Istanbul likes new dimension of jazz
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hurriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Nisan 11, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Inspired by the legendary Duke Ellington's special tour through the East, eight Dutch jazz musicians from the groups Calefax and the Tony Overwater Trio came to Istanbul and performed at the city's jazz mecca, Ghetto
A joint initiative by two consular missions to Istanbul to introduce a new dimension of jazz to Turkish audiences was one of the highlights of the city’s culture agenda this week.
In cooperation with one of Istanbul’s top music venues, Ghetto, the consulates general of the Netherlands and the United States hosted a performance by Dutch musicians from Calefax, a classical reed quintet, and the Tony Overwater Trio, a jazz ensemble. The two groups have joined forces to perform several suites written by Duke Ellington in new arrangements during their "Far East Revisited" tour.
Promoting understanding
The performance at Ghetto on Friday night was a part of a tour of Middle and Far East countries inspired by a similar event from the 1960s, when Duke Ellington and his orchestra toured the region, sponsored by the U.S. State Department. The tour was cut short by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, but the orchestra came back to Asia a year later to perform concerts in Japan. The journey inspired Ellington and his co-writer, Billy Strayhorn, to write the "Far East Suite," which sketched a musical picture based on impressions of the countries they had visited. A brand-new arrangement of the "Suite" was performed at the Ghetto show.
The consul general of the Netherlands, Onno Kerves, said "cultural cooperation is essential to promote understanding between nations and their people," adding that cultural events need special support as it is often impossible to find enough money to organize them.
The Consulate General of the Netherlands is well known for supporting cultural initiatives in Istanbul, as it has done for many years, bringing Dutch culture to Turkey, especially in terms of design, fashion and architecture. Its recent focus is the series of "Amsterdam Night Watch" performances, to which the Ghetto show belonged. The consulate also contributes to major local events, including the Istanbul International Short Film Festival, the International Sinop Biennial and a series of events put on by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, or IKSV.
Duke Ellington, whose tour was a modus vivendi of the "Far East Revisited" initiative, is one of the most renowned American composers and pianists. The Dutch musicians from Calefax and the Tony Overwater Trio found it fascinating to delve into the sources that inspired Ellington, and to create a new project that reflects on his choices 40 years ago. According to the members of Calefax, the most important part of the initiative is the presence of many nationalities in one place. By collaborating with local artists, the musicians will try not only to get to know, but also to enter into dialogue with other cultures. In that spirit, Turkish composer Evrim Demirel contributed to the writing of the compositions for the quintet on the current part of the tour.
Lorris Mizrahi, the manager of Ghetto, said the venue management was glad to be able to bring such an excellent project to the club, which keeps alive the spirit and music of the 1960s.
In cooperation with one of Istanbul’s top music venues, Ghetto, the consulates general of the Netherlands and the United States hosted a performance by Dutch musicians from Calefax, a classical reed quintet, and the Tony Overwater Trio, a jazz ensemble. The two groups have joined forces to perform several suites written by Duke Ellington in new arrangements during their "Far East Revisited" tour.
Promoting understanding
The performance at Ghetto on Friday night was a part of a tour of Middle and Far East countries inspired by a similar event from the 1960s, when Duke Ellington and his orchestra toured the region, sponsored by the U.S. State Department. The tour was cut short by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, but the orchestra came back to Asia a year later to perform concerts in Japan. The journey inspired Ellington and his co-writer, Billy Strayhorn, to write the "Far East Suite," which sketched a musical picture based on impressions of the countries they had visited. A brand-new arrangement of the "Suite" was performed at the Ghetto show.
The consul general of the Netherlands, Onno Kerves, said "cultural cooperation is essential to promote understanding between nations and their people," adding that cultural events need special support as it is often impossible to find enough money to organize them.
The Consulate General of the Netherlands is well known for supporting cultural initiatives in Istanbul, as it has done for many years, bringing Dutch culture to Turkey, especially in terms of design, fashion and architecture. Its recent focus is the series of "Amsterdam Night Watch" performances, to which the Ghetto show belonged. The consulate also contributes to major local events, including the Istanbul International Short Film Festival, the International Sinop Biennial and a series of events put on by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, or IKSV.
Duke Ellington, whose tour was a modus vivendi of the "Far East Revisited" initiative, is one of the most renowned American composers and pianists. The Dutch musicians from Calefax and the Tony Overwater Trio found it fascinating to delve into the sources that inspired Ellington, and to create a new project that reflects on his choices 40 years ago. According to the members of Calefax, the most important part of the initiative is the presence of many nationalities in one place. By collaborating with local artists, the musicians will try not only to get to know, but also to enter into dialogue with other cultures. In that spirit, Turkish composer Evrim Demirel contributed to the writing of the compositions for the quintet on the current part of the tour.
Lorris Mizrahi, the manager of Ghetto, said the venue management was glad to be able to bring such an excellent project to the club, which keeps alive the spirit and music of the 1960s.