World Sounds

Taksim Trio in concert

A ‘super trio’, a meeting of three distinguished Turkish musicians who turned their backs on contemporary Turkey’s megavenues, facile hits and pop idols. Choosing instead to look deep into each other’s souls, the fêted clarinet virtuoso, Hűsnű Şenlendirici, electro bağlama player, İsmail Tunçbilek, and quanun specialist, Aytaç Doğan, discovered that this, ultimately, was where the Music was to be found. In their improvisations – which intertwine Ottoman classical music with Turkish folk melodies, arabesques, Romany music and jazz – the three musicians reveal both their mastery and their individuality. Drawing on the enormously rich musical depository of Asia Minor and the Middle East, the Trio embellish tradition with contemporary ornaments all their own and offer it up for the audience to enjoy. With their ears, their hearts, and their bodies [L.A.].