“Kemenjazz” is a project tailored by Baki Duyarlar, a Turkish jazz pianist, composer and educator, for the sound of Derya Türkan’s kemenche. Culminating to its full personnel with the addition of Cem Aksel on drums and Erdal Akyol on double bass, the team recorded an album bearing the project name as its title. Released in 2012 from Ada Plak, this album featured Dilek Türkan on vocals, Azize as lyricist and vocal, and Şenova Ülker on trumpet. Having recorded Overseas in 2011 with his musician friends from the States, and Colors with those from Europe, in the same year, Baki Duyarlar, with this final album from Turkey, actually completed some kind of triology. In these unique pieces, each composed by Baki Duyarlar, the peaceful melodies of different cultures, no matter if they are rooted from Itri or Miles Davis or Maurice Ravel or John Coltrane, were melted in the dynamic pot of jazz. The members of “Kemenjazz”, now coming to the 27th Akbank Jazz Festival with a surprise guest artist, Harris Lambrakis, a a ney master from Athens, will blow the winds of Istanbulian nostalgia, this time, across the Aegean Sea.
Piano : Baki Duyarlar
Kemenche: Derya Türkan
Drums : Cem Aksel
Bass : Erdal Akyol
Ney (Guest Artist) : Harris Lambrakis
Vocal (Guest Artist) : Dilek Türkan
Trumpet (Guest Artist) : Şenova Ülker