Turkish-born pianist
Fahir Atakoglu has moved to the U.S. - Maryland in particular -- to continue his vision quest for musical knowledge that sees few boundaries ahead. Past recordings have seen him in symphonic and cinematic formats, with contemporary or funky rhythm mates, and the best modern musicians to challenge and elevate his already virtuosic playing. In the case of
Faces & Places, all those elements are present at once, helped along by a string ensemble, some tasteful synthesizer garnishes, and the presence of heavyweights like
Bob Mintzer,
Randy Brecker,
John Patitucci, and his regular drummer, the fabulous
Horatio "El Negro" Hernandez. Where
Atakoglu's music always has the dune sand and sun eroticism of his homeland, here it also incorporates Brazilian sounds, beats stemming from American rhythm & blues, and a soothing orchestral undercoating not at all obtrusive like some of the syrupy
CTI recordings of the '70s. It's fun to hear the pianist and
Brecker dig into the slashing
"N.Y.-Retrospective" with all of the vigor of Seventh Avenue South skunk funk halcyon days, and in a similar mode via 7/8 time for
"Seven," with
Patitucci's bass and
Wayne Krantz's distorted guitar setting the pace and tone respectively. Then there's the active Middle Eastern funk of
"High Street," the beautiful combination of cascading Turkish mysticism and luscious samba during
"Faces" in 14/8 with voices, strings, and
Mintzer's sax, or how
Rene Toledo's flamenco guitar is blended into the busy
"Mediterranean" in a facade not so unlike that of
Chick Corea's music.
Atakoglu's exceptional hyper piano during
"Rio Da Noite" is again situated as a juxtaposition versus
Romero Lubambo's tropical guitar, while synthesizers and string convene for
"...And Places," easily the most melancholy track. But hopefully romantic, the leader,
Mintzer, and the string quintet evoke passionate lovemaking on
"Your Face," universally at the heart of
Atakoglu's themes. It is that inherently lustful quality balanced with good common sense and spectacular musicianship that identifies
Faces & Places as a pure personal statement, and a continuing novel with the diversity
Fahir Atakoglu has always enjoyed. It's a beautiful statement of contemporary jazz from top to bottom, deserving of high accolades, and anyone's high recommendation. ~ Michael G. Nastos