Istanbul Jazz Festival announces program

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

Hugh Laurie.

Organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), the 21st Istanbul Jazz Festival will be held between July 1 and 16 this year. The festival will once again liven up the city with the legends of jazz in the 28 concerts that will feature over 200 musicians from Turkey and abroad, at 13 different venues. The program of the event was launched on April 29 at a press conference at Bej Karaköy.

This year, the city will jazz up with the debuting of “Jazz in the Parks” event, which will bring together accomplished young jazz musicians from Turkey and the distinguished figures of the international jazz world on the same stage, one after another.

The Istanbul Jazz Festival goes beyond the city borders this year, reaching out to different destinations in Turkey. Young pianist and composer Jon Batiste, from New Orleans, and his band Stay Human will tour Yalova, Çanakkale, and Diyarbakır following their concert in Istanbul.

The 21st Istanbul Jazz Festival will kick off with an opening ceremony followed by the Four in the Pocket concert on July 1 at the Consulate General of Austria / Austria Culture Office Garden. Four in the Pocket, founded in 2007, features Elif Çağlar on the vocals, Çağrı Sertel on keyboard, Alp Ersönmez on the bass, Mert Önal on the drums, and Toygun Sözen on the saxophone. The band will perform a special repertoire comprising the works of various artists from the previous festivals. A limited number of tickets will be on sale for the opening concert.

A premiere by Zülfü Livaneli

The Turkish premiere of Zülfü Livaneli’s new piece “Mevlana Suite - The Eternal Day,” which features Livaneli’s compositions based on the English versions of Rumi’s poetry, will be made at Sepetçiler Kasro on July 2. Romy Camerun on vocals and Burcu Karadağ on reed instruments, as well as a rich orchestra that includes trumpet, piano, bass guitar and drums will accompany Livaneli on stage.

Composer and lyricist Katie Melua, who graced the British top ten with two albums when she was only 19, will be at the Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theater on July 10. The festival will bring together two of the legendary names of jazz in a special acoustic project. On July 8 at Haliç Congress Center, Stanley Clarke on bass and Chick Corea tickling the ivories will be playing acoustically, performing their own compositions and collaborations from 1970’s to today.

The guests of this year’s “A Strange Place for Jazz,” which will be held at the Courtyard of Istanbul High School, will include Danilo Perez, double bass master John Patituci, and drummer Brian Blade. The trio will perform their “Children of the Light” project on July 4.

Manu Katché, who enchants with his percussion, Richard Bona, one of the best bassists of jazz music today, Stefano di Battista, prominent sax player of the European jazz scene, and talented pianist Eric Legnini meet on the same stage at Santralİstanbul Amphitheatre. The concert will take place on July 7.

Living legend Hugh Masekela returns to Istanbul with his band after he performed last year at Hagia Eirene Museum for “International Jazz Day” hosted by UNESCO. He will perform in concert with his band on July 14 at Ortaköy Feriye Restaurant.

Brad Mehldau and drummer Mark Guiliana are among the guests of this year’s festival with their “Mehliana” project which they started in 2011.  The duo will take the stage at Haliç Congress Center on July 8 as part of their tour to support their album “Taming the Dragon.”

Compared to Billy Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, 25-year-old Cécile McLorin Salvant will meet the Istanbul audience on July 11 at Sabancı University Sakıp Sabancı Museum.