Turkish Music on Piano

About the Album

This is Hakan’s second solo albüm printed (but not published) in the USA. It features classical, pianistic arrangements of well-known traditional Turkish tunes, performed semi-improvisationally.

Notes

You are a song; you are now far away but either way one summer day you will come to me from the other end of the world, calling me your “altar”. Then we will spend many blissful nights under the pine trees! ( This is a humorous title combining the names of several songs in waltz time by traditional Turkish composers) Ilgaz is a mountain range in northwest Anatolia , Turkey. Hakan A. Toker, piano Dale Langdon, percussion (Sadi Işılay - Sultaniyegah Sirto) (Anonymous - Spoon Dance) Sultaniyegah is a traditional Turkish scale/makam. Sirto is a traditional instrumental form which has common Turkish-Greek roots. Kasap Havası (Tr.) or Hasapiko (Gr.) is a traditional line-dance originally danced by the Greek butchers of old Istanbul, nowadays also popular in Turkish weddings. Hakan A. Toker, piano Dale Langdon, percussion

Tracklist

01. Refik Talat Alpman - Mahur Saz Semaisi
02. Waltz Medley: You Are a Song
03. Münir Nurettin Selçuk - Sunset of the Sufis
04. Muzaffer Ilkar - Mean and Sweet Woman
05. Saip Eğüz - Ilgaz*
06. Anonymous - Spoon Dance
07. Sadi Işılay - Sultaniyegah Sirto*
08. Anonymous - Butcher Dance*