NOVA MUZAK, FALL #1
ALEXANDER VON SCHLIPPENBACH TRIO & GHÉDALIA TAZARTÈS

A joint project of Borusan Sanat and Kod Müzik, the Nova Muzak Series which started in November 2011 goes on to enliven our lives with the sounds of established or alternative names.

Legendary German pianist Alex von Schlippenbach, one of the most prominent figures of European free jazz and a true improvization master, is coming to Istanbul at the age of 78! His music mixes free and contemporary classical elements, with his slashing solos often the link between the two in his compositions. Schlippenbach began taking lessons at eight, and studied at the Staatliche Hochschule for Musik in Cologne with composers Bernd Alois Zimmermann and Rudolf Petzold. He formed The Globe Unity Orchestra in 1966 to perform the piece “Globe Unity”, which had been commissioned by the Berliner Jazztage. He remained involved with the orchestra into the ‘80s. Then came the trio he formed with his friend Evan Parker and Paul Lovens in the beginning of the ‘70s and they still perform! It is one of Schlippenbach’s merits to do innovative things with small bands. This trio’s 1972 recording Pakistani Pomade is indisputably one of the items on every jazz lover’s must-listen list. Today Schlippenbach still composes, leads and plays... He is one of the most original figures of the experimental music and insists on staying low profile. Having said that Parisian Ghédalia Tazartès is a most hidden treasure for many music critics. The French cult artist is an uncompromising character who defies categorization. He recorded alone a dozen of albums, calling his way of working “Impromuz” for lack of a better term. Before the years 2000s, his public appearances remained exceptional events. Ghédalia Tazartès’ music has always been a mystery. It switches from musique concrète to – existing or invented – ethnic music, from poetry to noise, or from loops and collages to sad and extremely beautiful tunes in a second, but it constantly is in flux and coherent. In 2004, he finally and thankfully decided to do live performances again and we will be hearing his avant-garde music just before the great Alex von Schlippenbach.