Sevda featuring Salih Baysal: Live at Jazzhus Montmartre
From Jazz | Sverige ’72, Maffy Falay took a stripped-down version of Sevda and Salih Baysal across Europe, stopping over in Copenhagen, at Jazzhus Montmartre (1972) to record this live performance. Although there is a quintet, what sticks in the mind is the high and lonesome wail of Baysal’s violin. Falay had curated a myriad Turkish folk tunes and he opens the book on them here, virtually handing the floor to Baysal to play all of them virtually by himself; or at least that’s how the listener will remember the album to be – so imposing a presence is the violinist’s. Also, quite unbeknownst to many, the drummer Okay Temiz was extending his footprint into the nascent “World Music” planet. Sitting behind a very unusual looking drums-set made from beaten copper, clad in a variety of patterned shirts, Temiz brings a delicate balance between the music he played with Don Cherry rhythms and his deeper Turkish sensibility to this recording. “Ya Mustafa” is, perhaps, the most memorable song on this recording.
Track List – Taksim; Misket; Ya Mustafa; Çifte Telli; Köçekce; Oyun Havasi; Çadirimin üstüne; Karşilama; Çadirimin üstüne (Da Capo); Naciye; Kürt Ali
Personnel – Maffy Falay: trumpet, piano and darbuka; Salih Baysal: violin; Gunnar Bergsten: baritone saxophone; Ove Gustavsson: bass; Okay Temiz: drums and darbuka
Sevda: Live on Swedish Television (1972)
Far from being the bonus “extra” freeloading onto this exquisite package, this DVD features two monumental improvisations by the expanded group from the Jazz| Sverige ’72 date. Both pieces allow the musicians to stretch out. It is an opportunity that Rosengren, Bergsten and Gustafsson relish enormously. Their treatment of the material remains one of the most compelling reasons why this music is so enduring. And here is also captivating evidence that this nascent musical idiom survived almost completely because of the curiosity and support of Swedish media, who – like the BBC – continue to play an unbiased role in the appreciation and spread of all art.
Track List – 1: Sevda Love, Part 1 (Video); 2: Sevda Love, Part 2 (Video)
Personnel – Maffy Falay: trumpet, flugelhorn, piano and flute; Bernt Rosengren: tenor saxophone and silver flute; Salih Baysal: violin; Gunnar Bergsten: baritone saxophone and flute; Ove Gustafsson: double bass; Okay Temiz: drums and darbuka; Akay Temiz: darbuka
Label – Caprice Records
