Tracks:

1. Yürüyecek Kim Var ki?
2. Bir Yarın Su Bir Yarın Taş
3. Sorma
4. Rüzgârında Savrulsam da
5. Bir Varmış Bir Yokmuş
6. Vur Kendini Yollara

For more information please visit the album page.

New Release: Once Upon A Time yazısı ilk önce Burak Kaya üzerinde ortaya çıktı.

Climate Change – Teaser yazısı ilk önce Burak Kaya üzerinde ortaya çıktı.

Songs For Cango yazısı ilk önce Burak Kaya üzerinde ortaya çıktı.

Uludere Requiem yazısı ilk önce Burak Kaya üzerinde ortaya çıktı.

Guitarist Burak Kaya comes from Turkey along with his team of Ozan Muslouglu/b and Yinon Muallem/perc for a collection of soothing and adroitly swinging originals. He’s got a delicate tone with a winning lilt, displayed on “Hasankeyf” and “Eylemciler.” The trio uses space well on the alluring and soohting “Gezi Parki” and there is a calm bal on pieces such as “Tree Cutter Bridge.” The rhythm team adds some latin touches on “HES Off” and the whole band gets exotic on “Gerze.” Kaya has a rich sound with the strings, and although he sounds masterful, his lyricism sounds sensitive and thoughtful. A real charmer.

George W.Harris, 01.07.2016
(Jazz Weekly) »» »»

Review by George W.Harris (Jazz Weekly) yazısı ilk önce Burak Kaya üzerinde ortaya çıktı.

BURAK KAYA [gtr] is from Turkey from where he has issued, CLIMATE CHANGE [Weplay 8680275 090405], a trio set [Ozan Musluoglu-b Yinon Muallem-perc] playing 9 Kaya originals [46:47]. The music is drawn by Kaya’s concern not just for climate change but that which has already been threatened by man’s destruction and plundering. And no matter how honorable or misguided you may feel about Kaya’s concerns, this is about the resultant music. Kaya here plays acoustic guitar with nylon strings which he writes, creates (a) natural acoustic sound. The sound here is very gentle and while at first listen this did not strike me as particularly jazz neither is it folk or world so as it is syncopated and has lilt. By the third listen it stayed pleasant and, yes, jazz it is. His playing is reflective of no one in particular, though Lenny Breau came to mind at times. Kaya is largely self taught and Turkey is far from the World’s jazz centers so hurray for individuality. This wears very well, very well indeed.

Robert D.Rusch, January 2016
(Cadence Magazine) »» »»

Review by Robert D.Rusch (Cadence Magazine) yazısı ilk önce Burak Kaya üzerinde ortaya çıktı.

Guitarist Burak Kaya’s Climate Change is a self-produced “message album” designed to heighten awareness of humans’ destruction of the ecosystem, adorned with 13-year-old Filipino artist Trisha Co Reyes’ provocative painting of a young girl drawing aside black and white curtains covered with images of pollution to reveal a colorful utopia of birds and beasts. Like the painting, Kaya’s chord changes are lush and chromatic, evidently inspired by Brazilian bossa nova and rendered with a delicate touch on classical guitar. Supported by the fleet-fingered bass playing of Ozan Musluoğlu, whose solos provide some of the album’s more dramatic moments, and minimalist hand percussion of Yinon Muallem, Kaya’s gentle compositions ebb and flow like waves on a beach, but would profit from more of the dark tension represented by the fish skeletons and noxious fumes on the curtains of Co Reyes’ painting—tension hinted at, but insufficiently explored, on tracks like “Ağaçkesen Köprüsü (Tree Cutter Bridge)” and “Gerze”.

For more information, visit burakkaya.com.tr

Tom Greenland, June 2015
(The New York City Jazz Record) »» »»

Review by Tom Greenland (The New York City Jazz Record) yazısı ilk önce Burak Kaya üzerinde ortaya çıktı.

I was given the honor and pleasure of reviewing a new CD by an amazing guitarist and composer from Istanbul, Turkey, Burak Kaya. The CD is entitled “Climate Change”. I did not know of him or his work, nor did I have any preconceived notions of what his music was like. Listening to it and making notes on his music turned out to be an unexpected pleasure.

Track 1 is “Activists”. It begins with solo guitar with soft percussion. He plays a nylon-stringed guitar, and this song has a highly syncopated rhythmic motif. His chordal playing of the motif is not reflective of any stereotypical “ethnic” style. It is simply a very personal feeling, bouncing, driving rhythm which catches your ear immediately. The texture is impressive; the drums add more cymbals, then Kaya intersperses single lines at times, developing the motif without straying. The bass enters, the guitar comps, and the percussion moves to soft shakers. A well-crafted and well played composition, with the attention given to texture most impressive.

Track 2 is “Gezi Park”, a jagged, staccato motif between guitar and bass. The percussion enters, adding to the funky, jagged feel. Halfway through the development, there is a change of feel to a sultry swing feel. It is reminiscent of an Ellington/Strayhorn theme, lilting block chords leading the way. A fine bass solo with a slight “Gypsy” feel follows with a lot of percussive effects in the solo. Excellent track.

Track 3 is “Hasankeyf”. This starts as a solo guitar block chord balls, a beautiful melody which switches between major and minor tonality. It then breaks into a light swing feel with the bass; lots of nice single lines against the bass, followed by 4-to-the-bar comping behind the bass solo. The bass then drops out, returning the feel to the solo guitar ballad. A beautifully crafted composition, with great attention paid to the interplay of the instrumentation.

Track 4 is “Emek Movie Theatre”. This starts as a trio, a soft, slow, swaying melody, like winds blowing across an oasis, for lack of a better description. The chordal statement of the melody pulses in unison with bass and percussion. There is some very nice chordal soloing on guitar. This song is driven by pulsing drum rhythms throughout. It is less adventurous harmonically than the previous ones, but the swaying rhythms carry the whole song magnificently.

Track 5 is “HES Off”. This is another rhythm-driven track with the trio in full force. It is similar to track 4 in the pulsing swaying rhythm, but this song is much richer harmonically. There are more single-note lines in Kaya’s solo, and his improvisations stay admirably close to the theme, developing it beautifully. Beautiful song, beautifully played.

Track 6 is “Tree Cutter Bridge”; again, this track is driven by strong pulsing rhythms, but it is quite different from the previous ones. This one was reminiscent of some of John Stowell’s dissonant, close-voicing, arpeggiated lines, but with very highly syncopated feel from the trio. You CANNOT sit still when this one is playing; your foot will be tapping or you will be swaying along. It is that catching. The bass sound on this track is especially striking, with a very deep, clear tone. There is tremendous interplay between the bass and guitar which highlights the highly developed musicianship which fills this entire CD.

Track 7 is “Istanbul Cycleways”. This is just a short snippet of a musical idea, just a few seconds long, reminiscent of biking in Istanbul. Quite novel ides, to suggest the musical motif, then abruptly leave it open for the imagination to finish, perhaps as an indication that the bike paths need to be lengthened???? Very clever!!!

Track 8 is “Climate Change”, an apparent nod to the need to correct our haphazard use of Mother Nature’s bounties. Upon listening, it is quickly apparent that this is the intention of the track. The chordal statement of the melody with its swaying rhythms, alludes to the harmony in life when the condition of the Earth is respected. The bass and drums enter, adding to the texture, and the feeling that the 3 instruments are in harmony, as we would be if we cared for the planet as we should. Then the solos, a single-line solo from the guitar followed by a great bass solo with harmonics and terrific percussive effects, seems to point towards a dissonant, fractured feeling, evoking the misuse of the world’s resources. The following percussion solo continues to develop this theme. Suitably, there is no “ending” stated, as our needs to control consumption is still a work in progress. A well crafted composition which fits the subject matter magnificently.

Track 9 is “Gerze”. It begins with a very open solo guitar statement with very wide, quintal-sounding arpeggiation over an intermittent drone bass note; there is an abrupt change of pace and rhythm as the bass and drums enter. The song builds in a very “folk song” feel around a different, syncopated arpeggiated melody. It builds and builds until there is another abrupt change of rhythm and melody, played in block-chord style by the guitar. This song keeps you off balance throughout, never giving you the expected, the ordinary; this track, and the whole CD are like nothing familiar to “Western” ears, but the entirety of this CD was a breath of fresh air, some music going in unexpected ways and unusual places, generally driven by bouncing, catchy rhythms but always filled with musicianship of the highest order.

The three musicians, Burak Kaya on guitar, Ozan Musluoglu on bass and Yinon Muallem on percussion have a sympathy with each other that makes every track on this CD an enjoyable adventure. HIGHLY recommended.

James Seaberry for JGS, 13 May 2015,
Reviews – Jazz Guitar Society »» »»

Review by James Seaberry (Jazz Guitar Society) yazısı ilk önce Burak Kaya üzerinde ortaya çıktı.

Turkish guitarist Burak Kaya’s Climate Change is a socially conscious album with a definite political theme. It does not, however, “scream” its civic message boisterously or with an aggressive style. Instead, its nine originals unfurl with a peaceful yet gripping feel and pastel colored hues with a memorable vibe.

The dramatic “Gezi Park,” named after the location of the Istanbul protests against (initially) urban development, opens with a series of expectant brief bursts of collective phrases that roll with martial precision. Kaya ushers a nocturnesque ambience with his complex strums and intense poetic flair. His guitar takes center stage with a bluesy nostalgia and Djangoesque Joie De Vivre. Bassist Ozan Musluoglu’s lyrical solo progresses with thrilling agility before percussionist Yinon Muallem’s angular beats usher in the concluding head.

Musluoğlu showcases his oud like lyricism on the paean to “Emek Movie Theater,” the historic cinema that was torn down to make room for a mall. Tangoesque passion peppers the wistful, romantic piece adding to its mellifluous nature.

Kaya’s haunting refrains mark the title track with powerful emotive tones. Darkly hued elements lace the guitarist’s virtuoso improvisation while Muallem’s thrilling polyrhythms are full of elegant subtle anger.

The seamless camaraderie among the three musicians results in captivating harmonic textures on “Gerze.” The tune dedicated to the historic town threatened by coal mining brims with folk motifs, spiritual hints and a mystical rumble. The result is intriguing and captivating, as it is simultaneously raw and sophisticated.

There are also upbeat moments on this delightful album. The fast paced “He’s Off” for instance has plenty of humor but with a lilting undercurrent of melancholy. A celebratory atmosphere meanwhile characterizes the bright “Activists.”

With this stimulating and conceptually unified record, Kaya, with the support of his talented band mates, has created a refreshingly unique work. It is a disc that gracefully increases awareness to the environmental impact of human greed both in his home country and worldwide. This makes “Climate Change” an artistic statement that is both timely and timeless and one that also manages to charm and captivate.

Track Listing: Eylemcller (Activists); Gezi Parki (Gezi Park); Hasankeyf; Emek Sinemasi (Emek Movie Theater); HES’ Tir Git (HE’S Off); Agackesen Koprusu (Tree Cutter Bridge); Istanbul Bisiklet Yollari (Istanbul Cycleways); Iklim Degisikligi (Climate Change); Gerze.

Personnel: Burak Kaya: guitar; Ozan Musluoglu: double bass; Yinon Muallem: percussion.
Record Label: Self Produced
Style: Modern Jazz

Hrayr Attarian, 06 Nisan 2015
CD Review – All About Jazz »» »»

Review by Hrayr Attarian (All About Jazz) yazısı ilk önce Burak Kaya üzerinde ortaya çıktı.

Turkish guitarist Burak Kaya sees climate change as the greatest challenge facing mankind. On the sleeve of his album of the same name, he cites a Cree proverb: “Only when the last tree has been cut down, the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught, will man finally realize that we cannot eat money.”

He offers this disk as a ray of light in an increasingly dark world. The label and cover pictures by teenage Filipino artist Trisha Co Reyes show a little girl drawing back grey curtains decorated with skulls and the stumps of felled trees to reveal a magical world of animals and plants saved from extinction.

Some idea of Kaya’s commitment may be gained from his description of the opening song,”Activists.” He says it is a tribute to “environmental activists from different parts of the world who have set off from their own region to fight for the future of the whole planet.”

“Gezi Park,” “Hasankeyf” and “Gerze” are all Turkish ecological flashpoints. “Emek Movie Theater” celebrates a building from 1884 by architect Alexandre Vallaury which was torn down in 2013, victim of President Recep Tayip Erdogan’s almost manic desire that Turkey should be seen to be part of the modern world.

“Tree Cutter Bridge” celebrates the forests to the north of Istanbul threatened by the construction of the third Bosphorus bridge, which began in 2013, and “HES Off” describes the damage inflicted on the Turkish environment by hydroelectric schemes.

Few can doubt his sincerity when it comes to the environment, but what of Kaya’s music? He’s an accomplished guitarist but as a composer relies a little too heavily on harmony. Most of his songs are complex chord clusters linked by runs. Melody is neglected.

Parts of “Gezi Park,” “Hasankeyf” and the title track break this mould to excellent effect and hint tantalisingly at the possibility of greater things further down the line.

If, that is, we’re permitted to get there by the people busy wrecking the planet in defiance of that Cree proverb.

Track Listing: Eylemcller (Activists); Gezi Parki (Gezi Park); Hasankeyf; Emek Sinemasi (Emek Movie Theater); HES’ Tir Git (HE’S Off); Agackesen Koprusu (Tree Cutter Bridge); Istanbul Bisiklet Yollari (Istanbul Cycleways); Iklim Degisikligi (Climate Change); Gerze.

Personnel: Burak Kaya: guitar; Ozan Musluoglu: Yinon Muallem: percussion.
Record Label: Self Produced
Style: Modern Jazz

Chris Mosey, 02 Mart 2015
CD Review – All About Jazz »» »»

Review by Chris Mosey (All About Jazz) yazısı ilk önce Burak Kaya üzerinde ortaya çıktı.