Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol Trio fundraising concert for Turkey earthquake relief

Boston-based and Grammy nominated pianist, composer and noted scholar Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol will perform a fundraising concert on Friday March 10th 8PM at Hope Central Church in Jamaica Plain, MA to help those affected by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake which struck central and southern Turkey and northern Syria, killing at least 43,885 people. Sanlıkol will be joined by his trio, bassist James Heazlewood Dale and percussionist George Lernis as they present a concert including works from Sanlıkol’s critically acclaimed album An Elegant Ritual. Proceeds from all ticket sales will be donated to Turkish Philanthropy Funds Earthquake Relief Fund.

Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol’s unique blend of jazz composition and Turkish music has been praised by the Boston Globe as “a true fusion of jazz and folkloric Turkish language and colors”, describing his music as “colorful, fanciful, full of rhythmic life, and full of feeling. The multiculturalism is not touristy, but rather sophisticated, informed, internalized”. JazzTimes magazine says of Sanlıkol’s trio album An Elegant Ritual “The textures and timbres that Sanlıkol’s trio create—often with the aid of Lernis on gong, gamelan, and bendir—don’t just aid the structure but create a sacred atmosphere; like a strong gust of incense, you can’t help but breathe it in and let it fill your senses.

This concert is the first in a yearlong series of jazz fundraising concerts produced by New England Jazz Connections thanks to funding from the Boston Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture. New England Jazz Connections (NEJC) is a performing arts organization that presents concerts in conjunction with non-profits, charities, or advocacy groups to raise money and awareness for worthy causes. Its mission is to foster community through shared experience, raise the profile of jazz and jazz artists in New England, and help existing organizations carry out their vital work.