28. AKBANK JAZZ FESTIVAL, 17 – 28 OCTOBER 2018
Here some artists of the festival programme:
AVISHAI COHEN QUARTET
OCTOBER 21st / SUNDAY / 18:00
CEMAL REŞİT REY CONCERT HALL
Avishai Cohen, the pure-toned trumpeter, is one of the most remarked jazz musicians on the contemporary scene. His search for meaning in music and the energy he puts into bringing the bass under the spotlight, has brought him many international awards and global recognition. In 2016, the master trumpeter was named “Best Foreign Artist” by Jazz Magazine France, while Into the Silence was awarded “Best Album of the Year” by TSF Jazz. Today, along with his quartet, the trumpeter continues his work with Triveni, a trio with Omer Avital and Nasheet Waits that he has been leading over a decade. A year after his award winning album Into The Silence, introducing his new album Cross My Palm With, Avishai Cohen will bring his laudable energy to the stage of Akbank Jazz Festival.
BIXIGA 70
OCTOBER 26th / FRIDAY / 21:30
BABYLON
The genre-spanning music of Bixiga 70 that is blurring the boundaries in space and time, is a result of the band’s collective genius with members coming from diverse musical backgrounds, all of which have been involved in São Paulo’s avantgarde pop, jazz, dub scenes. Taking Fela Kuti’s Afrika 70 band as a launchpad both in name and spirit, Bixiga 70 offers a brilliant fusion of African and South American rhythms. Just like the band’s birthplace Bixiga neighborhood of São Paulo, Bixiga 70 is also nourished by diversity. Having released three albums to date and achieving significant success with each one, this 10-piece dynamic set, shared the stage with major names like Jungle By Night, Woima Collective, Tony Allen, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Ebo Taylor and Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra. Be ready to let yourself into the stimulating music and imagination of Bixiga 70, being absolutely one of the most colorful guests of the Akbank Jazz Festival this year.
JAMIE CULLUM
OCTOBER 23rd / TUESDAY / 21:00
VOLKSWAGEN ARENA
Jamie Cullum, one of the most successful UK jazz artists ever, continues his success story with marvellous consistency ever since the day he first made his mark with the multi platinum Twentysomething LP, 15 years ago. His jazz-influenced vocals, his versatility to blur musical genres with his unique take on jazz, pop and rock, alongside his talent on songwriting and composing, brought him great acclaim all around the world. He received numerous nominations and awards in prestigious awards like Grammy, Golden Globe, Brit, Sony Radio. This autumn, Jamie Cullum -and his piano as a narrator with unique stories-, will meet the Akbank Jazz Festival audience once again with a highly delightful repertoire!
JEHAN BARBUR FEAT. FIRAT TANIŞ
OCTOBER 19th / FRIDAY / 20:30
CADDEBOSTAN CULTURE CENTER
Beirut-born vocal artist, songwriter, composer and producer Jehan Barbur, after spending her childhood and teenage years in Iskenderun, continued her education at the Department of American Language and Literature at Bilkent University in Ankara. After graduation, she moved to Istanbul to focus on her music career. She has released five self-produced and successful albums to date and has gained a loyal and ever-growing audience. As a storyteller, she tries to maintain the contemporary female bard tradition, her albums consist mostly of her own words and compositions, along with several collaborations with other artists. Considered one of the most brilliant and impressive jazz vocalists of Turkey, Jehan Barbur will be sharing the stage with renowned actor, director, painter and musician Fırat Tanış on this unique night of Akbank Jazz Festival. With these two fascinating vocals singing together, this concert promises to be a musical feast not to be missed.
KARL HECTOR & THE MALCOUNS
OCTOBER 19th / FRIDAY / 21:30
BABYLON
Combining the global experimentalism of Krautrock with Afrobeat and jazz, and perfectly blending them into funk, the music of Karl Hector & The Malcouns is almost an oasis, where endless possibilities of universal tones come together. After the years of Poets Of Rhythm and Whitefield Brothers, guitarist and producer JJ Whitefield founded the Karl Hector & The Malcouns in 2007 with drummer Zdenko Curulija, to be a band that always surprises the audience. After their first album Sahara Swing, which was built with many influences from across the African diaspora, the band has expanded its musical scope with their second album Unstraight Ahead, in which the West African sounds of Ghana and Mali meet the East African sounds. With this album, they were, in a sense, paying homage to the 1970’s Krautrock legends. Be sure not to miss this musical feast offering a rich mixture of the late 1960’s independent funk spirit and Afrobeat.
NUBYA GARCIA
OCTOBER 23rd, 2018 / TUESDAY / 21.30
BABYLON
The much-lauded saxophonist, composer and bandleader Nubya Garcia released her new EP When We Are in March 2018, nearly one year after her largely-acclaimed first solo project Nubya’s 5ive. The originative artist once again takes typically self-assured steps into new territories with electronic experimentation. Experiencing an exciting new chapter with When We Are, one of UK’s leading instrumentalists, Nubya Garcia will now bring her mesmerizing tunes to the Akbank Jazz Festival stage, providing the audience a new perception of what jazz could be. Alongside her releases, Garcia has a burgeoning reputation as a DJ and this reflects on her music as the energy of the club-nights that shaped her formative years. Get ready for a night full of her characteristically sophisticated and passionate sound!
THE BAD PLUS
OCTOBER 21st / SUNDAY / 20:30
CEMAL REŞİT REY CONCERT HALL
With The Bad Plus trio there is no leader, there is only the music. And this music has a lived-in quality thanks to the deep relationships between the band members. In every condition, the resulting sound of commitment and open-hearted connection is realized. Never Stop II, released this year, becomes the 13th studio recording from The Bad Plus, and the first album featuring pianist Orrin Evans alongside founding members Reid Anderson and Dave King. It is a rebirth, enriching the trajectory of this 18-year-old band and affirming their longstanding commitment to creative group improvised music which is a combination of modern avant-garde jazz with rock and pop influences. Be sure to make room on your agenda for this spectacular performance that should not be missed, where the bass, drums and piano will join forces.
Here some artists of the festival programme:
AVISHAI COHEN QUARTET
OCTOBER 21st / SUNDAY / 18:00
CEMAL REŞİT REY CONCERT HALL
Avishai Cohen, the pure-toned trumpeter, is one of the most remarked jazz musicians on the contemporary scene. His search for meaning in music and the energy he puts into bringing the bass under the spotlight, has brought him many international awards and global recognition. In 2016, the master trumpeter was named “Best Foreign Artist” by Jazz Magazine France, while Into the Silence was awarded “Best Album of the Year” by TSF Jazz. Today, along with his quartet, the trumpeter continues his work with Triveni, a trio with Omer Avital and Nasheet Waits that he has been leading over a decade. A year after his award winning album Into The Silence, introducing his new album Cross My Palm With, Avishai Cohen will bring his laudable energy to the stage of Akbank Jazz Festival.
BIXIGA 70
OCTOBER 26th / FRIDAY / 21:30
BABYLON
The genre-spanning music of Bixiga 70 that is blurring the boundaries in space and time, is a result of the band’s collective genius with members coming from diverse musical backgrounds, all of which have been involved in São Paulo’s avantgarde pop, jazz, dub scenes. Taking Fela Kuti’s Afrika 70 band as a launchpad both in name and spirit, Bixiga 70 offers a brilliant fusion of African and South American rhythms. Just like the band’s birthplace Bixiga neighborhood of São Paulo, Bixiga 70 is also nourished by diversity. Having released three albums to date and achieving significant success with each one, this 10-piece dynamic set, shared the stage with major names like Jungle By Night, Woima Collective, Tony Allen, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Ebo Taylor and Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra. Be ready to let yourself into the stimulating music and imagination of Bixiga 70, being absolutely one of the most colorful guests of the Akbank Jazz Festival this year.
JAMIE CULLUM
OCTOBER 23rd / TUESDAY / 21:00
VOLKSWAGEN ARENA
Jamie Cullum, one of the most successful UK jazz artists ever, continues his success story with marvellous consistency ever since the day he first made his mark with the multi platinum Twentysomething LP, 15 years ago. His jazz-influenced vocals, his versatility to blur musical genres with his unique take on jazz, pop and rock, alongside his talent on songwriting and composing, brought him great acclaim all around the world. He received numerous nominations and awards in prestigious awards like Grammy, Golden Globe, Brit, Sony Radio. This autumn, Jamie Cullum -and his piano as a narrator with unique stories-, will meet the Akbank Jazz Festival audience once again with a highly delightful repertoire!
JEHAN BARBUR FEAT. FIRAT TANIŞ
OCTOBER 19th / FRIDAY / 20:30
CADDEBOSTAN CULTURE CENTER
Beirut-born vocal artist, songwriter, composer and producer Jehan Barbur, after spending her childhood and teenage years in Iskenderun, continued her education at the Department of American Language and Literature at Bilkent University in Ankara. After graduation, she moved to Istanbul to focus on her music career. She has released five self-produced and successful albums to date and has gained a loyal and ever-growing audience. As a storyteller, she tries to maintain the contemporary female bard tradition, her albums consist mostly of her own words and compositions, along with several collaborations with other artists. Considered one of the most brilliant and impressive jazz vocalists of Turkey, Jehan Barbur will be sharing the stage with renowned actor, director, painter and musician Fırat Tanış on this unique night of Akbank Jazz Festival. With these two fascinating vocals singing together, this concert promises to be a musical feast not to be missed.
KARL HECTOR & THE MALCOUNS
OCTOBER 19th / FRIDAY / 21:30
BABYLON
Combining the global experimentalism of Krautrock with Afrobeat and jazz, and perfectly blending them into funk, the music of Karl Hector & The Malcouns is almost an oasis, where endless possibilities of universal tones come together. After the years of Poets Of Rhythm and Whitefield Brothers, guitarist and producer JJ Whitefield founded the Karl Hector & The Malcouns in 2007 with drummer Zdenko Curulija, to be a band that always surprises the audience. After their first album Sahara Swing, which was built with many influences from across the African diaspora, the band has expanded its musical scope with their second album Unstraight Ahead, in which the West African sounds of Ghana and Mali meet the East African sounds. With this album, they were, in a sense, paying homage to the 1970’s Krautrock legends. Be sure not to miss this musical feast offering a rich mixture of the late 1960’s independent funk spirit and Afrobeat.
NUBYA GARCIA
OCTOBER 23rd, 2018 / TUESDAY / 21.30
BABYLON
The much-lauded saxophonist, composer and bandleader Nubya Garcia released her new EP When We Are in March 2018, nearly one year after her largely-acclaimed first solo project Nubya’s 5ive. The originative artist once again takes typically self-assured steps into new territories with electronic experimentation. Experiencing an exciting new chapter with When We Are, one of UK’s leading instrumentalists, Nubya Garcia will now bring her mesmerizing tunes to the Akbank Jazz Festival stage, providing the audience a new perception of what jazz could be. Alongside her releases, Garcia has a burgeoning reputation as a DJ and this reflects on her music as the energy of the club-nights that shaped her formative years. Get ready for a night full of her characteristically sophisticated and passionate sound!
THE BAD PLUS
OCTOBER 21st / SUNDAY / 20:30
CEMAL REŞİT REY CONCERT HALL
With The Bad Plus trio there is no leader, there is only the music. And this music has a lived-in quality thanks to the deep relationships between the band members. In every condition, the resulting sound of commitment and open-hearted connection is realized. Never Stop II, released this year, becomes the 13th studio recording from The Bad Plus, and the first album featuring pianist Orrin Evans alongside founding members Reid Anderson and Dave King. It is a rebirth, enriching the trajectory of this 18-year-old band and affirming their longstanding commitment to creative group improvised music which is a combination of modern avant-garde jazz with rock and pop influences. Be sure to make room on your agenda for this spectacular performance that should not be missed, where the bass, drums and piano will join forces.
