Turkish composer returns to NY stage

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Fahir Atakoğlu.

Turkey’s legendary jazz composer and pianist Fahir Atakoğlu will return by popular demand to perform at Drom in New York City on Oct. 5 at 8 p.m.

Atakoğlu reached the top of the JazzWeek World Music Charts three times with music from his critically acclaimed U.S. jazz CD releases including “If,” “Istanbul in Blue” and his latest CD, “Faces & Places,” which features jazz fused with traditional Turkish melodies. He will perform at Drom with internationally renowned musicians Alain Caron on bass and Cuban drummer Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez.

“There’s a certain density of emotion that contrasts with the ambiguous, elusive nature of a lot of modern jazz,” said Mark D. Fefer from Seattle Weekly in August 2010. “And that’s all to the good, especially when the guy can play his ass off too, recalling Chick Corea, Dave Brubeck, and the dude from The Bad Plus.”

Born in Istanbul, award-winning composer and pianist Atakoğlu is well known for his ambitious symphonic works and music for film. He has composed music for many of Turkey’s top musicians and earned a loyal international following through the release of 18 albums.

Employing unique rhythmic, melodic and harmonic modalities, his music reflects his many different cultural influences that he combines to create compositions with striking originality that continue to echo the culture of his homeland.

Atakoğlu has played to sold-out shows at the world-renowned Kodak Theater in Los Angeles and Carnegie Hall in New York, further establishing his worldwide appeal.