Istanbul’s 34th Akbank Jazz Festival presents a kaleidoscope of new jazz sounds

Babylon nights of Akbank Jazz

The festival opened with a free concert by Kenan Doğulu, who sang to an audience of over 15,000, accompanied by some talented musicians of Turkish jazz scene. As in previous years, Babylon, the jazz club of Istanbul, hosted concerts at the festival by musicians that bring exciting innovations into jazz, infusing it into various genres. The night with Dave Okumu & 7 Generations was one such concert, a thrilling experience with the synergy between Okumu and the band members, particularly with Anthonia Edward’s beautiful vocals joining his. On the night in memory of Mehmet Uluğ, co-founder of the club who passed away in 2013, Thracian percussion legend Burhan Ocal was on stage with the New Yorker bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma, as well as some guests from Turkey. The Japanese jazz trumpeter Takuya Kuroda, who lives in New York, was also on Babylon stage accompanied by C. King on trombone, L. Fields on piano, R. Carter on bass, and A. Jackson on drums. Both concerts received great admiration from the audience. The upbeat tunes by Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few very much pleased the audience who filled Babylon; while the night with Rodrigo Amarante was serene and full of calm melancholy shared by the enthusiastic followers of the musician.

Generations of jazz at the festival

London-based drummer, composer, and producer Tom Skinner, who, like Matthew Halsall, is a guiding figure in opening new routes in contemporary jazz with links to spiritual jazz, was also in Istanbul this year. In this breathtaking concert, he was on stage with Tom Herbert on acoustic bass, Kareem Dayes on cello, Chelsea Carmichael and Robert Stillman on tenor saxophone, all utterly talented musicians. Two fabulous bands, also from UK and similarly doing an amazing job in exploring new grounds in today’s jazz; Portico Quartet and Mammal Hands played in Istanbul in the previous years, to the great delight of their followers, so the concert by Vega Trails (pictured below) was awaited with impatience at this year’s festival. The concert by the duo comprising double-bassist and composer Milo Fitzpatrick of Portico Quartet and saxophonist Jordan Smart of Mammal Hands was even greater than expected: a stunning output of the bravery in experimenting with the endless flexibility that jazz music offers.

In Aksanat hall, we also had the opportunity to watch another highly courageous musician, the legendary Kahil El'Zabar with his Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. El’Zabar shared with the audience his story of making this music, how, at the very beginning, he decided to put drums at the centre of his music, and move forward from this basis. His concert was an adventure for the listeners; so many unexpected turns, so many rhythms and harmonies that surprise the ear, and just incredible energy on stage where El’zabar was joined by the esteemed baritone saxophonist Alex Harding and the successful trumpeter Corey Wilkes. Aksanat hall also hosted a wonderful concert by Daniel Hersog Quartet at the festival.

Seeing Kurt Elling on stage was a dream for many festival followers from different age groups, and it came true at the CRR Concert Hall at this year’s Akbank Jazz. Brad Mehldau, always unique and admirable with his improvisations, delighted the audience in his concert also in CRR. Mexican drummer Antonio Sánchez Quartet featuring Seamus Blake on saxophone, Aydın Esen on piano, and Orlando le Fleming came to the fore as another highlight of this year.

The 34 concerts of the festival included names such as the Cuban pianist Harold López-Nussa, the Brooklyn-based gypsy-jazz star Tatiana Eva-Marie, Tomas Fujiwara 7 Poets Trio, the jazztronica duo Blue Lab Beats, and Adi Oasis among others. With various talks and activities added to all these unforgettable concerts, Akbank Jazz, once again, contributed greatly to the jazz culture in Turkey.