What would you expect of an organization of volunteers whose dreams and excitement lie in creating high-quality events in harmony? Here is such a project!
Yeniköy Jazz Days is an initiative started by Başak Zorlu, the owner of Yeniköy Bookstore, and Ahmet Lütfi Şişman. Andreas Metzler shoulders the responsibility of the musical director in this project which featured 8 concerts in 4 different venues. A series of three concerts took place in Sedona Concept, a bike store and cafe. These concerts started on the 24th of September on Friday with Yahya Dai Quartet. Yahya Dai’s wind instruments were accompanied by Kaan Bıyıkoğlu on the drums, Enver Muhamedi on the bass and Ekin Cengizkan on the drums. Yahya Dai, who is a cycling enthusiast, reminded everyone about alternative commuting methods by arriving at the venue on his bike. The concert featured elements of bebop, swing and funk. İmer Demirer Trio performed at Apartıman Yeniköy restaurant the same evening. One of the most prominent trumpet players, İmer Demirer was accompanied by Can Çankaya on the piano and Kağan Yıldız on the double bass. The band’s repertoire featured contemporary and unique jazz pieces and their emotional trumpet lines, piano vibes and the calm sound of the double bass brought upon a peaceful evening. However, this wasn’t all! The same venue featured Randy K Esen Trio that evening at 22:30. The band consisted of vocalist Randy Esen, guitarist Kerem Can Dündar and Cenk Esen (Aydın Esen and Randy Esen’s son) on the keyboard.
Yahya Dai Quartet (Photo: Serkan Eldeleklioğlu)
İmer Demirer Trio (Photo: Serkan Eldeleklioğlu)
Stanpolites trio performed at Apartıman the next day. The stage plan consisted of the musicians embracing the members of the audience sitting 180 degrees across them. The musicians could face both ways in this plan, and they performed possibly the most beloved concert of these jazz days with their strong, energetic, emotional and unique style. I met the band members after the concert. The conversation started with Andreas Metzler’s joke saying “Here is the jazz police. He will ask ‘Why did you play this and that chord’”. Our short chat continued with Evrim Demirel explaining the band’s history. They have been playing together for the past 3 years. I said that I wished they would get together more so that we could listen to their performance more often. I need to go to their concerts more often to have enough of this unique music created by a Swiss bassist, Italian drummer, and Turkish pianist.
Stanpolites (Photo: Burak Yılmaz)
Now on to the Berke Can Özcan concert that took place on the 25th of September at Mitza. It was apparently a “you had to be there to understand” type of concert. I missed out on this one so I will base my opinions on the talk I had with Çağla Yılmaz, the manager of Mitza Çiçek, and the videos I watched. The members of the audience consisted of those who came all the way from the Asian side of Istanbul as well as next door neighbors. It is great to see that this festival brought together both the neighborhood and the rest of the city. These concerts are possibly the best example of how such organizations inspire one another and the way this energy spreads from one person to the next… Çağla Yılmaz designed the concert space with her flowers and pots and told me about this production process with excitement. She got together with Berke Can Özcan before the concert and built every single element on the stage together. Çağla Yılmaz got her inspiration from the soundcheck after Berke Can set up his drum kit. She also moved some of the plants out of their pots, temporarily allowing them some extra freedom. These pots became unique percussion instruments for Berke Can.
I was amazed to hear the comments of the audience members who were there. I came cross one person who was scribbling down some words with the inspiration of the atmosphere… One travels to an entirely different realm during jazz concerts; you will take a limitless flight especially if you are listening to a great concert which drew you in. This listener was putting their joy and experience with the sounds, smells and the breeze they felt during the concert into words. They wanted to exist merely in that moment, and nowhere else.
Berke Can Özcan (Photo. Çağla Yılmaz)
Erik Satie project, which took place on the 26th of September on Sunday at the Greek Orthodox Church’s courtyard, featured Andreas Metzler on the double bass, Evrim Demirel on the keyboard and Engin Recepoğulları on the soprano saxophone. Andreas Metzler wrote new arrangements for Erik Satie’s compositions with his band “New Solutions” when he lived in Amsterdam. He continues to bring this to life with new musicians under the name “Erik Satie Project” after moving to Istanbul.
Turkish Jazz Network continues to grow with these projects. Many thanks to Başak Zorlu, who is the architect of this joyful reawakening after the pandemic, Ahmet Lütfi Şişman, Andreas Metzler and all the volunteers who worked on this project!
Erik Satie Project (Photo: Serkan Eldeleklioğlu)
Yeniköy Jazz Days 2021 Program
24 September 2021, Friday, 19:30
Venue: Sedona Concept
Yahya Dai Quartet
Yahya Dai: Tenor Saxophone, EWI
Kaan Bıyıkoğlu: Keyboard
Enver Muhamedi: Bass
Ekin Cengizkan: Drums
24 September 2021, Friday, 20:00
Venue: Apartıman Yeniköy
Murteza (Mert Uyanık)
24 September 2021, Friday, 21:00
Venue: Apartıman Yeniköy
İmer Demirer Trio
İmer Demirer: Trumpet
Can Çankaya: Piano
Kağan Yıldız: Double bass
24 September 2021, Friday, 22:30
Venue: Apartıman Yeniköy
Randy K Esen Trio
Randy Esen: Vocals
Kerem Can Dündar: Guitar
Cenk Esen: Piano, keyboard
25 September 2021, Saturday, 17:00
Venue: Apartıman Yeniköy
Stanpolites
Evrim Demirel: Piano, keyboard, melodica
Andreas Metzler: Double bass
Riccardo Marenghi: Drums
25 September 2021, Saturday, 19:00
Venue: Mitza
Kerem Yılmaz (Chiko)
25 September 2021, Saturday, 20:00
Venue: Mitza
Berke Can Özcan: Percussion
26 September 2021, Sunday, 19:30
Venue: Yeniköy Panayia, Greek Orthodox Church’s courtyard
Erik Satie Project
Evrim Demirel: Keyboard
Andreas Metzler: Double bass
Engin Recepoğulları: Soprano Saxophone
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Yeniköy Jazz Günleri Website: https://yenikoycazgunleri.com/
Yeniköy Jazz Günleri Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yenikoycazgunleri/
Başak Zorlu: https://www.instagram.com/basakzorlu/
Ahmet Lütfi Şişman: https://www.instagram.com/centodue/
