Toker Trio
Hakan Ali Toker
About
Toker Trio is a unique jazz ensemble blending the virtuosity of Lisztian piano techniques with the rich textures of Turkish makam and Middle Eastern rhythms. The group features a five-string cello that doubles as a bass instrument, and drums deeply rooted in traditional hand percussion styles, creating a sound that spans continents and musical traditions.
The trio’s repertoire consists primarily of original compositions and arrangements by Hakan A. Toker, merging jazz improvisation with the modal systems of Turkish music. Their debut album, Taurus Mountains, was critically acclaimed and recognized by Açık Radyo as one of the best jazz releases of 2019.
Experience their music through sample videos: Gymnopedie Orientale · Dolphins · Tongue Twister
Personnel
Murat Süngü
Coming from a family of life-long-supporting-musicians, Murat Süngü was born in Istanbul, 1973. He started to learn the violin at the age of 10. At 13 he started taking Western violin and music theory lessons from the famous Tayfun Gültekin, while at the same time taking Turkish music lessons from master musicians at The Üsküdar Music Society. Later he graduated from the Pera Fine arts Highschool cello department. He has served extensively at numerous orchestras and choirs, broadening his experience, repertoire and knowledge. While at Pera he also got to work with master classical musicians such as Yeşim and Naci Madanoğlu.
He is known as the most new and reformist musician of the post-modern process of the cello being adapted to Turkish traditional art music as well as other ethnic musical genres and that of the cello adding depth to the traditional Turkish string section. Thanks to his interest and training, he has gained high respect in Turkey as well as abroad for his achievements in the area fusing multiple world music genres.
As a conductor, stage and studio musician, he has worked with some of the most famous singers of the Turkish scene such as Muazzez Ersoy, Sibel Can, Bülent Ersoy, İbrahim Tatlıses. He is also the member of two most prestigous string ensembles in Turkey: Şenyaylar and KEM-PA.
The custom-made 5-string cello that he uses in Toker Trio enables him to assume a dual role, providing the best of both worlds: a plucked bass sound that’s just as rich as a doublebass, much more present and agile singing function for the solos, compared to a doublebass.
Erdem Göymen
Erdem Göymen began playing drums while he was a student at the Istanbul High School. He studied jazz drums in the Music Groups Program of Yıldız Technical University and graduated in 2009.
Since the beginning of the 2000s, he worked and took part in concerts with musicians such as Jehan Barbur, Tibet Ağırtan, Arto Tunç, Kudsi Ergüner, Selçuk Sun, Ayten Alpman, Önder Focan, Şenova Ülker, Hakan Vreskala, Kolektif İstanbul, Kardeş Türküler, Şirin Soysal, Selen Gülün, Demirhan Baylan, Korhan Futacı, and Utku Yurttaş.
He found opportunities to play with many well-known international musicians like Haltli and David Kweksilber. With the support of The German Ministry of Culture, he takes part in different projects and concerts every year in Germany with Utku Yurttaş and other musicians based in Germany. He plays in concerts with the support of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to present Turkish jazz abroad.
He currently takes part in music and stage performances with Sezen Aksu, Korhan Futacı and Kara Orkestra, Bajar, Bilal Karaman Quartet, Evrim Demirel Ensemble ve many other jazz groups. Giving lectures in the School of Hisar Educational Foundation for 2 years, the artist works with many students and prepares end-of-the-year performances with them. He continues his private lessons in his own studio.
Technical Requirements
Equipment
- A good quality acoustic grand piano in good condition. Together with its adjustable bench. Must be tuned the day of the performance.
- A good quality drum kit in good condition. Together with its adjustable bench.
- 2 music stands
- 1 armless chair
Sound System
- 2 overhead piano mics
- 1 line-in for the cello
- a standard set of mics for the drum kit, if the venue is rather large. Otherwise, drums can be heard acoustically.
- at least 2 main speakers, depending on the size of the hall
- 3 stage monitors (preferably with seperate mixes)
- A powered sound board
- Please NOTE: The sound system must be set-up and ready before soundcheck. There needs to be experienced staff running it.