregovic, Tori Amos and Elvis Costello, have performed.

Lifetime Achievement Award for Tuna Ötenel

Each year the festival features a Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing the great masters who have shaped and popularized jazz, not only in Turkey, but around the world. This year the award will be presented to multi-instrumentalist and performer Tuna Ötenel, who entered the Turkish jazz scene in the 1960s, and whose efforts to promote jazz in Turkey are since regarded as immeasurable. Throughout his career, he has performed with such renowned artists as Buster Williams, Peter King, Herbie Hancock, Victor Sproles and Hilton Ruiz. The award ceremony will take place July 1 at Esma Sultan Palace.

Herbie Hancock's “River of Possibilities"

Music icon Herbie Hancock is an honorary guest at this year's festival, returning with two concerts after memorable performances in both 1996 and 2002. This year brought Hancock another Grammy award for his “River-The Joni Letters album”, a re-interpretation of songs by Canadian folk and jazz songwriter Joni Mitchell. Hancock will perform songs from the album at Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theater on the night of July 2, accompanied by Sonya Kitchell and Amy Keys. The trio will also perform Thursday, July 3 at Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall. In both his concerts, Hancock will also be accompanied by world-renowned bassist Dave Holland, famous percussionist Vinnie Colaiuta, and rising stars of the jazz world saxophonist Chris Potter and guitarist Lionel Loueke.

Tribute to Nina Simone

In recognition of the fifth anniversary of Nina Simone's death, the Istanbul Jazz Festival is hosting a special concert on July 15 at the Sepetçiler Kasrı. The "Sing the Truth" night will bring together Al Schackman, Nina Simone's musical director, and the original group members. Simone's songs will be performed by famous jazz vocalists, including Dee Dee Bridgewater, Stacey Kent, and Sibel Köse, one of the most famous jazz vocalists in Turkey and winner of the International Jazz Vocalists Competition in Poland. Raul Midón, a rising star of soul music whose music reflects the influence of Stevie Wonder and Prince, will also feature.

Istanbul, the center of new folk

Presenting names like Antony and the Johnsons, Coco Rosie and Kings of Convenience in past years, Istanbul Jazz Festival will this year present another key performer of the new folk and baroque pop movement, Rufus Wainwright. This will be his first concert in Istanbul, taking place July 8 at Hagia Eirene Museum.

Spanish voices of the festival

Among the performers of this year's festival, there are a number of Latin-origins as well as Spanish-singing artists. On July 9, the most important living member of the Buena Vista Social Club, Omara Portuondo, celebrating her 60th year in music, will perform her Cuban and Brazilian songs to present a retrospective of Latin music. Her new project “Gracias” takes its name from her yet unreleased album, realized in collaboration with such world-class masters as Trilok Gurtu, Avishai Cohen, Roberto Fonseca, and Jorge Chicoy.

Another name belongs to Jerusalem-born Yasmin Levy, considered, despite her young age, to be a leading performer of Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) songs. Blending Sephardic music with Andalusian flamenco and the musical traditions of the Middle East and Anatolia, Levy's acquaintance with this culture goes back to her early years in life. Levy has worked with musicians from around the world, spanning from Paraguay to Iran for her first album “Romance & Yasmin” (2000). Her most recent album, “Mano Suave,” has strong flamenco elements, and features the appearance of Mümin Sesler. Levy will perform July 14 at Esma Sultan Yalısı.

The sound of Taksim

Despite its international character, the Istanbul Jazz Festival tries also to emphasize Turkish musicians, especially emerging artists. On July 7 at the Hagia Eirene Museum, the great table player Zakir Hussain will meet with Taksim Trio, composed of Hüsnü Şenlendirici (clarinet), Aytaç Doğan (qanún) and İsmail Tunçbilek (bağlama). Performing in Spain last year at the Womex Music Fair, Taksim Trio received a standing ovation from an audience of key players from the world music industry. Presentation of new Turkish jazz performers, following an evaluation of their performances that took place May 25, will be held July 5-11 at the Nardis Jazz Club. The new names, worth to keep in mind for the future, include Serkan Çakıt & Barış Arslan Project, Bümk Caz Korosu, Neutrio and Trio Iff.

Lenny Kravitz for dessert

A star with more than 30 million albums sold worldwide, Lenny Kravitz will perform in Istanbul this summer as part of his "It is Time for a Love Revolution" world tour. The singer of such hits as "Fly Away", "Are You Gonna Go My Way?" and "It Ain't over Till It's over", Kravitz has been consecutively awarded with four Grammy awards for "Best Male Rock Vocal Performance." Despite his childhood memories featuring family friends like Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis, Kravitz has pursued a different musical path, breaking into the rock music scene. He continues to draw from rock, soul, pop, funk, hard rock and folk music. His concert in Turkcell Kuruçeşme Arena will close the Istanbul Jazz Festival on July 30.

Best place to play jazz?

Istanbul jazz festival doesn't only consist of a number of concerts, but also of additional musical events. The Jazz Boat Project will depart from Istanbul's European side next weekend, featuring a musical crew formed by members of the band Coolbone and the Istanbul Saxophone Quartet, a group known for its performance at last year's festival. Setting sail from the Kabataş ferry pier at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 6, The Jazz Boat will stop at Anadolu Kavağı and return to Kabataş after a two-hour break.

Concert venues:

Archaelogical Museum, Osman Hamdi Bey Yokuşu, Gülhane, Eminönü

Hagia Eirene Museum, Topkapı Sarayı 1. Avlusu, Sultanahmet, Eminönü

Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall, Harbiye

Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theater, Harbiye

Esma Sultan Yalısı, Muallim Naci Caddesi, Yalı Çıkmazı Sokak, No: 20 Ortaköy

İstinye Park, İstinye Bayırı Caddesi

Nardis Jazz Club, Kuledibi Sokak No: 14 Galata, Beyoğlu

Sepetçiler Kasrı, Kennedy Caddesi No: 3 Sarayburnu, Eminönü

Turkcell Kuruçeşme Arena, Muallim Naci Caddesi, No: 60, Kuruçeşme

www.iksv.org/caz/english

Inform,30.06.08