The Voice of The Heaven, Solveig Slettahjell

I am listening to the album Good Rain from Solveig Slettahjell Slow Motion Quintet now, while I am preparing this post. Just now, I have surrendered just as when I have heard her voice for the first time about 5 years ago. I can easily remember this day. Attracted by a beautiful face on the cover of an ACT Vocal Jazz Series' CD, I have come to home with the album, right in front of my hi-fi set. I was totally locked into the fabulous vocal entrance of Solveig Slettahjell with the question "Where Do You Run To?". No sound has touched to her voice for the first minute. She has asked the same question three times and added "I'm right here. I run to the mountains, and it's strong and it's quite, it's open and wide and I breathe, still I run on". These were her last solo words before some electronically supported rhythms and many other consistent softly played instruments started to accompany. 

During last five years, I have tried to collect all of her albums, which are mostly with Slow Motion Quintet. This magic voice became one of my favorite singers with her each newcomers and although it is released in late 2011, I just could find her latest duo album with Morten Qvenild a couple of months ago, named Antologie, which is full of wonderful covers and arrangements of fabulous music hits of their times. This latest work instantly triggered me to write a review for Solveig Slettahjell. She is already famous enough among Scandinavia and ACT followers all around the world but I feel like I should do anything for her to be more known to the world.

Let's start with a brief biography of a life full of music and a list of a glamorous discography. Then I'll continue with few details about some albums. 

She is from Oslo, Norway. As a daughter of a pastor, she started to sing in church choirs and started to study piano and singing in secondary school. From 1992 to 2000 she was in Norwegian Academy of Music, where she had got a master degree and met Sidsel Endresen, her teacher. 

Until the release of the album Slow Motion Orchestra in 2001 from the label Curling Legs with her name as the leader, we see Solveig Slettahjell in the acid-jazz/funk band Squid and vocal quartet Kvitretten. She has worked with Eldbjørg Raknes, Kjersti Stubo, Tone Åse, Anna Sundström, Hans Jørgen Stop and Kristin Asbjørnsen in this band. The album Super was made with Squid in 1998 and Everything Turns was made with Kvitretten in 1999. Meanwhile, she has participated in many vocal ensembles. Before those, surely, her duo performances with Håkon Hartberg until 1996 need to be mentioned. 

In 2002, another album is released with Squid and the album Silver is made with Slow Motion Quintet from the label Curling Legs again. Slow Motion Quintet were Solveig Slettahjell (vocal), Sjur Miljeteig (trumpet), Morten Qvenild (piano), Mats Eilertsen (double bass), Per Oddvar Johansen (drums) at these times and this personnel stayed the same until the album Domestic Songs in 2007 

On giving a wonderful performance in Jazz Baltica 2004, after which she is highly approved among jazz listeners, and signing with ACT, Solveig Slettahjell and her quintet released Pixiedust in 2006. Immediately after this album, Silver is reissued from this label and Good Rain is recorded and released in 2006 from ACT. ACT period has continued with Domestic Songs in 2007 in which we see Peder Kjellsby on harmonium, glockenspiel, guitar, percussion and Joe Berger Mhyre on bass.

The album Batagraf of Jon Balke from ECM label and Burglar Ballads from C+C records are among the ones in which she has been seen as a guest artist meanwhile. She has also recorded with Tord Gustavsen in 2008 within the album Natt i Betlehem, in which we also see Sjur Miljeteig from Slow Motion Quintet. 

In 2010, once again Solveig Slettahjell has recorded with Slow Motion Orchestra and the album Tarpan Seasons is released from Universal Music. This time there were Even Hermansen on guitars, vocals, Andreas Ulvo on organ, vocals and Joe Berger Myhre on bass. The last album Antologie is a duo with her long time friend from Slow Motion Quintet, pianist Morten Qvenild and it has come from Universal too.

On analysing the albums released with Slow Motion Orchestra (named as Quintet sometimes) in a chronological order from 2001(SMO, Slow Motion Orchestra) to 2010(Tarpan Seasons), I can say that some very important common aspects draw attention. First of all, the music is slow, detailed and organically concentrated on nuances. Started from Silver(2002), the instruments are occasionally supported by electronics and effects. The vocal is consistently soft and at the forefront but solidly accompanied by the other members of the quintet. Each detail of the sound is given close attention. The style of the arrangements and compositions is actually reflected in the names of the band: Slow Motion Quintet/Orchestra. I think Solveig Slettahjell's graduate study has a profound effect on this choice and incredibly successful results. She has studied on rhythmic aspects of phrasing during this period. It is sometimes really hard to play together in such a very slow tempo. Singing within this tempo requires a real high vocal power. In my opinion, the real power and uniqueness of Solveig Slettahjell resides at this point. Her vocal is soft and strong at the same time. A long time durability of a silky alto vocal is what I am trying to describe. When you especially think of the last duo record Antologie, you realize that Solveig Slettahjell is so successful that she can carry the melody on her own. It is known that even many instrumentalists are afraid of solo and duo performances due to the vulnerability to easily observable mistakes but Solveig Slettahjell is always like a self-confident, calm and strong river.

When we start to talk about varieties in these albums, I'd like to mention that there is a certain difference between the album Slow Motion Orchestra (2001) and the others. Slow Motion Orchestra is almost a jazz standard album having a strong swing feeling with just a little bit of Nordic effect.  I have felt a sharp difference on hearing the first piece of Silver, Take it with Me of Tom Waits (which would be revisited by Solveig Slettahjell lately on the album Antologie). However, especially in the live records at the end of Slow Motion Orchestra, you can easily see some signals for the future works: the tempo is drastically slowed down so that it is hard to recognize the main theme but at the same time easier to understand the details of the composition. (You can check Wild Is The Wind piece in the album to better understand what I am talking about.) Thus I can accept that we see similar pieces in Slow Motion Orchestra and Silver.

The album Silver is first released by Curling Legs in 2002 and reissued by ACT in 2006. On starting to listen to the album, I saw some clues about the future. The vocal style, compositions and performances are various. The performance of Take It With Me of Tom Waits  is almost at the point that she is now in Antologie. However we see some similar performances with the previous album in following tracks. The composition from Morten Qvenild, What If, can easily prove that he has a profound impression on the overall style of the music made by Solveig Slettahjell. Nina Simone's Nobody's Fault But Mine, Moon River and Time After Time (a great duo performance with Mats Eilertsen's double bass) are other distinctive performances. In Time After Time you can listen to an awesome scat performance of Solveig Slettahjell. You can also listen to a solo vocal performance at the end which carries the name of the album, Look For The Silver Lining. The album is recorded and mixed by Vidar Lunden in Musiklofftet, Oslo. The mastering is made by Gierts Clausen and Knut Vaernes in Fersk Lyd, Oslo.

Generally speaking, Pixiedust (ACT,2006) has a more naive sound than the Good Rain. The instruments are generally minimal again and Solveig Slettahjell’s vocal is well at the front. There are some acoustic samples that is electronically mixed and electronic supports in both rhythm and melody. At first sight, the entrance piece Hope colored by trumpet, harp (I can bet you ten bucks that there is a harmonica but it is not mentioned in the liner notes)  and soft brushes on the drums may cause you to think that this is a very warm album. However, as the piece giving the name to the album, Faith, Trust and Pixiedust has started to find your ears with ice-cold bass of Mats Eilertsen, you suddenly feel like the emotional state in the album is swinging. As you listen to the other tracks, you can easily see this pattern: independent of the emotional state of the lyrics, the odds are warm, the evens are cold. Hiatt's wonderful composition Have a Little Faith in Me is also very well performed by Solveig Slettahjell and her friends in this album. Especially percussive touches at the back while our heavenly singer is singing like an angel, is so amazing. Morten Qvenild is right there again with his naive piano tone and some electronic based keys. Sjut Miljeteig's trumpet is in a great harmony with the vocal as always. Solveig Slettahjell's sophisticated touch to Billie Holidays' and Arthur Herzog's incredible Don't Explain should also be mentioned. The quintet is performing this piece again in a very slow tempo which seems a strange at first for this well know tune. However, as you go further in the record you realize that this is the pure beauty in slow motion. My another favorite performance in this album is Starpillow. The entrance is made by a distorted electronic-signal and samples that sound like some falling-object in a well with a very slow tempo. Then Solveig Slettahjell appears at the center gathering all these sounds with a sharp vocal. Then suddenly the tension is decided to be raised. You can observe here how a vocal should be when the tension is desired to be controlled with it. She is doing this in harmony with the drums so comfortable and beautiful that you feel like she is a living instrument. I should emphasize again on her vocal power. To understand better what I am talking about you should use a good equipment to hear every detail of the record. Solveig Slettahjell’s vocal has many layers to be heard. There are little tails in it when the sound is decaying and you should give attention to them. In this performance solo piano part of Morten Qvenild in the second half also need to be listened carefully. How they are connected with Solveig Slettahjell, how they are so careful about tempo… All of these should be analysed carefully. The rhythm given by a sound similar to a saw cutting a wood in the piece Sleepy Pixie should also be listened. The end of the album is made by a very interesting and a slow motion arrangement of the well known tune When You Wish Upon A Star. The records and mixing of this album are made by Andy Mytteis at Bugge's Room in Oslo, Norway. It is mastered by Fersk Lyd in Oslo.

The album Good Rain (ACT,2006) as you may have noticed at the beginning of this article, is my favorite one. In my humble opinion, the most detailed record for Solveig Slettahjell’s vocal is achieved in here. On the other hand her vocal style is a bit more colorless. I usually listen to this album when I feel myself exhausted. The slowed down rhythm, sophisticated compositions and beautiful lyrics have a power to make your heart beat slower and make you relax physically. Consistently, the other members of the quintet have also chosen a colder and more mechanical sound. Its concept is similar to Pixiedust but its sound is a bit darker. The entrance piece Where Do You Run To is sharp and touching. It's like a manifest to a lover, a friend or today's human being not to be lost in this wild world. Lyrics are written so intensely that they can easily carry you in a state in which you ask yourself where am I running to. All you need is a deep silence and an open heart. After the first minute of solo vocal, we start to hear Mats Eilertsen's deep double bass and Morten Qvenild's keyboard softly accompanying Solveig Slettahjell with some additions of electronics by Per Oddvar Johansen. After the first half, a rustling trumpet tone from Sjur Miljeteig appears with some little percussion while a deep, continuous and electronic bass is filling the low frequencies. The result is just amazing. The piece and the band is like a living organism. It is unnecessary to listen to each instrument or the vocal individually. Give yourself to the sound and the idea. A distorted electronic signal on the right channel and a muted trumpet from the right introduce us one of the darkest song of the album: Another Day. The speed is sometimes doubled up and carried back by the percussion to prevent monotony. The emotional composition of Solveig Slettahjell Colour Lullabye is the most melancholic piece in the album. She softens her voice, tries some highs and is accompanied by a compatible piano tone. You should certainly give attention to the perfect percussion of Per Oddvar Johansen in Morten Qvenild's composition Flawless. Its like the sound of a slow horse car on a concrete road. This rhythm continues throughout the piece. Another important aspect is the harmony between the tension of the trumpet and Solveig Slettahjell's vocal. As far as I have heard two trumpet records are mixed one of which is played with a mute. We were indians is Sjur Miljeteig's composition and it is used in an introduction video in ACT Music page. The tension is again swinging but generally high. Especially in solo performance of Fossett's Do Lord, Solveig Slettahjell is like a magic. I don't believe there are too many singers on this earth that can sing this piece as beautiful as Solveig Slettahjell. The music, the melody and the rhythm are in her lips. Some arcade-game-like signal played in a couple of different notes are what we hear in the beginning of Miljeteig's My Oh My composition. As the melody is started to be supported by trumpets which is recorded and mixed in many layers, the tension tends to increase by help of percussion. Solveig Slettahjell's rising vocal and some signals from other instruments explode like a bomb and we, as the listener, find ourselves in a very different emotional and rebellious state. As soon as the tension goes back to low levels, the piece ends and Peder Kjellsby's beautiful composition which gave the title of the album is performed with a naive style: Good Rain. Please give your attention to the beautiful trumpet entrance made by Sjur Miljeteig. Per Oddvar Johansen is using his brushes in this piece while Morten Qvenild is playing some inanimate notes from the piano and keyboard at the same time. Solveig Slettahjell's vocal is again like any other instrument; melodic and touching. The records of this album are made by Andy Mytteis at Bugge's Room in Oslo, Norway and at Is it Art Studio in Kölviken, Sweden. It is mixed by Sjur Miljeteig and Andy Mytteis at Bugge's Room and mastered by Audun Strype and Sjur Miljeteig at Strype Audio. 

Domestic Songs is released in 2007 from ACT label again. As can be understood from the name of the album, this is a home production. "It is recorded in Solveig's place, mixed at Sjur's place" is what it says in the liner notes. In this record two members are new to Slow Motion Quintet's: Peder Kjellsby on harmonium, glockenspiel, guitar, percussion and Jo Berger Myhre on bass. In fact we don't see any Slow Motion Quintet expression in the album booklet. The entrance is made by two duo records. 4:30 AM seems to be composed at around that time. Peder Kjellsby is accompanying Solveig Slettahjell's silky voice and emotional piano. In this piece her vocal is perfectly musical and its harmony with her piano is incredible. Emphasizing on the present time, present conditions and present place, Solveig Slettahjell's composition I do is like a poem of simplicity. She is again with her own piano in her living room. How should I describe this voice? It is like a warm and tender blanket that finds you when it is too cold. This time, Sjur Miljeteig is next to her playing mellophone and euphonium. He is coming into stage when Solveig Slettahjell is increasing the tension with harder touches to the piano. Solveig Slettahjell's cover for Tom Waits' incredible composition Time is one of the most important performances of the album. Solveig Slettahjell is performing solo in this song with her piano. There is no one between her and Tom Waits. The wide dynamic range she has presented with her vocal and the emotional state she has carried to the audience is wonderful. It may be the best cover I have ever heard for this song. Following this, Solveig Slettahjell's composition Snowfall is performed by the whole line-up with Per Oddvar Johansen on drums and Jo Berger Myhre on bass. This is the most energetic piece in the album. The gospel style performed Match Perfect is another important piece. Oh Sweetly is performed by Solveig Slettahjell and his brother Olav as a sincere vocal duo. Before that we listened to a beautiful trumpet partition from Sjur Miljeteig in Solveig Slettahjell's composition Leave Me Here. This album is giving some signals about what Solveig Slettahjell would do in Antologie. The album is recorded and mixed by Sjur Miljeteig and Peder Kjellsby. It is mastered by Giert Clausen at Fersk Lyd, Oslo with Knut Vaernes.      

The album Tarpan Seasons (Universal, 2010) softens the sound further by almost leaving no clue of standard jazz or soul. I see Tarpan Seasons as a link between older albums with Slow Motion Quintet and Antologie from some points. The album is starting almost from where Good Rain has left the band. We see Andreas Ulvo on organ, vocals and Even Hermansen on guitar and vocals in Slow Motion Orchestra as new names considering last line-up. The first piece Precise Content is like a smoother version of a composition from Good Rain. On the other hand, Solveig Slettahjell seems to sing in a different style and the electronic usage by musicians seem to be less. As far as I have heard Solveig Slettahjell is generally in or near high notes with a more mystical tone. I think this change has given a warmer and more emotional identity to the album. Especially Sjur Miljeteig's composition Your River, Solveig Slettahjell's compositions How They Shine and Three Hearts in a Bowl are very melancholic pieces whose vocal partitions are very well performed by Solveig Slettahjell in almost a whispering style. There are also energetic pieces in the album such as Visit whose drum and bass performances are very successful. The solo acapella-like performance of Solveig Slettahjell in You Go I Go and her lyrical style in Be Steady are my favorites in this record. The records and mixing of this album are made by Sjur Miljeteig and Peder Kjellsby at Is it Art Studio in Kölviken, Sweden. It is mastered by Björn Engelmann at Cutting Room in Stockholm, Sweden.
     

In the latest album Antologie (Universal, 2011), Solveig Slettahjell has worked with her long time friend from the quintet, Morten Qvenild, who has a dominant effect with his piano on the style of almost every album he has participated in. Solveig Slettahjell explains this album in the CD-booklet as a kind of turning back into herself where she sees a singer before a composer. She says she remembers the time she comes home and sings alone with the piano. The song choices are related with these memories. In my opinion, some of the covers of popular hits in Antologie such as Wild Horses, Crazy, The Winner Takes It All and The Famous Blue Raincoat (more than just a cover, we can describe them as rearrangements) are probably the best ever done so far. The entrance to this album is made with Mick Jagger's Wild Horses. A reverberant crystal-like piano and a lyrical vocal are preparing you for this great album in the beginning. The feeling reaches to the top when Solveig Slettahjell was on the high notes through the end of the song. I don't know whether I will hear anything more emotional than the vocal in The Winner Takes it All. She has really felt the song before singing it and we, as the listener, has vast of time to absorb what's going on due to the slowed down tempo: the harmony between piano and vocal, the tensional progress in Solveig Slettahjell's vocal... You may even imagine her face while singing. Some of the expressions are so sharp that they almost become facial. If you do not start to think your ex-loves during listening to this piece, I think there are some missing points in your life. The most energetic piece in the album is Crazy of Gnarls Barkley. The vocal becomes colder, the piano becomes more percussive around bass line and some electronics is used to realize this energy. The main rhythm seem to be produced by a synthesizer. Even that energetic hit is changed into a slow, delicate and detailed artistic piece with a wonderful arrangement. Especially the moment that the rhythm gets silent and Solveig Slettahjell stays alone in the middle of the song with her fantastic vocal is unforgettable. The incredible lyrics of Leonard Cohen meets Solveig Slettahjell's magic voice and wonderful pronunciation in Famous Blue Rain Coat. Take it with me of Tom Waits is sang by Solveig Slettahjell several times before, but in this duo configuration we are with best of the performances made so far. Generally speaking I can say that Solveig Slettahjell has a more popular vocal style in this album without giving any concession in sophistication, which means she sings like herself: elegant and dignified. The album is recorded by Morten Qvenild at Malmoya. It is mixed by George Tandero at Living Room Studios and mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound New York.

Besides her album with Slow Motion Orchestra I should write something about Natt i Betlehem that Solveig Slettahjell has recorded with Tord Gustavsen and Sjur Miljeteig. The album have the musicians' versions of Chrtistmas Hymns (from Solveig Slettahjell's webpage). If there wasn't such an album I really would fell myself unlucky not to have listened any Norwegian lyrics from Solveig Slettahjell. The soft touches of Tord Gustavsen is in a great harmony with the vocal. Besides, the reverberant sound of the album is very well suited with the concept. I am so deeply affected by some pieces such as I denne sote juletid and Det kimer na til julefest.

Here I will share some samples from youtube for the readers to get a quick idea about this incredible singer. However, here I also would like to demand from any readers to be a real LISTENER. Buy albums, use some proper equipment to listen to music, learn more about what you listen. Search for more, discover other albums of any musicians you like and try to join a live performance of this musician.

Wild Horses from Antologie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUQSqzyRP-Q
The Winner Takes It All from Antologie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlVzq9LsPgw
Crazy from Antologie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu1hyE7VRa4
Have A Little Faith In Me from Pixiedust: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5OXq9pyjnU
Flawless from Good Rain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB6vzvsx5pA
and some other samples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qskrF9PvIow&list=PL5610A011BFA7BC3C

An Uninvited Review for All Star Concert of International Jazz Day 2013 in İstanbul

"One of the things I like about jazz, kid, is I don't know what's going to happen next." 

Bix Beiderbecke

This beautiful quote is reminded to the audience by The Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova on April 30th in İstanbul. Before her, one of the most important living figures of jazz, Herbie Hancock, was in front of the microphone to make the opening speech. 

That's right! The All Star Concert of The International Jazz Day is held in İstanbul in 2013. As most of you know, organized by UNESCO, started in 2012, April 30th is being celebrated as International Jazz Day with many events all around the world. We, as some lucky and decisive jazz listeners, had found the chance to listen to forty important jazz musicians on the same stage in a single night in the historical place Hagia Irene, inside Topkapı Palace this year. There has been twelve different performances with various line-ups and I should mention that many of these gatherings were just like a dream. I should add that there were many other educational events held in İstanbul on this day including some of these important musicians. 

Since the concert was a live broadcast via youtube to the world and you can easily reach it from the link I have shared below, I won't give the list of the personnel one by one. As you will see in the video, starting with Herbie Hancock and Irina Bokova, there has been a speaker between each performance and almost every musician coming to the stage is introduced by these speakers. However, I'd like to mention some instances such as Al Jarreau, Lee Ritenour, Terri Lyne Carrington, Marcus Miller and George Duke were playing Take Five and Blu Rondo Ala Turk; John McLaughlin, Branford Marsalis, İmer Demirer and Vinnie Colaiuta were performing Resolution and Jean-Luc Ponty, John McLaughlin and Zakir Hussain were transferring the audience to another universe by their tremendous performances in Lotus Feet. Here is the full concert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s8vAE8BuoU

I think one of the most amazing parts of the night for Turkish listeners is that The Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova mentioned Ahmet Ertegün and Nesuhi Ertegün as founder of Atlantic Records and sons of first Ambassador of Turkish Republic to the United States, Münir Ertegün. Another important point for us was that there are qualified Turkish musicians right next to the legendary names of jazz: Imer Demirer on trumpet, Bilal Karaman on guitar and Hüsnü Şenlendirici on clarinet. We already know that Imer Demirer has a reputation in international jazz stage and is known by Herbie Hancock very well. For Hüsnü Şenledirici, I have to mention his great performances with Marcus Miller and Dhafer Youssef in recent years. Let me add that he has also taken stage in last North Sea Jazz Festival. When we come to Bilal Karaman, he is decided to be a part of last year's İstanbul Jazz Festival's special concert with Marcus Miller and performed with Lars Danielsson for another concert in the same festival. We have listened to Bilal Karaman and Hüsnü Şenlendirici with Dianne Reeves and Zakir Hussain in the all-star concert. Imer Demirer has been seen many times on the stage with many musicians. 

Surely, the night was not just directly about jazz and music. As I have mentioned in the beginning there were many speakers expressing their good wishes and messages concerning the importance of the idea of jazz carried in years. As Turkish speakers we have firstly seen Minister of Cultural and Tourism of Turkey, Ömer Çelik with a very short speech. He has used an interpreter and in my humble opinion, considering the translation, the irony in the beginning is too vulnerable to be misunderstood. What he was trying to say can be paraphrased as "There is a saying in Turkey that someone uses to express his/her boredom or complaint for a friend's foppish talk or behavior. One say <Do not make jazz> to his friend in this situation. Today I am telling you <Make jazz, as much as you want...>." First of all, this saying whose source is not known is hardly used in Turkish and it is generally used by the people that do not like jazz also as music. Secondly, translations of such strange sayings generally do not have one-to-one equivalent in another language which usually results in misunderstandings. Mr. Çelik finished his talk with an important message for the children in Syria where the war is going on. The other Turkish speaker was the famous stand-up comedian Cem Yılmaz. He was too entertaining and funny as expected. We used to hear his shows and small jokes during interviews in Turkish but it seems that he can easily be successful in the international league considering the audience's reaction. He was also so successful on murmuring the melody of a tune by Marcus Miller. Thelonious Monk Jr. and Martin Luther King III were other international names who made speeches between performances.

Now it is of course time to talk a bit from perspective of a listener. Who could join this event? How was the organization seen on the audience's seats? How did the performances sound? 

Even the concert is scheduled a long time ago, the announcement of the concert were too thin until the official press conference is made. Thus, considering also the size of Hagia Irene, I had already guessed that this concert would be a special, closed-to-public and VIP event. Despite this fact, I scheduled my flight from Ankara to İstanbul. I was angry with the organization first and complained about this to many of my friends from jazz scene in Turkey. Then I, like many members of today's human clan, decided to forget others and tried to find an invitation just for me. As some of you know (but popularity of the subject may gather new readers) besides my profession in electronics, I am a kind-of unofficial jazz writer in Turkey and write concert previews, reviews and interviews from time to time in most popular jazz portal of the country which forces me to make many travels generally within a day. The natural result of these connections may be seen to mean an automatic invitation for the all-star concert. However, this is not the case. I could not find it from my friends in Turkey. Fortunately, thanks to a concerned international contact, I could find the opportunity to have my name put on the list. 

This was what happened before I found myself in front of the door of Topkapı Palace which is guarded by two soldiers and two bodyguards on April 30th. At first try, since I do not have a printed invitation, I could not manage to persuade any of these guys. The main reason for the problems I have faced that there were no one from organization having an invitation list at the outermost door. By the way, I should mention that I really do not know who is responsible for which part of the organization and who are given invitations. The only thing I know is when I entered to see the invitation list after my all attempts and having given my name also to Branford Marsalis to give it someone inside, I could find my name out there and took a small yellow card from the guy responsible for this list. Then, at last, I was sitting at the far back of the hall next to some guys from Thelonious Monk Institute from US. I really do not want to give other important names that shared these back seats with me but I really felt myself lucky to have at least been inside. 

When we come to the sound, from my bad position in the hall, I have to say that, as soon as the performances started we were a bit disappointed with what is coming from the stage as sound waves. I was not sure about the reasons behind, but the sound design was not what should be in such an important event. After having listened to the performance again from youtube I thought that most of the problems may have been resulted from microphone placements. You will certainly understand what I am trying to say when you will especially listen to the second piece. There were many problems with these microphones one of which caught Herbie Hancock during his speech as clearly seen in the video. I know that the hall is too reverberant, but as far as I have seen this has been a problem just for some cymbals in the drums. In some performances mainly piano and bass partitions were inadequately delivered. Of all performances, in my opinion, there was a single totally perfect sounded one, which belongs to John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain and Jean-Luc Ponty. 

Please know that I have given my above comments just as side information. Only seeing these legendary musicians on the same stage is a fabulous event for me. I just would like this to be a monumental event of music whose raw material is sound.

As a brief summary, I certainly see this night an unforgettable one for Jazz in Turkey and think that it would be far better if it could have been public. As you all know, jazz is freedom and freedom needs free men that can share feelings of each other without any VIP borders.

Antonio Forcione Trio, Sketches of Africa Concert in 16th Ankara Jazz Festival, March 9th 2013

This review is about an incredible performance of a virtuoso. We went to listen to famous guitarist Antonio Forcione and his band on March 9^th to Bilkent Concert Hall for the last concert of 16^th Ankara Jazz Festival, in which Forcione played his latest album Sketches of Africa with Anselmo Netto on percussion and Matheus Nova on acoustic bass. I listened to this album’s concert last year in Edinburgh in Fringe Festival with a different band. It was certainly a great performance. I could also find the time to listen to the album several times. As mentioned by Antonio Forcione during the concert, he has decided to record such an album after staying in Africa for a while whose musical texture impressed him. I am sure that his percussive style has a profound contribution on this impression.

The concert has started with a very famous solo performance of Antonio Forcione, Heartbeat. This was indeed the perfect entrance. I think the master said to us “The instrument in my hand is my beloved friend and I know every detail about it.” I suppose, this performance, during which Forcione used the guitar like a percussion instrument, impressed the audience deeply. On Antonio Forcione’s musician friends coming to the stage, we listened to the emotional and tranquil composition from the album called Tar. Following this, Stay Forever again from the album is performed successfully. The next piece is introduced by Antonio Forcione as follows: “I can’t think of making an album about Africa without him: Nelson Mandela. He jives when he is happy. This song is dedicated to him: Madiba’s Jive“. Madiba is the name of the Xhosa tribe that Mandela belongs to. I really liked the percussion performance in this performance. Anselmo Netto is a kind of percussionist that can play different things with foot and knees together. After entertaining and joyful Madiba’s Jive we have listened to the piece written for people of Zimbabwe: Song for Zimbabwe. Then there came Alhambra which is written by Antonio Forcione for Alhambra Palace. It was a marvelous acoustic performance. In an instant he pulled the upper most string of the guitar far away from the others and created more modal and mystical sounds by tightening and loosening it. Through to the end of the concert Pata Pata which is made famous by Miriam Makeba, a piece composed for a village from North Africa and Africa from the album Sketches of Africa album are played consecutively. The last piece before the encore was the energetic Maurizio’s Party. In my opinion, Maurizio’s Party was an unforgettable performance for Ankara audience. Antonio Forcione, positioned the guitar horizontally on his lap and used it as a percussion instrument sometimes by hard sometimes by soft touches. More than that, he kept rhythm by sliding it on its strings back and forth. Then there started a duello between Anselmo Netto and Antonio Forcione. Anselmo Netto has given up this duello after he has seen that some typewriter like sound is coming from the guitar of Antonio Forcione. Forcione even played main theme of Strangers in the Night by showing a couple sitting on the front seats. This performance is applauded for a very long time.

For the encore, the virtuoso came to the stage alone and gave a perfect Touch Wood performance. Just before playing the piece, Antonio Forcione expressed his important ideas about Erkan Oğur and Turkish Music. We have learned that he could get the chance to play together with Erkan Oğur when he was at İstanbul for a concert and they have played together for three hours in a room. This is mentioned as one of the most important experiences in Antonio Forcione’s music life by himself. He also mentioned his admiration to the level of musicianship in Turkey which he has seen during the workshops. Forcione told us that he was pushing Turkish music for every guitar festival he knows all around the world. We were proud to hear such beautiful words from such a virtuoso about our musicians.

Bilkent Concert Hall is an acoustic hall with high ceilings designed mainly for orchestral performances which do not need amplification. I have very bad experiences before during some jazz concerts held in this hall in which the volume is too high and the reverb is wild. Frankly, I was frightened to go to this hall on March 9^th but what we hear destroyed my prejudgments. The volume level was perfectly set and it seems that the reverberant hall is considered and the microphone placements were successfully made according to this. 

Kerem Görsev Trio & Alan Broadbent & Ernie Watts, Therapy Concert in 16th Ankara Jazz Festival, March 7th 2013

There is a lot to say about Kerem Görsev Trio, Alan Broadbent and Ernie Watts concert held in March 7th in Ankara within 16^th Ankara Jazz Festival. I think I can describe this two and a half hour long event as a jazz feast. Kerem Görsev has recorded the album Therapy, which includes his own compositions and Kamil Özler’s arrangements, with this band and London Philharmonia Orchestra in Abbey Road Studios in 2010.The album, which I really liked, is reintroduced with concerts to the Turkish audience with concerts in İstanbul, İzmir and Ankara after three years. I am sure that jazz listeners have already known that Alan Broadbent and Ernie Watts are very important jazz musicians and they gave many artistic products to the jazz world especially when they are together with  Charlie Haden Quartet West. We see the great Turkish drummer Ferit Odman and successful double bass player Kağan Yıldız in Kerem Görsev Trio for many years. I am really impressed by the performance of these two young musicians in the album. I should remind you that Ferit Odman has two albums called Nommo and Autumn in New York in which he worked with many great jazz musicians from America. I should also mention that Orkestra Akademik Başkent accompanied to our jazz musicians for the concert.

I went to Meb Şura Hall this time on foot, different than my routine travel by car. Why did I give this much detail? Because, I remembered suddenly the name of the album while I was getting nervous by the noisy chaos during this walk: Therapy. I just said myself: “Relax, you’re gonna be OK in the concert”. I became OK indeed as soon as the first note is played. Ferit Odman is at the most left, Kağan Yıldız is just next to him, Kerem Görsev is right at the middle, Ernie Watts is forefront, slightly right and Alan Broadbent is at the back conducting his orchestra. 

The first performance of the concert was beautiful Diversion from Therapy, which gave also the name to one of the previous albums. We then listened to the Flashback, which is composed as a homage to Kerem Görsev’s Dalmatian dog, Bebop. The perfect solo performance and beautiful ghost notes of Ernie Watts accompanied by swing of Ferit Odman, were worth listening and watching. I found the Orkestra Akademik Başkent a bit inadequate in some parts, which may result from my album’s record experiences. The third piece is performed in quartet formation. I am not sure whether it is necessary to say but Ernie Watts’ phrasings were just perfect. I really liked the solo by Kerem Görsev, their energetic dialog with Ernie Watts and the linking made by Ferit Odman in this dialogue. After that, we listened to Simple Life from the album Therapy. The string partitions are very dominant in this piece. The hall turned from a jazz club to a classical music hall from time to time during night, as mentioned by Kerem Görsev. Kerem Görsev asked Alan Broadbent to play the piano after the Captivation performance from Therapy. Just after that, Kerem Görsev sit together with the audience to watch the performance which started with soft touches of Alan Broadbent, continued with a lesson from Ernie Watts on instrument control and finished by a solo by Kağan Yıldız. Alan Broadbent has played Star Eyes to us next. Ferit Odman managed very well the linking between Ernie Watts and Alan Broadbent. 

The concert has continued with two performances from the album: Therapy and Story Teller as a homage to Oğuz Durukan. I really liked the harmony between orchestra and the other musicians in this piece. Then, a piece from a new album that will soon be recorded is performed: Tribute to Bill Evans. The performance is started with accompaniment of the orchestra to the solo of Alan Broadbent and continued with Kerem Görsev. The instant that alan Broadbent gave a sign to the orchestra when leaving the piano for conducting and arrival of Kerem Görsev to the instrument by tiptoeing was a remarkable and joyful one. After this beautiful piece a homage to İlhan Mimaroğlu called Letter to Mimaroğlu is played. Ferit Odman’s solo initiated by Ernie Watts’ sign in the next performance was awesome. I think he is among the best jazz drummers in Turkey with this wonderful touches and instrument control. 

Through the end, we listened to a great Body and Soul solo from Alan Broadbent and two pieces from the album: Sunday and Meeting Point. The enthusiasm has risen with the scene that Kerem Görsev and Alan Broadbent were playing the piano together at the last piece before the encore. After a long applause, the musicians came to the stage for a great encore. The encore started with Alan Broadbent’s solo and continued as duo with Ernie Watts. Then it is linked to the solo performances of Ferit Odman and Kağan Yıldız by Kerem Görsev sitting right next to Alan Broadbent. It was obvious that these master musicians get impressed by our young musicians’ solos. The musicians are applauded for a long time by the audiences after the concert. As a summary, it was a memorial concert for International Ankara Jazz Festival. 

The sound was fairly good although I generally do not like Meb Şura Hall’s acoustic. I think the panels on the background of the stage have a profound contribution on that. The volume level was set suitable for the music style. However, I sometimes heard the cymbals from the corners of the ceiling with a half-second delay. Even considering that, I should remind that it was a successful acoustic result what is did on March 7^th Meb Şura Hall. (I think the most successful result I have heard so far in Meb Şura is achieved in Dhafer Youssef Quartet Concert held lately again in this jazz festival. What I understood from this experience is that even architecturally bad designed halls can sound at least “not bad” when the best work is done during audio check.)

Interview with Nguyên Lê After Saiyuki Concert in Ankara

I made an interview with famous guitarist Nguyên Lê after a great Saiyuki performance of him with Prabhu Edouard and Mieko Miyazaki in 16th Ankara Jazz Festival. I am grateful to the musicians and French Institute in Ankara for creating this opportunity for me.

F.E: You have played with many different artists from many different cultures and education for almost 30 years starting from Ultramarine. Which culture or musical idea affects you most all around the world?

N.L: Everything. I have of course a very important relation to Vietnamese Music because its my own roots. I had to rediscover and recreate it because I was born in Paris from Vietnamese parents. So my natural relation to Vietnam is very distant. In fact I am more French than Vietnamese. I was all grown up in France. But as an artist when I started to make my own project I wanted to focus on my own identity, which was of course Vietnamese first. There is a kind of vital, existential relation. It’s always here. Even if I don’t play Vietnamese Music, it is always inspired by Vietnam in the depths.

F.E: Is Saiyuki your most ethnic work? 

N.L: It’s the most “world music” for sure. Before I had projects with Vietnamese music with singer Huong Thanh. It has kind of slow down these last years. We used to work a lot but we work less now. Saiyuki is today my most ethnic work but I'm also working more & more in Vietnam with local musicians & singers.

F.E: In one of your interview I have heard from you that fusion should be inside of a musician to play it. Considering that this fusion feeling is inside you, what is the source of this feeling?

N.L: It comes from all the different experiences I have with so many musicians and also from the love I have for other cultures. There are lots of cross-over experiences in the world. From my point of view they are not all successful. Because I don’t hear love. They are generally collage, there is no dialog, there is no integration, there is no inspiration, they are just together. This is opposite to what I am trying to do. That’s why I am talking about internal fusion.

F.E: Do you mean that 2 plus 3 should not make 5? Should it make something totally different?

N.L: Yes. Because the "plus" concept is mathematic. But it is not about art. There is no creation.

F.E: You played in different configurations such as trios, quartets or ensembles such as ACT family band. Considering that the improvisation is one of the most important aspects of jazz, in which configuration do you feel yourself more comfortable and more powerful while improvising?

N.L: Not solo! I am not comfortable while playing solo (he laughs), because one thing I always love in music is the collective & social dimension of creation. Otherwise each time it's different. I love to play in that acoustic concept of Saiyuki and I like also to play very loud & electric like in "Songs of Freedom".

F.E: For example, in last US tour you played with Rudresh Mahanthappa in addition to your trio configuration here in Ankara. Rudresh has a very characteristic and strong sound with his saxophone. What was the difference? 

N.L: I love Rudresh and his playing. But to be frank, it was not the best combination. We as Saiyuki Trio, sometimes play low and sometimes play high at different times in the performance. However, he plays loud in most of the times. This is good in his own music but sometimes not with us.

F.E: You have a wide dynamic range in your sound in your performances. You have a deep groove.

N.L: Yes, that’s what we love.

F.E: That’s also what I love and why I’m here. Do you have an ultimate aim in music such as unifying the music of the world?

N.L: I think It would be a wrong idea. I prefer diversity. I prefer to have millions of different styles and different identities than only one. That’s the problem of the world. That’s not only a problem for music. Everything starts to feel the same as a result of globalization. Globalization should be done in a good way. For example this city Ankara, with its roads & buildings could be the same as Dubai or Singapore. We are doing globalization in a good way with this trio, with Mieko and Prabhu. They have their own traditions. We play together, but they stay the same. They are just getting better because of the dialog. 

F.E: Should music have an aim or should it be like a river on its path?

N.L: It depends on how you define aim. For sure there is a concept, which is symbolized by the title: everything about different sides of Asia.

F.E: When did the idea Saiyuki come into your mind?

N.L: I had the idea to unite a band with virtuosos from Asia since a long time but I was looking for the right musicians. I was working about Vietnamese Music with the singer Huong Thanh. She is great but as a pure traditional singer she has some limits. At some point I wanted to meet virtuosos like Mieko and Prabhu who can play everything. It is not only about talent, it is about education. So I met Prabhu in Portugal. We were both invited to Portugal for a conceptual concert. I met Mieko in Paris in 2007. There was a guy who was a fan of Japanese Jazz. He wanted to promote everything about Japanese Jazz. He asked me to meet Japanese Musicians and I told him that I want to meet traditional Japanese Musicians. When I met Prabhu, I asked him whether he wanted to play together. We recorded a demo in a musical meeting and then presented the record to the label.

F.E: You are one of the most important ACT musicians in my opinion. Where is your sound located in the wide spectrum of ACT? Is it world music or spread on the spectrum?

N.L: Don’t ask me (he laughs), you answer.

F.E: If there wouldn’t be any albums in which you have not worked with Scandinavians I might have excluded this side but you have many albums with them. Then I can say you are spread on the spectrum.

N.L: I have recorded for Caecilie Norby’s album lately with Lars Danielsson, Robert Mehmet İkiz and Leszek Mozdzer.

F.E: That should certainly be a great album. You have a great album called Purple which has successful sales figures. This album is dedicated to Jimi Hendrix. What is the link between you and Jimi Hendrix? 

N.L: Everybody thinks I was born with Hendrix in me. It is wrong. I met Hendrix’s music pretty late, when I was already a jazz musician. It was 1983 when I am invited to a tribute festival in France whose concept was Jimi Hendrix’s music. Then I started to work on music of Hendrix. This was the first period. We were so happy with playing this music. The beginning was only a gig. Then we decided to continue with the musicians.

F.E: Was it the first time that you were with rock?

N.L: First time to play rock songs. Before I played jazz, I have played improvisational progressive rock, very improvised, not "songs". 

F.E: What about the second period with Jimi Hendrix?

N.L: The second period started with the record in 2000. I met Terri Lyne Carrington and I did this record. Terri is very important. We started a quartet. That was a little bit different. 

F.E: How do you see the relationship between Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis, considering the style of Miles Davis after 70's, especially with Bitches Brew?

N.L: Oh, Yes. Miles, he not only loves the music of Jimi Hendrix but also his symbol and the symbol was also the black music who had success on all white people. Miles was dreaming of such success. 

F.E: Do you mean, he was trying to attract people?

N.L: Yes he was trying to be a popular jazz musician. Of course there is the music. But it is not only about music.

F.E: What do you remember from your works İslam Blues and Bakida with Turkish musician Kudsi Ergüner? 

N.L: Very inspiring. I am a fan of him for long time even before knowing him. I love the Ney very much. I love also Turkish Clarinet player, Hüsnü Şenlendirici. He is a pop star in Turkey.

F.E: Yes, Hüsnü has played with Dhafer Youssef in last North Sea Jazz Festival as well as in İstanbul Jazz Festival. 

N.L: Yes, I know it. I was also there at North Sea, playing with Mendoza. 

F.E: What is the first thing that emerges in your mind when I tell you Turkish music? 

N.L: It’s Kudsi’s music, sure (he laughs)

F.E: Is there any other Turkish musicians that you have heard listened or worked together?

N.L: I know about a traditional musician playing with Kudsi, Derya Türkan, the kemenche player. He also recorded with Renaud Garcia Fons. There is also the darbouka player Burhan Öcal. And Okay Temiz, I think, the percussionist. I also know about Erkan Oğur at fretless guitar. I love Turkish music. I am a big fan. It is very inspiring for me. Turkey is a great symbol for what traditional music is and how traditional music can live today. It’s still very respected. You can learn it at school. Traditional musicians read solfege. That's the good part of western in musical education. 

F.E: You can find the west and east together in Turkey. 

N.L: Yes, you take the good side of everything and you still stay the same.

F.E: What is the story about Topkapı Piece in the album Songs of Freedom?

N.L: Each song is rearranged from an ethnic point of view. Sunshine of your love is rearranged from a North African point of view. Come Together from Beatles is rearranged from a Turkish point of view. I wanted to have just my own little space, just myself more relating to my arrangement than to the pop song . So I created those little intros before each song. I played Topkapi on a small detuned 12 string acoustic guitar, with the idea of playing a kind of saz.

F.E: Have you ever visited Topkapı Palace?

N.L: No. Just from pictures. (He laughs)

F.E: Thanks for the great performance today and creating this opportunity for me to make this interview.

N.L: Thanks.

The Saiyuki Concert of Nguyên Lê, Mieko Miyazaki and Prabhu Edouard in 16th Ankara Jazz Festival, February 19th 2013

I have experienced one of my two favorite concerts in this year’s jazz festival on February 19th: The Saiyuki Project from Nguyên Lê, Prabhu Edouard and Mieko Miyazaki. I have chosen the word “experience” intentionally because there were more than music on the stage and there were more than sound in the hall. The name Saiyuki comes from a book. It means “The Journey from East to West”. It may be confusing at first when I say that this journey is from Japan to India but the meaning is fully understood when the fact that India is accepted as west according to Japan. Therefore, it is meaningful that Japan koto player Mieko Miyazaki and Indian tabla player Prabhu Edouard came together for French born Vietnamese guitar player Nguyên Lê’s project. Nguyên Lê had the idea to set such a band for a long time; however it took time for him to find virtuosos. The compositions and arrangements in the album are inspired from many different musical sources of many different cultures.

I went to the concert hall very early and had a coffee with the band members before the concert. After that, I could get the chance to witness the sound-check. I have watched the incredible preparations made by these musicians to turn their performances into an unforgettable experience for almost two hours. Both koto and tabla are instruments that are played while sitting. There were already two raised platforms on the stage for these musicians. Especially the work done by Prabhu Edouard for good sound was almost obsessive. The musicians personally tested in order how the music is heard from the audience stalls. The resultant sound conditions were the best that can be reached with these equipments in this hall.

The concert, which is started just after these preparations were far more energetic than the album’s performances. The musicians were in their traditional clothes on the stage. The concert has started with a slow entrance made by Azur. Nguyên Lê was wonderful with his well-known guitar tone as always. I suppose the tabla should have been listened by the audience before. However I think koto was very new to them. I can describe it as a long version of kanun (the Turkish Instrument) whose frets are changed before each piece. It has a very mysterious sound carrying you suddenly to the far East. After that, we listened to Kokopanitsa, which is composed by Nguyên Lê with some additions to Bulgarian Kopanitsa. The piece is introduced by Nguyên Lê. It was a very difficult piece to follow considering the rhythmic structure. For the third piece Sangam, Nguyên Lê gave the introduction to Prabhu and he explained the piece in detail. During the performance of this piece there were interactive vocal performances with the audience. Prabhu Edouard is a famous tabla player. I am sure that the ones that have listened to this instrument before know that tabla talks within its rhythms.

Mieko Miyazaki has explained the story of the fourth piece Izanagi and Izanami which is about the union of two gods and creation of Japan. This performance were almost theatral thanks to Mieko’s mimics and tonations. I think Mieko has impressed many audience from Ankara with her vocal technique. We sometimes felt ourselves in a suspense movie. The sound in the hall were wonderfully wide in dynamic range. The descriptions made by vocals of Prabhu and Mieko were not performances that can always be seen in every musical event. Nguyên Lê set the tension in the music meanwhile successfully. This performance has been applauded for a long time by the audience. Then, we have listened the softer Ila and entertaining Sweet Ganesh from these wonderful musicians. The dialog between Prabhu’s vocal/tabla and the audience were impressive. The concert gathered very long applauses from the audience in Ankara and the encore is made by Haeju Arirang piece.

You can also read the interview I have made with Nguyên Lê after the concert: http://fatih-erkan.blogspot.com/2013/02/interview-with-nguyen-le-after-saiyuki.html