İlhan Erşahin's İstanbul Sessions

İlhan Erşahin's İstanbul Sessions I Concert

Led by İlhan Erşahin, İstanbul Sessions meets the audience at Komünite on June 12 at 21:30 with their latest album, "Mahalle".

İlhan Erşahin, one of the influential figures in New York's underground music scene, brings together his multicultural musical approach—shaped through the Nublu club and record label he founded—in the İstanbul Sessions project. Spanning from jazz to electronic music, this production merges Eastern and Western musical languages within a narrative centered on Istanbul.

Joining İlhan Erşahin in İstanbul Sessions are bassist Alp Ersönmez, known for his presence on Turkey's major stages; İzzet Kızıl, who blends traditional and contemporary percussion textures; and Turgut Alp Bekoğlu, recognized from numerous diverse projects, on drums. The quartet transforms the stage language they've developed over years into a cinematic flow during live performances.

Released in January, the "Mahalle" album stands out as the sixth studio work of İstanbul Sessions, drawing inspiration from Istanbul's cultural fabric. Shaped around concepts of place, movement, and transformation, the album places the group's collaborative practice at its core. This new repertoire, built on interactions between saxophone, bass, drums, and percussion, evolves into an open-to-improvisation, layered narrative on stage.

The İstanbul Sessions concert offers a unique opportunity to experience live the musical line İlhan Erşahin has established between New York and Istanbul.

İlhan Erşahin's İstanbul Sessions:

Alp Ersönmez

Turgut Alp Bekoğlu

İzzet Kızıl

About İlhan Erşahin's İstanbul Sessions: Founded in Istanbul in 2008 by İlhan Erşahin, the project has maintained an unbroken connection with Istanbul's music scene since his first concert at the Akbank Jazz Festival in 1994. Having performed in Istanbul alongside New York-based musicians for years, Erşahin recognized the need for a new project rooted in the city, born from close collaborations and improvisations with local artists. Thus, İstanbul Sessions was created.

From its inception, the project aimed to transform instrumental music into an experience meant to be enjoyed standing up, without electronic backing, relying entirely on live performance, infused with energy close to rock and dance music. The lineup features bassist Alp Ersönmez, renowned for his command of Turkey's major stages; drummer Turgut Alp Bekoğlu, known from many varied projects; and percussionist İzzet Kızıl, with extensive studio and live performance experience. This strong stage history remains a fundamental element shaping the energy and compositional approach of İstanbul Sessions' live shows.

Diskography: Erik Truffaz appeared as a guest artist on the group's first album (2009). The second album, "Night Rider" (2012), revealed their original sound positioned between dance music and free jazz. The third album, "Istanbul Underground" (2015), was regarded as a musical summary of Istanbul's nightlife, the metropolis that never sleeps. The fourth studio album, "Solar Plexus" (2017), produced with Dave Harrington, offered an unrestricted musical direction featuring guests such as İbrahim Maalouf, Arto Tunçboyacıyan, Nils Petter Molvær, Mauro Refosco, Kenny Wollesen, Erik Truffaz, and Brandon Lewis. The post-pandemic album "Bir Zamanlar Şimdi" (2021) was produced by Grammy-winning Italian producer Tommaso Colliva.