Önder Focan
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Önder Focan
| image = Önder_Focan.jpg
| caption = Önder Focan in Nardis Jazz Club, 2011
| birth_name = Önder Focan
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|8|24}}
| birth_place =
| instrument = Guitar
| genre = {{flatlist|
}}
| occupation = {{flatlist|
- Musician
- songwriter
- composer
- mechanical engineer
}}
| years_active = 1970–present
| associated_acts =
| label =
| website = {{URL|http://focanjazz.com/}}
}}
Önder Focan (born 1955/8/24),{{cite web |title=Önder Focan |url=http://www.turkishculture.org/whoiswho/onder-focan-964.htm |website=turkishculture |accessdate=2 March 2020}} is a Turkish musician, songwriter, composer{{cite web |title=Turquazz: Funkbook A La Turc at 606 Club |url=https://london.jazznearyou.com/event_detail.php?id=810415 |website=london.jazznearyou.com |accessdate=2 March 2020}} and mechanical engineer.{{cite web |title=Pori, festivalde İskandinavya'nın caz merkezine dönüşür |url=https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/kelebek/pori-festivalde-iskandinavya-nin-caz-merkezine-donusur-15276307 |website=hurriyet.com.tr |accessdate=2 March 2020}} He has 13 albums. He played at Jazz Festivals around the world.{{cite web |title=Önder Focan & Şallıel Bros "Funkbook" |url=https://www.akbanksanat.com/en/event/onder-focan-salliel-bros-funkbook |website=akbanksanat.com}}{{cite web |title=ONDER FOCAN & SHALLIEL Bros. |url=https://www.bakujazzfestival.com/kopiya-rain-sultanov-isfar-sarabski |website=bakujazzfestival.com}}{{cite web |title=Turquazz Festival: Poetry & Jazz (Önder Focan) |url=https://www.list.co.uk/event/1206688-turquazz-festival-poetry-and-jazz-onder-focan/ |website=list.co.uk |accessdate=2 March 2020}}{{cite web |title=Posts tagged with "Önder Focan" |url=http://www.jazzdergisi.com/en/tag/onder-focan-en/ |website=jazzdergisi.com}}
Early life
Focan started playing mandolin at the age of eight. At the age of 15 he switched to the guitar and has concentrated on jazz since 1975. The self-taught artist has released 13 albums under his own name since 1994.{{cite web |title=Discography |website=Discogs |accessdate=2 March 2020 |url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/2212962-%C3%96nder-Focan}}{{cite web |title=Discography |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/%C3nder-focan-mn0002046279 |website=All music |accessdate=2 March 2020}}{{cite web |title=Discography from official site |url=http://focanjazz.com/albums/ |website=Focanjazz |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821153128/http://focanjazz.com/albums/ |accessdate=2 March 2020|archive-date=2018-08-21}}{{cite web |title=Discography |url=https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/onder_focan |website=rateyourmusic.com}} After attending seminars at the International Association of Jazz Educators,{{cite web |title=Blindfold with Önder Focan |url=http://www.jazzdergisi.com/en/onder-focan-ile-korleme/ |website=jazzdergisi.com |date=12 May 2017 |accessdate=2 March 2020}} he led courses for jazz ensembles at the Istanbul Academy from 1996. Then he taught at the Müjdat Gezen Cultural Center and at the Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi.{{cite web |title=Onder Focan |url=https://turquazz.org/program/onder-focan |website=turquazz.org |accessdate=2 March 2020}}
Music career
In 1997 he performed with Jan Ackermann, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Terje Rypdal, Noël Akchoté, Harald Haerter and other guitarists at the MIDEM Guitar Night in Istanbul.{{cite web |title=A Mystery is Unlocked Every Time You Listen to Music |url=http://www.jazzdergisi.com/en/her-dinlediginizde-bir-gizem-cozulur/ |website=jazzdergisi.com |date=22 August 2016 |accessdate=2 March 2020}}{{cite web |title="Boğaz"da Önder Focan'ın müziğinde bir sıçrama |url=https://www.milliyet.com.tr/pembenar/bogazda-onder-focanin-muziginde-bir-sicrama-5389899 |website=milliyet.com.tr/}} In 1998 he was the first Turkish musician to record an album for Blue Note Records,{{cite web |title=Basla gitar buluştu anılarını konuştu |url=https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/basla-gitar-bulustu-anilarini-konustu-38556189 |website=hurriyet.com.tr |accessdate=2 March 2020}} Beneath the Stars with Bill Stewart and the organist Sam Yahel. In 2001 he was in the recording studio with David Friesen to record the album Reminiscence. In 2003 he recorded the album Spontaneous International Friends for Konnex Records with Ernst Bier and Stefan Weeke. Drummer Bier had already accompanied a Turkey tour with the Önder Focan Quartet in 1997.[http://www.jazzdrumming.de/biographie.html Ernst Bier Biographie: 1997] He also appeared with Ron McClure,{{cite web |title=Festival year 2002 Önder Focan Ensemble |url=https://historia.porijazz.fi/?classname=festivalyear&lang=en&methodname=performer&lang=en&artist_no=6237&cd=2002-07-19%2000:00:00&year=2002 |website=historia.porijazz.fi |accessdate=2 March 2020}} Aaron Scott,{{cite web |title=Yabangee Weekend Roundup: Friday 14 – Sunday 16 April |url=https://yabangee.com/yabangee-weekend-roundup-14-16-april/ |website=yabangee.com |date=13 April 2017 |accessdate=2 March 2020}} Al Foster,{{cite web |title=Enjoy Baku Summer Jazz Days with Onder Focan |url=https://menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.aspx?storyid=1096875945&title=Enjoy-Baku-Summer-Jazz-Days-with-Onder-Focan |website=menafn.com |accessdate=2 March 2020}} Brian Lynch,{{cite web |title=Önder Focan / Ajlan Büyükburç, Sibel Köse, Aydın Kahya, Slide Hampton, Brian Lynch, Bruce Barth, Doug Weiss, Hugh Sicotte – Tunes Sung By The Vocalists |url=https://www.discogs.com/%C3%96nder-Focan-Ajlan-B%C3%BCy%C3%BCkbur%C3%A7-Sibel-K%C3%B6se-Ayd%C4%B1n-Kahya-Slide-Hampton-Brian-Lynch-Bruce-Barth-Doug-/release/14159573 |website=discogs.com}} Ted Curson{{cite web |title=Festival Nõmme Jazz 2006 |url=http://www.nommejazz.ee/index.php?id=186&keel=eng |website=nommejazz.ee}} and Anne Czichowsky.{{cite web |title=VITA |url=https://www.annesingsjazz.com/about-me/ |website=annesingsjazz.com |accessdate=2 March 2020}} Focan has given concerts at festivals in North America, Europe, West Africa, Brazil and the Middle East.
With his wife Zuhal Focan, he founded the Nardis Jazz Club in Istanbul's Beyoğlu district in 2002.{{cite web |title=Zuhal Focan |url=http://www.jazzdergisi.com/en/author/zuhalfocan/ |website=Jazzdergisi.com}} In addition to Turkish musicians, numerous international jazz stars such as Benny Golson, Dianne Reeves, Al Foster, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Roy Haynes and Ron Carter have performed there.{{cite web |title=Nardis Jazz Club: Wonderful Jazz |url=http://www.thejazzspotlight.com/nardis/ |website=thejazzspotlight.com}} The name "Nardis" refers to a composition by Miles Davis.[http://www.lonelyplanet.com/turkey/istanbul/entertainment-nightlife/other/nardis-jazz-club Brief description of the club at LonelyPlanet] The concept of the club is open to all varieties of jazz. The musician's wife, Zuhal Focan, is also editor-in-chief of the glossy magazine Jazz, which is published quarterly in Turkish and English.[http://www.zeit.de/online/2006/30/jazz-istanbul Türkei: Die Ohren nach Westen], Reportage von Maxi Sickert in Die Zeit 28 July 2006, retrieved 30 January 2015.
Discography
- Jazz Guitar (Diskotür, 1994) – live recorded in 1993
- Erken (Raks Müzik, 1995)
- Sekiz (Balet Plak, 1995)
- On The Bosphorus (Major Müzik Organizasyon, 1997)
- Beneath the Stars (Blue Note, 1998)
- Tunes Sung By The Vocalists (Blue Note, 1999)
- Trio Focan Standard A La Turc (EMI, 2001)
- REMinisce (EMI, 2003)
- Spontaneous International Jazz Friends, No. One (Konnex, 2003)
- Kırmızıya Çalıyor with Ercüment Vural (Aura, 2004)
- Swing A La Turc (2007)
- 36mm Biometric (2009)
- Songbook (2012)
- Aubergine (2022)
References
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