16.04.2018
Text: Haluk Damar
Jazz music is one of the rare genres that has infected various cultures around the world even though it came out of the African American experience in American culture. Especially used as a cultural expression of post war Europe, jazz has also been used creatively in the eastern part of the World. As a matter of course, east’s take on jazz came with its own trusted philosophies and accustomed musical identity. Even more so, east culture, which is so far removed from jazz’s essence, managed to take it creatively even further. Of course this is a well known fact for today. But in the 80’s this was a very progressive concept. This search for jazz music in their own culture made some legends from musicians and gave jazz a brand new horizon.
As the vinyl productions surge up in the recent years, we remember five re-released records, which present major references to the jazz music made in the eastern part of the world.
OKAY TEMİZ - ZİKİR
Zikir, considered to be one of the three masterpieces of eastern jazz, was recorded in Istanbul in 1979. It is also the first album that introduced “ney” [a local reed instrument] to the jazz genre. The album is frequently used as a reference material in music theory, especially in Scandinavian countries.
After gaining global touring experience with jazz legends like Cherry, Dexter Gordon, Clark Terry; Okay Temiz decided to pursue his project of recording an album on the reflections of east philosophy and life style in jazz. The end result, Zikir, turned out to be a both harmonic and experimental journey into the “new”.
Zikir’s innovative approach into jazz received high acclaim around the world and Temiz was invited to play the album live as an opening act to the legendary drummer Keith Jarret’s concert at American Center in Paris.
TÜLAY GERMAN VE FRANÇOIS RABBATH - TOULAI ET FRANÇOIS RABBATH
Tülay German, the first musician to do jazz experiments in Turkey, was showcasing her genius even in the early 60’s. Yet, one of the most delicious fruits of her musical genius came out in 1980 through the recording she did with French François Rabbath carrying the two musicians’ names.
German, who was following the steps of the legendary musician and composition master Ruhi Su, decided not to settle for the reflections of jazz music only and looked for a new texture. The output of this innovative approach came as this gem of an album that presents a magnificent integrity on both the instrumentation and the vocals.
This hybrid jazz masterpiece, which is frequently remembered by top-notch stage performances in Europe, is an important and unique milestone in jazz history, especially considered its wide field of influence.
SAİF ABU BAKR AND THE SCORPIONS - JAZZ
Sudanese jazz musician Saif Abu Bakr’s amazing experimental jazz album that came out of Kuwaiti record label Bou Zaid Phone in the 80’s is one of the major eastern jazz albums that manages to present an impressive creative integrity despite the variety of musical genres it explores. Not afraid to visit funk sounds, the album is the proof of success for both Bakr and his band Scorpions, as they refuse to be limited to a musical genre and explore the ideas of innovative improvisation that lies in the heart of jazz.
Under the influence of freethinking in pursuit of melody, the album manages to bring unlikely musical theories together in a jazz template. Aside from being an a different perspective into jazz music made in Africa, the album is also a rare example of being creative and innovative as it takes theoretical principles like Highlife and Afrobeat and turn them on their head.
SALAH RAGAB AND THE CAIRO JAZZ BAND - EGYPTIAN JAZZ
The most important figure of jazz produced in and around Egpty, Salah Ragab’s 1973 Egyptian Jazz album is probably the closest project to a big band jazz performance on the eastern side of the world. Ragab’s masterpiece tries to jazz genre into a symphonic orchestration setting. While even the realization of such a sophisticated idea is a major success in itself, Ragab went a step further by sticking to the musical identity he has and created a jazz masterpiece.
Ragab and his 20-seat orchestra Cairo Jazz Band thought of jazz as a background music to their daily lives and created the Egyptian Jazz album in that concept. The challenging and genius combination of five saxes, four trumpets and four trombones makes it even more impressive. Also played with Sun Ra in the 80’s, Ragab proved himself time and time again as one of the leading musicians of eastern jazz.
MOR THIAM - DINI SAFARRAR
To express the limitless creativity of Senegalese jazz musician Mor Thiam, it should be enough to remind everyone that he is a member of Senegal’s Dogon tribe, who are known for their story telling with drums. Developing his technique from a young age as a form of expressing his emotions, it was inevitable for Thiam to choose jazz, which is one of the most emotionally charged musical genres. His 1973 album Dini Safarrar [Drums of Fire] is a musical and philosophical gift to the jazz music scene that shines with rhythms of life rising from the eastern side of the world.
After his move to state of Missouri in United States, Mor Thiam recorded Dini Safarrar with locally famous jazz musicians from St. Louis. Even though the album has its representational roots in the East, it is also a special and important example of the spiritual expression of classic jazz. The founder of Art Emsemble of Chicago, legendary trumpet virtuoso Lester Bowie falling in love with Thiam’s musical passion and coming in to request a seat in the recording sessions also proves what a rare gem Dini Safarrar is.