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Mustafa Kandirali Mustafa Kandirali (Uzelli / Traditional Crossroads) A tribute to the greatest living Turkish Gypsy clarinet, presented in well-remastered recordings, with good English notes, packaged in a beautiful hard-bound book. Listen: Haydar Haydar Cifetelli Kirbaç Romani Karcigar Taksim

"Mustafa Kandirali is probably the most famous living Turkish clarinettist 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. The packaging here, in particular the Impulse-style black and white cover, recall jazz and Miles Davis in particular, and the comparison between the two improvising geniuses is apt. This is an infectious, upbeat and highly attractive production.The full range of Kandirali's playing is represented, from the profoundly knowledgable taksim in mode Karcigar to the exuberent, irreverent and quite brilliant Modern Anadol, and the effect of this diversity is actually to underline the essential unity of Kandirali's style. The accompaniment is quite stunning, with some of the finest percussion you will hear on a CD of this kind - and check out the bagpipe imitations played by the violinist on Kirbaç Romani. Melih Duygulu's sleeve notes are first class, touching on just about all aspects of Kandirali's life and art. Duygulu is one of Turkey's best writers on traditional music, and I hope we will soon see an English translation of his recent book on Gypsy music."- Chris Williams, fRoots "It is only a matter of time before his status as one of the 20th century's essential musical geniuses is universally acknowledged." Mark Hudson, Daily Telegraph Notes on the recording: Jazz aficionados and world music enthusiasts have known Mustafa Kandirali’s music for decades. He has been the biggest name in Turkish Gypsy music for over thirty years and one of the first non-western musicians to tour the USA in the 60’s. It would be impossible to visit Turkey and not hear him on TV, in the streets, in taxi cabs or on the radio within 24 hours. A true legend, this collection presents his most famous pieces chosen from over 100 recordings, digitally remastered with audio fidelity stereo sound quality, including his most famous Belly Dance pieces (cifte telli), Gypsy songs (oyun havalar), Improvisations (taksims) and much more. Book includes photos from his personal albums, interviews, information about his unique style of playing, and his personal memoirs in performing with the most famous musicians and singers in Istanbul. This is a limited, hardbound collector’s edition specially designed to celebrate the master’s 75th birthday.

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