Along The Street - Asiaminor - Turkey - songs album

1. 1959 - 8:10
2. Hüseyni Vals, (Waltz In Hüseyni) - 5:38
3. Boncuk, (Little Bead) - 4:29
4. Sokak Boyunca, (Along The Street) - 10:45
5. Zeybekvari, (Zeybek Like) - 6:25
6. Meric, (Maritsa) - 6:00
7. 9/8 'e Dogru, (Towards 9/8) - 8:08
8. Longaminör, (Minor Longa) - 6:12

"Along The Street" is the title of a CD by the Turkish group "Asiaminor", released by "Face Music Switzerland".
Contemporary and creative music which is equally characterised by updated traditional ethnic influences and by suspenseful dealing with additional material, for instance from the sectors of jazz, jazz rock and rock, in the meantime has become the trademark of "Face Music". The seventh production by this label even exceeds its own standards.

For "Asiaminor" is a quartet which fascinates both by virtue of its collective unity and by the soloistic talents of each musician. This constellation makes it possible to combine traditional Turkish music and influences from contemporary jazz in such a terse and incisive style that in this one case the term "Ethno jazz" is surely appropriate, although the four musicians probe their free space in such a way that such labels are right away becoming absurd.

Thus this CD is an example for possible statements that tie different nations and cultures with each other - nations and cultures which in the final analysis are only apparently in contradiction to each other. Peter Dürsteler

	- leader: Kamil Erdem - Ankara - Turkey Kamil Erdem born in Ankara, 1959. Began his musical career with classical guitar. As he used to play classical guitar, he devoted most of his efforts to the harmonising of Turkish music. After he took up bass, he carried on with the same idea, this time in the jazz discipline. In 1981 he meet Okay Temiz, and has been a member of Oriental Wind. With this group he played concerts both in Turkey and in Europe with outstanding Turkish and Swedish musicians. In 1990 he founded his own group "Asia minor". This has been a milestone in his career, as a composer and arranger. With "Asiaminor" he toured in many countries and played at international festivals in Turkey and abroad. In 1995 he played as quest artist for the Egyptian group "Sharkiat". Kamil Erdem has so far played concerts with various groups in Turkey, USA, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Hungary and Egypt.
	Festivals: 1991 - World Music Festival, Budapest - Hungary 1991 - Jazz Fest Wiesen, Austria 1995 - European Jazz Days Izmir - Turkey 1995 - Ankara International Music Festival - Turkey 1995 - Akbank International Jazz Festival Istanbul - Turkey 1996 - Ankara International Music Festival - Turkey 1996 - Istanbul International Jazz Festival - Turkey 1997 - European Jazz Days, Izmir
	Discography: 1991 - Asiaminor "Along the Street" - Face Music Switzerland 1996 - Sharkiat "Camel Road" - Face Music Switzerland 1996 - Asiaminor "Longa Nova" - Balet / DOST Record tip - (Kieler Neuste Nachrichten Sept. 16, 1993)

It is a fresh and artistically nature blend of traditional sound and modern jazz rock. Responsible for all compositions is E-bass player Kamil Erdem who was able to gather considerable experience already with Okay Temiz' "Oriental Wind". With the warm sound of his non-fretted instrument, he not only gives a solid nativeness to the transparent musical pieces, but with his solo excursions he also contributes to the lively interaction in the band which obviously greatly enjoys playing music.

Musikblatt 2/93
As the name already says: the foursome with E-bass, Kanun (a.k.a. Turkish zither), tenor flute or saxophone and drums comes from Turkey. The company classifies this product under the name "Ethno jazz", a designation which is both confirmed and exceeded. It's all the same! Rhythms and melody constantly move back and forth between Occident and Asia Minor which gives the rather long pieces of music a fascinating, permanent tension. Groups like "Oriental Express" would have like to have such a level.

The non-fretted bass appears more western and is played in a truly masterly way; of course the most distinct Ethno quote comes from the zither which I've never heard in this way - quite a few listening impressions would lead one to believe that someone plays the dulcimer or harp. Yet not just this tone, but the teamwork as well offers a great deal jazz Ethno. If I had to specially recommend one of the eight pieces of music, I would probably decide for "9/8'e Dogru (Towards 9/8"): do count along sometime!

Ethno jazzer with a successful music culture mix - (Donaukurier, Nov. 18, 1992)
It was a kind of musical whirlwind - to be classified under the heading "Ethno jazz" which the four musicians from Ankara triggered at the "Diagonal". An extraordinary listening experience was offered by the Kanun, a zither like string instrument, which carried the Turkish roots of the melodies, yet which can also create jazz harmonies and synthesiser sounds. Of its 72 strings, 3 at time form a tone. When finally Yaha Dai exchanged the saxophone for the recorder, listeners imagines that they were in the mountains of Anatolia. From the very beginning, the musical dominance of the E-bass was clear. Kamil Erdem played his non-fretted instrument with fascinating perfection, took dancing and swaying melodies, played parts full of variation alternately with sax and Kanun - a bass player with great potential. The band's pointed, rhythmic transitions were extraordinary as well. The experiment, i.e. to combine jazz and classical Turkish music, has succeeded in any case.

	Face Music - Catalog - Asiaminor
	Along The Street - Asiaminor - Ethno-Jazz