Mustafa Kandirali & Ensemble

Mustafa Kandirali is probably the most famous living Turkish clarinetist and, arguably, the finest. Like most traditional clarinet players he comes from a Gypsy background and possesses a phenomenal degree of virtuosity. Since childhood he has been a professional musician and commands a huge repertoire encompassing many genres - not only Gypsy traditions but also classical, pop, folk dance and traditional song. To all these he brings an instantly recognisable manner of playing that entails fearless improvisation, subversive high spirits and some characteristic technical tricks - in particular a kind of slide - that he applies to all genres.“ Kandirali, as no performer before him, embodies the melting pot that is Turkey – a bridge between the multifaceted musical cultures of East and West. His astounding absorption and synthesis of diverse jazz idioms earned him the nickname “Benny Goodman of the Near East”. No wonder that, after hearing Mustafa Kandirali play in Istanbul, Louis Armstrong immediately seized the opportunity to jam with him. His mastery is underscored by his playful treatment of seemingly disparate elements of popular and classical music, belly dance and jazz, which he never fails to drive to the peak of ecstatic perfection. Packed football stadiums attest to the fact that many consider him to be the last great soloist on this instrument. . Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.