Istanbul stage celebrates 25th anniversary with ‘Jazz February’

ISTANBUL

The Jazz February concerts will be taking place at Istanbul’s Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall until Feb 18.

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Cemal Reşit Rey (CRR) Concert Hall, which is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its establishment, is offering a month full of jazz throughout February.

With an event titled “Jazz February,” which will continue until Feb. 18, the concert hall will host the living legends of jazz music. The opening of the event was held on Feb. 1 with one of the most significant names of the jazz world, Spanish singer Buika, whose album “Niña de Fuego” was nominated for the 2008 Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year and whose “La Noche Mas Larga” was nominated for the Best Latin Jazz Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.

The second guest of the series is Grammy Award-winning artist Kenny Garret, who took the stage last night. A world-renowned artist of the alo-saxophone, Garret presented examples from his repertoire. 
One of the shining stars of Catalan jazz, Andrea Motis is set to take the stage tonight with Joan Chamorro (photo below). The duo will be accompanied by Ignasi Terrazai on piano, Josep Tarver on guitar and Esteve Pi on drums.

From Norway to Turkey and US

On Feb. 5, CRR’s Jazz February will host trumpet virtuoso Wadada Leo Smith Golden Quartet, which is an ensemble of master composers and performers, whose experimental practice utilizes the quartet form - the purest foundation of musical expression in jazz, creative music and Western music culture.
On Feb. 7 the experimental Norwegian jazz band Jaga Jazzist, which is made up of nine musicians, will be hosted. The core of the band is the brothers and the main songwriters, Lars and Martin Horntveth.

In 1996, Jaga Jazzist created a sensation with its debut album “Jævla Jazzist Grete Stitz,” which contained playful, humorous jazz with elements of rap. In May 2013, the band collaborated with the Britten Sinfonia to release “Live with Britten Sinfonia” on Ninja Tune to a positive critical reception.
Before the concert, another Norwegian jazz master, guitarist Stian Westerhus, will take the stage with his new band, Pale Horses.

The great writer Leo Tolstoy’s great-great granddaughter, Swedish artist Viktoria Tolstoy, will meet the audience on Feb. 10. She is a highly celebrated and respected international jazz vocalist and her numerous success stories are all a product of this explosive natural super talent. She is said to have never taken a single singing class thus she also owns that little perfect difference that delivers her clearly strong and wonderfully untamed, vibrant sound.

On the night of Feb. 14, CRR Jazz Orchestra and soloist Elif Çağlar Muslu will give a special Valentine’s Day concert under the baton of conductor Nail Yavuzoğlu. 

The last concert of the event will be performed on Feb. 18 by legendary Grammy winning American singer and actress Dionne Warwick. After seven years away, this will be her second performance in Istanbul.