New York Welcomes First Ever Turkish Jazz Festival

NEW YORK, July 25, 2004

- For the first time on American soil, the Ministry of Turkish Culture and Tourism will present a program saluting the universal language of jazz at Lincoln Center Alice Tully Hall, Sept. 24 - 26. The Jazz Made in Turkey Festival, hosted by Ahmet Ertegün, Arif Mardin and Ilhan Mimaroglu, who will share their unparalleled knowledge of music with audiences, and produced by Serdar Ilhan, will feature Turkish jazz artists and international guest stars performing a series of six concerts over the three-day period.

Performances during this precedent-setting event will include those by Okay Temiz, celebrated for his work on a wide array of percussion instruments that he has either collected or hand-crafted over the years, who skillfully transforms simple rhythms into complex compositions, as well as by Kudsi Erguner, whose work on the Ney-flute is acclaimed throughout Europe and the U.S.

Pianist Aydin Esen will perform an exciting selection from his repertoire of contemporary arrangements. Known for his elaborate orchestrations and electronic compositions, Esen creates music with the use of his advanced sound synthesis techniques.

Also making an appearance will be Turkish guitar legend Erkan Ogur. Renowned for his arrangements on the fretless guitar and E-bow (a magnetic bowing device), Ogur will demonstrate his use of untempered scales reminiscent of his beloved Eastern Turkey folk melodies.

As a saxophonist and composer/songwriter, Ilhan Ersahin has grown into one of the most creative and adventurous artists of the contemporary jazz and electronic scene in the last ten years. He will join his contemporaries with movements influenced by American jazz, with the essence of reggae, hip-hop, electronic, pop and Middle Eastern folk music.

Joining the solo artists during the Jazz Made in Turkey Festival will be Turkish jazz ensemble Laco Tayfa. The 10-member, Gypsy-inspired funk band pairs classic Turkish instruments, the zurna and davul, with clarinet, bass and snare drum, to interpret both modern arrangements and traditional Turkish folk songs.

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Helping celebrate Turkey’s rich musical heritage and the country’s contributions to the international jazz landscape, will be a number of international guest artists, including Grammy-winner Joe Lovano on tenor saxophone and Eddie Henderson with his the take-no-prisoners trumpeteer style.

Also, on alto saxophone, will be Greg Osby, a progressive force in jazz for nearly 20 years, who has sketched numerous musical essays set contemporary scores using the improvisational nature of jazz as the connecting thread. And Lefteris Bournias will lend his distinctive way with the clarinet to the proceedings.

For the complete schedule of events and ticket prices for the Jazz Made in Turkey Festival, visit www.jazzmadeinturkey.com or call (212) 687- 2194 ext. 15 or 16. Tickets for the Jazz Made in Turkey Festival can be purchased by calling (212) 875-5050 or (212) 721-6500. They are also available via www.tulumba.com and at Maia Meyhane, the Turkish restaurant at 98 Avenue B in New York City.

Turkey, the site of two wonders of the ancient world, is a present-day marvel - the cradle of civilization, the very center of world history, and a modern Westward-looking republic. It is a country of fascinating contrasts, where antiquity is juxtaposed with the contemporary, the familiar with the exotic; where sun-swept beaches beckon less than an hour away from snow-capped mountains, and everywhere visitors are treated to the extraordinary warmth of the Turkish people.

For information about the country that inspired the Jazz Made in Turkey musicians, call

1-877-FOR-TURKEY or contact the Turkish Culture and Tourism Offices in New York at 212-687-2194 or in Washington D.C. at 202-612-6800, and visit www.culturetourism.gov.tr

Media Contacts: Brenda Urban (brendau@lhammond.com)

Shelley Clark (shelleyc@lhammond.com)

LOU HAMMOND & ASSOCIATES

(212) 891-0222/0204