Emir Ersoy and Cuban Portrait January 24, 2010

CONCERT - $16 Advance/$20 Door, 8:00 pm

Every now and then there is a special opportunity to experience a truly universal musical feast, and such a one is coming to Philadelphia. Musicians from Turkey, Emir Ersoy (piano), Eylem Pelit (bass) and Serdar Barcin (flute/saxophone) will join NY’s own Robby Ameen (drums) to take us all to a Cuban journey through music. For some, these musicians may already be very familiar but for the rest, let’s have a quick hop across the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean all the way to Istanbul. You could go to a Jazz bar walking down a narrow cobblestone road just passed the 1500 year old Galata Tower and listen to Emir Ersoy play Latin tunes from his latest album “Cuban Portrait”. You would wonder how a Turkish musician can have such Latin grooves, if you don’t already know that he grew up as the son of the famous Turkish musician Metin Ersoy, known as the Calypso King to Turkish music lovers. That is why he was so comfortable playing with several Cuban musicians in a number of projects. But if you think Latin Jazz is all he plays, you should also listen to him play with other musicians like Turkey’s well known Pop Star Tarkan. Speaking of Turkish Stars, most of them come to Eylem Pelit for his solid performance with bass, when they want the best for their albums or concerts. Eylem has played for Turkish Pop Musicians like Kayahan, Ajda Pekkan, Sezen Aksu, Zulfu Livaneli, Edip Akbayram, each well capable of selling out a stadium concert in Turkey. Serdar Barcin is no ordinary musician either; you could listen to his flute or saxophone alongside musicians like Fazil Say, Fahir Atakoglu, Yeni Turku and many others in Turkey. He can blow your socks off playing Jazz, Funk, Latin, R&B or even Club&Dance. American audience is no stranger to Serdar’s music either; he played with many musicians throughout America in the most prestigious venues from Kodak Theather in LA to Carnegie Hall in NY.

Emir Ersoy was born as the son of the Calypso King, Metin Ersoy. He was surrounded by latin music throughout his childhood. During his school years he played piano for his dad. He formed a school band and got various awards. Lately Nineties he started his professional career as a performer. He played with many known musicians. He met with famous singer Alpay in 1997 and after three years of togetherness he finished the musical arrangements of Alpay's album KÜÇÜK BİR ÖYKÜ. Emir Ersoy and Cüneyt Akgün formed a latin-jazz band at 1998. They had many live music performances under the name MOJITO. Once again he and his close musician friends such as Jozi Levi (congas, brasilian and percussion), Cemil Tatlıpınar (bass), Arda Baykurt (drums) Tunç Çakır (congas and timbales), Ateş Öztürkmen (congas) and Cüneyt Akgün (vocals) formed an another latin-jazz band CUBAN-IST in 2001. Also Yuri Rhadychenko (sax), Vecihi Akın (trumpet), Gökay Gökşen (trombone), Serdar Barçın (saxophone), Yavuz Duman (trumpet), Semih Sural (trumpet) and Turgut Alp Bekoğlu (timbales) attended various performances as additional musicians.

Emir Ersoy worked with Cuban musicians such as Amik Guerra,Andres Denis Rabelo Macias, Onelia Manzano, Raynier Magre Avila, Carlos Garcia Mayedo, Ernesto Herrera, Nider Norberto Santiago, Xiomara Contrera, Frank Velasques, William Gonzales, William Dias Baigorria and Mairelis Hernandez while he was studying harmony and composition with Nail Yavuzoğlu. He also worked with Brazilian percussion band Banda Iyabas and Brazilian singer Mariane Cidreira Reis in 2004. Emir Ersoy has been working with many Turkish and foreign artists, musicians and bands such as Alpay, Aycan Teztel, Bengü, Burcu Güneş, Cüneyt Akgün, Eylem Pelit, Gülşen, Keremcem, Levent Altındağ, Metin Ersoy, Saad Chemmari, Sibel Tüzün, Şenova Ülker, Tarkan, Tuğba Özerk, Turgut Alp Bekoğlu, Vedat Sakman and Volkan Öktem. He played Istanbul Young Jazz Festival with İpek Dinc in 2006 and Philipshalle Concert Hall in 2007 with Saad Chemmari. He finished the musical arrangements of Moroccan musician Saad Chemmari's album SAHAR, Maher El Zein's THANK YOU GOD, Turkish musician Gülcan Altan's GÜLÜMSER,Alpay ''BEST OF ALPAY,Kerem Aktan BADE and Turkish musician Cüneyt Akgün's album KOYU .

At the beginning of 2008, he has finished recording his debut latin-jazz album entitled as CUBAN PORTRAIT. In 2008 both Akın Eldes's ARA TAKSİM and İlkin Deniz's GOOD FELLAS,Sumru Agiryuruyen ISSIZ albums are mixed and mastered by Emir Ersoy. He also finished keyboard arrangements, mixing and mastering of Turkish Metal band Sexen's debut album CENSORED INC.

Emir will be joined by band member Serdar Barcin on transverse flute and saxophones. Serdar is no stranger to the world stage, having performed with top Jazz players in Turkey and the USA at venues like Carnegie Hall in NYC and the Kodak Theater in LA. He plays Jazz, R&B and Latin with equal celerity.

www.emirersoy.com

Eylem Pelit was born in Ankara, Turkey. He started to play the bass guitar when he was a student as a viola player for six years at the State Conservatory of I.T.U. He played in the jam-sessions and concerts with musicians as Dianne Reeves, Larry Coryell, Muvaffak “Muffy” Falay, Peter Martin, John Scofield, Claudio Roditi, Mark Harris, Karl Potter, Jack Tama, Russel Melon, Aydin Esen, Rames Shottam-Ramamani-T.A.S.Mani ( Karnataka College of Percussion )Kerem Gorsev, Askin Arsunan, Fatih Erkoc Elvan Araci, Yildiz Ibrahimova, Fahir Atakoglu, Onder Focan and the Group Passaporte Latino,Rex Richardson,Bobo Stanson,Lennart Aberg,Daniel Humair,Misirli Ahmet..

He played both in albums and in concerts of some well known Turkish Pop Musicians as Kayahan, Ajda Pekkan, Nilufer, Sezen Aksu, Nukhet Duru, Izel, Yasar, Mustafa Sandal, Isin Karaca, Zulfu Livaneli, Nazan Oncel, Edip Akbayram, Modern Folk Uclusu and etc. He also made music arrangements in the albums of Volkan Konak, Arif Sag and Tolga Sag. Being a member of jazz bands of ‘’Group Habbecik’’ and ‘’Passiflora’’, Eylem Pelit also plays the bass guitar at the Beck’s Big Band, which gathers the most talented jazz musicians in Turkey.

Some of the albums he played at: Habbecik / "an meselesi" Lifeline / "novaexpress" Hi jazz hicaz Hakan Kursun Trio Askin Arsunan Ethno Karma Project Pasaporte Latino Sezen Aksu / "sarki soylemek lazim" Ilhan Sesen / "neler oluyor bize" Isin Karaca / "ana dilim ask" Yasar / "esirinim" Edip Akbayram / "ilk gunku gibi" Arif Sag / "concerto for baglama" Volkan Konak / "simal ruzgari" ve " pedaliza" Suavi / "ciglik ciglikga" Yedi Karanfil / "7" Gokhan.

www.myspace.com/eylempelit1971

During the time that Robby Ameen has spent living in New York City since the early eighties he has compiled a recording career stretching from Dizzy Gillespie to Paul Simon, while maintaining a more than twenty year relationship with Latin icon Ruben Blades as a member of Seis del Solar. Although he is of Lebanese origin, Robby is best known for the unique and powerful Afro-Cuban jazz style he has developed.

Growing up in New Haven, Connecticut, Robby was able to take advantage of his proximity to New York City by going to clubs and hearing many of the great jazz masters at a very young age. At the same time, he was involved in the local jazz and latin scene, as well as later attending Yale University, where he received a BA in literature. His jazz roots were strongly influenced by his studies with the great Ed Blackwell in high school, while in college he studied classical percussion with the renowned Fred Hinger.

Upon moving to New York, Robby began recording with flutist Dave Valentin and soon afterwards Ruben Blades, who was the first salsa singer to add a full-time drummer to his band, Seis del Solar. Another one of his early recordings was "New Faces" with Dizzy Gillespie, about whom Dizzy said in JazzTimes "Just the other day I made a record with a Lebanese drummer – b-a-a-d! He had so much happening, and it keeps going, you know?"

On the Latin scene Robby has recorded many records with Eddie Palmieri, as well as having toured or recorded with such luminaries as Mongo Santamaria, Paquito D'Rivera, Hilton Ruiz, and Willie Colon among many others. Robby was the drummer at Marc Anthony's historic first solo concert at Madison Square Garden.

Another one of Robby's longstanding relationships has been with producer-composer Kip Hanrahan, with whom he has been recording and touring since 1987. He was also the drummer for Paul Simon's "Capeman", with whom he worked through the long rehearsal period up until the recordings and the actual show, as well as VH1's "Storytellers" and part of the BAM's Paul Simon retrospective.. Robby also has toured and recorded extensively with Jack Bruce's "Cuicoland Express" band and is a longtime member of Conrad Herwig's oft Grammy-nominated " Latin Side of ..." band.

As a co-leader, Robby has recorded three records with the "El Negro and Robby Band" along side Horacio "el Negro" Hernandez. He also helped found the latin-jazz power trio "Overproof." Most recently Robby has released his "Days In The Life" solo project, composing and arranging most of the music.

Robby is the co-author with Lincoln Goines of the best-selling instructional book and CD: Funkifying the Clave: Afro Cuban Grooves for Bass and Drums, which has sold over 40,000 copies worldwide, and recently released the DVD Funkifying the Clave. Robby is an active clinician, performing at all the major drum festivals, including Modern Drummer Day, PAS, the Montreal DrumFest, FrankfurtMesse, and NAMM, to name a few,

Some of his various TV appearances include The Tonight Show, 60 Minutes, Amnesty International Concerts, Cinemax's "A Latino Special: feat. Jerry Garcia," "The Return of Ruben Blades" film, Good Morning America, PBS' Legends of Jazz, Europe's Rockpalast and Later with Jools Holland.

In addition, Robby is a longtime New York session player having done numerous jingles, TV music, and film scores with such composers as Dave Grusin, Carlos Franzetti, and Howard Shore, as well as having been the drummer for the "Sex and the City" series. Feature articles about Robby have appeared in such magazines as Modern Drummer, Drumhead Magazine, Rhythm, Latin Beat, Batteur, Percussionisti, among many others. Recently, Robby has been included in the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz.

www.robbyameen.com

Official Website: http://www.psalmsalon.com