Ud Taksimleri CDs

I came across a couple of CDs advertised online recently, and was wondering if anyone on here had experience of them? There are some short clips available and they sounds good, but you never know when a synthesizer might kick in just after the clip ends!

The first CD, "16 Makamda Ud Taksimleri" by various artists is unfortunately no longer available - see:

http://www.tulumba.com/storeItem.asp?ic=MU9399084CG846

(Anyone have this and want to do a trade?)

The second CD, "Ud Taksimleri" by Ergin Kizilay, is by quite a well known player, but I have always thought of him as a "purveyor of cheese", shall we say. This disc sounds ok though, but would be good to hear others' opinions - see:

http://www.tulumba.com/storeItem.asp?ic=MU939377DV692

Many thanks

David

Hi John

You could be right about the cassette - it may have been reissued in CD form?

I seem to remember listening to a few of his cassettes in a music shop (or was it an elevator? ) in Istanbul and being rather underwhelmed, but the sound samples from this CD on the website sound ok. Assuming they are actually from that CD of course!! Like you say though, there is other quality Turkish stuff out there I would probably reach for first.

Any thoughts on the other "Ud Taksimleri" CD?

All the best

David

Quote: Originally posted by David Parfitt

Any thoughts on the other "Ud Taksimleri" CD?

Ergin Kizilay was one of the first Turkish oud players I ever heard, and b/c of the sheer number of his releases, was considered by me as the standard for traditional Turkish oud playing for a long time.

When I was younger I was very interested in meeting as many old Greek oud players in the US as I could, b/c we are so rare here and also b/c they experienced a hey day of music and opportunities in the 60s and 70s that no longer exists. I'm a sucker for history and anecdotal stories, even if they are only 10% true...

I'll never forget one particular meeting I had with an older gentleman in Ohio, who due to health problems no longer even tuned his oud up. I ecstatically gave him a copy of the Trad. Crossroads release of Udi Yorgo Batzanos recordings which I had recently discovered. He had never heard of him (!), but immediately responded by mailing me a cassette of a Kizilay taksim album with a short note saying: This is oud, that other guy plays too fast - he thinks he's playing bouzouki!

So, it is just an interesting phenomenon that most Greek oud players/musicians were completely out of touch with one of our greatest musicians in recent history up until a short time ago. So much so that often, the stereotype of "party" oud was considered (and still often considered) the only real oud sound, and even though artists like Batzanos were pushing the limits almost 100 years ago, they are seen as too progressive.

These days, though most Greeks in the US are from regions that don't recognize the oud, those that do most often see it in that very specific context: playing chiftetelli and the occasional, heavy "OUSAK" taksim. As thankful as I am for the rare chance to work with my oud in a traditional setting for Greeks, I do wonder if I'll ever get a request for a taksim in a makam other than "OUSAK" - Hijaz anyone? Rast? Segah?

Quote: Originally posted by Jono Oud N.Z

Hi. The Ergin Kizilay solo taksim album is actually pretty good. He also plays with Halil Karaduman (kanun)and Ercument Batanay (yayli tanbur) who are some of the best players around so he can't be too bad. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plh5DFScctg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbX2A4CM_A4

Quote: Originally posted by David Parfitt

Hi John Definitely worth pursuing that idea. Funnily enough though, I managed to buy an out-of-print Turkish CD by Osman Nuri Ozpekel here in the UK yesterday! All the best David

Wow! Do you mean the CD with the fountain on the cover? How did you swing that? I've been looking for that one for a while.

-J

I think we are all entitled to our opinions, and I don't think I offered my opinion in a disrespectrul manner. Please remember the original context of my comments, i.e., in response to David's request for opinions whether he should purchase CDs.

Ergin Kizilay is certainly a competent ud player in the traditional Turkish style...very active left hand...lots of çarpma. I am listening to his CD right now. It's nice, but would I advise all fellow Forum members to go out and buy it? I don't know. If I were looking for an exemplar to demonstrate to someone Turkish ud taksim style--for example, how's it's different from Arabic style--his recoreding preferable to that of more imaginative performers, precisely because their styles are less "typical" and less traditional. But, listening, I am reminded why I don't listen to it very often. On the other hand, if you were to ask me whose CDs you should go out and buy, I would suggest others, Necati, Yurdal, Munir Nurettin Beken, Mehmet Bitmez. etc.

Peace oud...I mean "out,"
John

Quote: Originally posted by morereverb

sorry to re awaken this after almost a year, but does anyone know if there are liner notes in English to the above mentioned compilation(http://www.tulumba.com/storeItem.asp?ic=MU9399084CG846) ? I have the tracks, I can't remember where I downloaded them from, but I'm not sure who the players are.......any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks very much lloyd Thayer Concord Mass usa