Sanlikol Featuring Dave Liebman

Grammy-nominated composer Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol presents ground-breaking jazz orchestra and trio music steeped in Middle Eastern cadences that draw from Turkish, mystical Sufi rituals, Sephardic Jewish musical elements, and more. In this double album release event, first Sanlıkol and his trio will perform “An Elegant Ritual” followed by “The Rise Up,” an extended epic composition for jazz orchestra commissioned by NEA Jazz Master saxophonist Dave Liebman. While “An Elegant Ritual” is structured after the Turkish (whirling dervish) Sufi rituals and John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme,” “The Rise Up” features jazz icon Dave Liebman along with traditional Turkish instruments and voices. The 25-piece orchestra will be conducted by Ken Schaphorst, chair of the Jazz department at New England Conservatory.