It’s that time of the year again when the countdown to the Istanbul Jazz Festival begins and our anticipation heightens as the promised day draws closer and closer. The most popular and heralded of jazz festivals in Istanbul, the festival takes place under the auspice of the IKSV, and in partnership with Garanti’s “Caz Yeşili.” The festival will span across June 26th and July 17th, and as usual, comes with a program deserving much attention.
The highlight will be the performance of the iconic Nick Cave, taking stage with his band The Bad Seed on July 10th at Küçükçiftlik Park. The charismatic, colorful, buoyant persona Caro Emerald will be my favorite of the roster, performing at the Zorlu PSM Main Theater on Thursday, July 12th, in a late performance starting at 9:45 PM he sings a fusion of pop, jazz, swing and more, and takes over the stage with her bountiful energy. More of popular names will also be present, including the Grammy-winning Kurt Elling Quintet, featuring Marquis Hill, performing at UNIQ Hall on July 6th; and the highly-acclaimed Fred Hersch -holding over thirty albums under his name- taking stage with his Trio on July 11, at the Zorlu PSM Drama Stage. In the meantime, R+R= Now, BABBADNOTGOOD, the Julian Lage Trio and others will be taking stage, across different venues, representing the new generation of jazz artists; as will Çağrı Sertel, Ediz Hafızoğlu and Selen Gülün representing prominent Turkish names in the field.
The 25th Istanbul Jazz Festival also draws attention for its choice of venues. In addition to the “regulars,” such as the Zorlu PSM, Salon IKSV, Harbiye Küçükçiftlik Park, Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Stage and UNIQ Open Air Stage, two venues draw particular attention for their unique -and impressive- cultural, historical and architectural characteristics: the Marmara Esma Sultan Mansion in Ortaköy and the Palazzo di Venezia in Beyoğlu. The Marmara Esma Sultan Mansion is the nearly-demolished stone mansion in the vicinity of Ortaköy Mosque, once home to royalty and destroyed by fire in 1975. It remains in tatters, but stands erect, posing triumphantly alongside the Ortaköy shores of Bosphorus. The interior has been reconstructed, to enable the hosting of high profile events and celebrations, and exclusive concerts. On Monday, July 9th, at 9 PM, it will be hosting Omar Sosa & Yilian Canizares Aguas, with the African-Cuban jazz icon playing his fusions of jazz, world music, hip-hop and electronic music. The second venue worthy of particular attention is Palazzo di Venezia in Beyoğlu, one of the oldest buildings of the district, and hosting the jazz festival for the first time. Fabrizio Boos Quartet & Massimo Manzi Trio featuring Turkey’s renowned Elif Çağlar, will be the artists taking stage, on July 2nd at 9:30 PM.
Additionally, in light of its 25th anniversary, the festival will also be hosting complimentary activities free of charge in an effort to contribute to the promotion of jazz music. These activities include pre-festival talks held across popular jazz clubs and discussing the development of jazz in Turkey, the history of jazz festivals in Turkey and more; activities for refugees hosted with the collaboration of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, such as Dmon Albarn & Syrian Musicians Orchestra and the Basel Rajoub & Syrian Women’s Choir hosted in previous years; and instructor led training for musicians, in collaboration with Boğaziçi University, providing pedagogical training for professional musicians interested in music activities.
The 25th Istanbul Jazz Festival is well linked on social media, and can be followed with the hashtag #25yearsof jazzandmore and #istcazfest; as well as on facebook, twitter, instagram and youtube. Check it out, jazz up your life, and buy your tickets before they sell out!
Photos courtesy of the organizer.
