Timucin Sahin

“A nimble guitarist and a scintillating composer.” The New York Times- 2009 “Sahin’s guitar playing soars in a confluence of high art and earthiness. “ Guitar Player Magazine- 2010 “Turkish-born/New York-based guitarist Timucin Sahin is one of those artists who defines the avant-garde genre." Guitar International- 2010 "Very impressive, visceral yet also cerebral and feisty..” Downbeat Magazine- 2013 Timucin Sahin has been recognized as one of today’s truly unique voices of contemporary jazz music by publications such as San Francisco Bay Guardian, AllaboutJazz, Jazzwise, Downbeat and Jazz-Times as well as by many others. His unique sound on fretless electric guitar and his emotional content in his composing made him non-comparable and his music almost impossible to categorize. Both his compositions and his playing on his double-neck guitar – his trademark – radiate an incomparable individualism. His music is drawn from a wide body of knowledge and experience, often developed from his considerable skills as a guitarist. He employs improvisation but in ways hard to separate from the sound of his notated music. His music is characterized by a delicacy of instrumental imagination and rhythmic structures, which have much flexibility though clearly pulse derived. Audiophile audition described his music as follows: “There is a lot going on in Sahin's ample assortment of tones and experimentation and his approach to composition and performance necessitates active involvement. But to apply a one-time film student's simile, it is like delving into a David Lynch or Atom Egoyan movie: on subsequent tries understanding and insight start to occur. “ Timucin Sahin, born in Turkey, immigrated to Holland as a young man to study jazz guitar and classical composition in Hilversum and Amsterdam Conservatories. Then he continued his studies at the Manhattan School of Music. He was awarded first prize at the prestigious Dutch Jazz Competition in 2001 and second prizes at the Jur Naessens Music Award in 2002, and Deloitte Jazz Award in 2006. His third record as a leader “BAFA” is widely regarded as one of the most unique and uncompromising jazz recordings of contemporary jazz of today. Raul d'Gama Rose at All About Jazz wrote: “The language of saxophone-guitar dialogues has never been the same after Coleman's legendary Harmolodic duels with Pat Metheny. There is a chance that Timucin Sahin may have crossed that horizon after all, with Bafa” He recently released his quintet album "INHERENCE" which is reviewed by Downbeat as "very impressive, visceral yet also cerebral and feisty quintet album".

Timucin Sahin played and/or recorded with Randy Brecker, Greg Osby, Robin Eubanks, Kai Eckhardt, Mike Mainieri, Mark Turner, Tony Moreno, Aydin Esen, Gene Jackson, Dave Kikoski, Ernst Reizeger, John O’ Gallagher, Owen Hart Jr, Donny McCaslin, Tyshawn Sorey, Thomas Morgan, Ralph Alessi, Tom Rainey, Sean Rickman, Loren Stillman, Russ Lossing, Dan Weiss, Concertgebouw Jazz orchestra, to name a few. He has composed for and commissioned by Amsterdam Percussion Group, Occult Ensemble, Mivos String Quartet, Timetable Percussion Ensemble,Enric Monfort Ensemble, Ere Lievonen, Verso, Amsterdam Conservatory Symphonic Orchestra, Brisk Quartet, TobeSung, Loadbang and others. Timucin shares his concepts about his sui-generis guitar playing and composing in masterclass situations. Notable engagements include: Manhattan School of Music New York (USA), NYU New York (USA), Amsterdam Conservatory (NL), Tilburg Conservatory (NL). Timucin Sahin is also a PhD candidate in composition at NYU Arts and Science and has been conducting his PhD thesis. PRESS QUOTES ABOUT SAHIN’S MUSIC: “No doubt, Sahin is an artist who possesses a unique vision. He transmits an abundance of nouveau ideas and persuasions throughout this rather incomparable studio date.” – Glenn Astarita Ejazz- November 20, 2009. “Bafa is a well-conceived, bold statement that draws heavily on the musicianship of the players and the adventuresome nature of the improvisations to reach its intended audience. The result is an album that in one hand challenges the listener’s concept of modern jazz, while in the other hand it connects to the audience through its strong conversational aspects and the interconnectedness of the quartet as a whole.” Dr. Matt Warnock Guitar International- January 20, 2010. “Sahin’s sound on the doubleneck is impeccable, as is his emotionally fuelled control of his instrument. With almost an hour of music, Bafa showcases Sahin in his element working with electrifying, gifted musicians. The chemistry of the players forms the foundation of this record, allowing the guitarist’s performance to soar up where it belongs”.Jordan Richardson- December 4, 2009. "Coming to New York by way of Holland from Turkey, Sahin is right in the free jazz thick of things as he might be an ax man but he composes for an Ornette Coleman comeback, and we don’t mean smooth jazz style. Polyrhymic with a rocker’s core, this is certainly for the left leaning, sitting down jazz fan that appreciates a good amphetamine rush along the way." Chris Spector Midwest Record- June 6, 2009. “For Turkish guitarist Timucin Sahin, jazz merely serves as a name for a set of conventions he embroiders with forward-looking compositions, improvisation, and timbres on his new record Window for My Breath. Filtered through the kaleidoscopic vision of Sahin and his crack band, bassist Kai Eckhardt and drummer Owen Hart Jr., the pieces effortlessly move between meters and textures, dropping in polyrhytms before swinging or conjuring the avant-funk of Victor Wooten without any of the feel-good virtuosity pills. They touch upon raga and reggae over occasional bursts of ambient computer noises that blurp, bleep, and awe.” Alex K. Fong, San Francisco Bay Guardian- February 2006. “From Turkey comes Timucin Sahin with Slick Road, an album that shows how far away from the American tradition jazz has drifted, all the while remaining vibrant and true to its essence.” All About Jazz- February 2004. “For those with an interest in expanding their musical boundaries and hearing how other traditions can expand the musical palette of improvisation, Timucin Sahin’s Slick Road is well worth the listen.” Jazzview- March 2004. “With a voracious musical appetite that includes African, Indian and more traditional western jazz and contemporary classical music, Sahin has fashioned a sound that is an intriguing blend.” John Kelman- March 2004. “I wish to say that I think Timucin Sahin an original composer of a variety of music which is difficult to categorize. His music is drawn from a wide body of knowledge and experience, often developed from his considerable skills as a guitarist. In his solo performances as well as with other musicians, he sometimes employs improvisation but in ways hard to separate from the sound of his notated music. This I find noteworthy. His music is characterized by a delicacy of instrumental imagination and rhythmic structures which have much flexibility though clearly pulse derived.” Nils Vigeland, Chairman, Dept Composition Manhattan School of Music -May 2003. DISCOGRAPHY AS A BAND LEADER: 2001 - “The Unexpected” with the band “On the Line” Winner Dutch Jazz Competition 2001 www.trytone.org TT 559-010 2003 - “Slick Road” Timucin Sahin : Electric & fretless guitars & compositions Robin Eubanks : Trombone Hein vd Geyn : Bass Afra Mussawisade : Percussions B.C. Manjunath : Indian percussions www.kalan.com CD 282 2005 - “Window for My Breath” Timucin Sahin : Electric & fretless guitars, live electronics Kai Eckhardt : Electric fretless bass Owen Hart Jr. : Drums www.kalan.com CD 355 2009- “Bafa” Timucin Sahin :7 string fretless&6 string fretted guitars, compositions Tyshawn Sorey :Drums Thomas Morgan :Bass John O’Gallagher :Alto saxaphone Between the Lines Records BTLCHR 71221 http://www.betweenthelines.de/en/cddetails/btlchr71221.shtml 2013- “Inherence” Timucin Sahin :7 string fretless&6 string fretted guitars, compositions Tyshawn Sorey :Drums Chris Tordini :Bass John O’Gallagher :Alto saxaphone Ralph Alessi : Trumpet Between the Lines Records BTLCHR 71233 http://www.betweenthelines.de/en/cddetails/btlchr71233.shtml For more information: http://www.timucinsahin.net/

Awards

2000 Winner Dutch Jazz Competition 2001 Jur Naessens Muziek Prijs 2006 Second Prize @ Deloitte jazz Award