14th Jazz Festival kicks off with Norah Jones
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
ISTANBUL - Turkish Daily News
This year the 14th International Istanbul Jazz Festival will take place from July 3-18. With almost 40 concerts at various venues, the Festival embraces both jazz and other styles like pop, classic & alternative rock, world music, Latin and more. Glowing with a program of stars to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), the festival will host renowned artists and groups. One of the most important guests at the festival is the young and talented singer Norah Jones. She was expected to perform in Turkey for years and now she will take to the stage in Harbiye Açıkhava Concert Hall on August 1. The venues for the festival are Istanbul Archaeological Museum, Hagia Eirene Museum, Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theater, Esma Sultan Yalısı, European Jazz Club Institut Français d'Istanbul, Istanbul Jazz Center, Istanbul Modern Sculpture Garden, Kemer Golf and Country Club, Nardis Jazz Club, Sepetçiler Kasrı, Şan Theater, Foundation of Surp Agop Hospital. The 14th International Istanbul Jazz Festival, a prestigious event on the calendar, is sponsored by Garanti bank. Besides hosting the most important female name in jazz Jones, there will be performances by Robert Plant, the front man for charismatic rock band Led Zeppelin. He will be onstage on July 4, with his new band Robert Plant & The Strange Sensation,' which he founded after the release of his solo album Dreamland in 2002. Robert Plant is among the few rock veterans to have maintained his contemporary approach to music in a career spanning from the 1970s to this day. Bryan Ferry, one of the most innovative, distinctive singers to arrive on the pop scene, will take his place on stage once again at the Istanbul Jazz Festival after seven years. Robin Gibb, one of the soloists of Bee Gees fame, will face audiences with a very special project. The Bee Gees, discovered by the famous Turkish music producer Arif Mardin have become known as one of the five biggest pop acts of all time, with a 40-year musical career and 180 million album sales, under Mardin's expert production. They will perform on July 10.
Frank Sinatra classics: Another concert at the festival this year is Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, is a superb gathering of fifteen major jazz musicians. The band is fronted by Wynton Marsalis, the man who has succeeded through his extraordinary versatility, in projecting the notion of the big band' into the future. A surprise name at the festival is Michael Bolton. His talent helped him sell 53 million albums; eight top ten albums, two number one singles on the Billboard charts, and awards from both the American Music Awards and Grammies. Bolton will take the stage on July 3 in Sepetçiler Kasrı with his project, which he dubs Frank Sinatra classics, titled Michael Bolton Swings Sinatra. There will be concerts in Esma Sultan Yalısı starting on July 4 with Sicimoğlu and his band Latin All Stars.
Young talents in jazz: As part of the festival, four groups have been selected by the Young Jazz Evaluation Committee to perform at the "Young Jazz" concert series. The groups are 3 Sebep,' Evo Trio,' Nuance,' Septafon.'
Finalists were determined by the "Young Jazz Evaluation Committee," which consisted of Cengiz Baysal, Hülya Tunçağ, Kerem Görsev, Önder Focan, Pelin Opcin, Seda Binbaşgil and Sevin Okyay. These groups now have the chance to perform in the European Jazz concert series. Concerts will be free of charge and open to all who want to attend.
There will also be jazz concerts on the festival boat and in Istanbul's streets. Tickets are available at
www.biletix.com,
www.garanti.com.tr
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