Jazz at Berlin Philharmonix X - East - West

JAZZ - On the 30th anniversary of the death of Nesuhi Ertegün (1917-1989), Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic curator Siggi Loch dedicated an evening to commemorating his friend and mentor - with musicians between East and West, creating true and unique "worldmusic".

‘East meets West’ was the central theme in the life of Nesuhi Ertegün (1917-1989). He grew up as the son of the Turkish Ambassador in Washington, and Nesuhi himself was to become an ambassador too: one of the most important producers and advocates that jazz has ever had. On the 30th anniversary of his death, Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic curator Siggi Loch dedicated an evening to commemorating this friend and mentor who had been like a father to him. For Nesuhi, jazz had no borders; this concert was a posthumous validation of the far-sightedness of that vision.

On the cultural world map, East-West today is synonymous with the tense relationship between Europe and Asia, between Occident and Orient. From the Renaissance to the present day, there have been repeated waves of enthusiasm for Eastern culture in the West. And for the hundred years or so that jazz has existed, it too has always tended to absorb elements from other cultures into its stylistic vocabulary. Conversely, artists from Eastern cultures have embraced jazz, fused it with their own traditions, revealing new and fascinating expressive possibilities.

Black String, the South Korean quartet led by geomungo player Yoon Jeong Heo, takes a 1500-year old Korean musical tradition and brings it into the modern era and into jazz in way which is totally compelling artistically. NES Trio with charismatic singer/cellist Nesrine Belmokh has a distinctive sound drawn from the musical melting pot of the Mediterranean region. A special guest is the Moroccan oud and guembri player Majid Bekkas, who has often brought the Gnawa blues of his homeland into projects ranging from “folklore imaginaire” to avant-garde jazz. And providing the perfect East-West link is French-Vietnamese guitarist Nguyên Lê, whose go-between role combining the worlds of jazz, rock and Asian folk music has been pioneering. Together they celebrate a meeting of East and West. Nesui Ertegün would have been overjoyed.

Release Date 29, May 2020

1 Aicha ( traditional)
2 Bye Bye ( composed by Nesrine Belmokh & Matthieu Saglio with lyrics by Nesrine Belmokh)
3 You Made It Hard For Me
( composed by Nesrine Belmokh & Matthieu Saglio with lyrics by Nesrine Belmokh)
4 Ahlam ( composed by Nesrine Belmokh & Matthieu Saglio with lyrics by Leïla Guinoun )
5 Rimitti ( composed by Nesrine Belmokh & Matthieu Saglio with lyrics by Leïla Guinoun )
6 Hanging Gardens Of Babylon ( Yoon Jeong Heo & Black String)
7 Elevation Of Light ( Yoon Jeong Heo & Black String)
8 Encore: Bania ( traditional)

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Recorded live in concert by Klaus Scheuermann
at the Berlin Philharmonie (KMS), November 20, 2019

Music is not a virus! Admittedly, it contaminates you with the melody, the lyrics, but it can be bought, discovered, hummed, tickles the hollow of your ear, is released on your lips ... Think of the artists, they illuminate your daily life and feed the memory of pretty refrains which will become memories.

POUR LIRE L’ARTICLE EN FRANÇAIS, SÉLECTIONNEZ DANS LE TRADUCTEUR EN HAUT A GAUCHE ANGLAIS PUIS FRANÇAIS