Since 2011, Salon IKSV has been organizing special sessions to pay tribute to some of the most unforgettable names in jazz. Each year these tributes (called “Jazz Tree” or “Caz Ağacı” in Turkish) have drawn in a larger and larger audience. In addition, since Salon IKSV is currently celebrating its fifth year, they have an excellent program for jazz lovers (no surprise there). Last Saturday, February 21st, I was lucky enough to attend one of these jazz sessions at Salon IKSV dedicated to the beloved “Yardbird,” Charlie Parker.
Maybe you remember his famous lines: “Don’t play the saxophone. Let it play you…” I didn’t. But I did leave Salon with a much deeper understanding of both Parker and his music, thanks in large part to presenter Vedat Özdemiroğlu and the performers who generously shared stories about Parker with us between songs. This is how I discovered that Parker, father of bebop, was a great inspiration for Miles Davis — he was quite the impressive guy.
Bora Çeliker and Elif Çağlar were the soloists of the night, with Engin Recepoğulları and Duru Tuna on saxophone and accompanied by Serkan Özyılmaz on piano, Kağan Yıldız on bass and Ediz Hafızoğlu on drums. They seemed to enjoy every moment and making music free as bird. Their energy was contagious as well!
The venue was just as crowded as the last time I was there to see the well-known band Sleep Party People. The only disappointing that was that the crowd was a bit…calm. In my head I kept thinking, “move people, move!”
A small note from the night that will be useful to anyone attending shows at Salon IKSV: Don’t be late, as the shows always start on time! Plus, I always enjoy being close to stage or sitting down in the upstairs’ balcony and enjoying the view, but these spots are usually already taken if you show up late.
Salon will continue to pay tribute to the legends of jazz while simultaneously hosting the most talented jazz musicians from the Istanbul music scene. According to the “Jazz Tree” 2015 calendar, you can catch a tribute to Stan Getz on Saturday 21 March and one to John Coltrane on Thursday 30 April, which also happens to be International Jazz Day. If you missed the Charlie Parker tribute or if you were there but still can’t get enough of this beautiful jazz music, make sure to attend one of the next sessions. I know that I will!
You can read more reviews of the Jazz Tree tribute nights on Yabangee: Liam Murray’s review of the Miles Davis tribute and Glyn Harris’ review of the Louis Armstrong tribute.
Featured Image Source: G. Esen
