Description
Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol Quintet performs Grammy nominated composer, multi-instrumentalist and jazz pianist Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol’s unique blend of innovative Turkish music influenced compositions in which Middle Eastern modes and rhythmic cycles are not simply placed next to contemporary jazz but are intertwined with it. Sanlıkol hopes to demonstrate a style of writing and performance in contemporary jazz that is cosmopolitan, pluralist and inclusive without reducing or standardizing the musical languages which influenced it. The Boston Globe calls Sanlıkol’s music “colorful, fanciful, full of rhythmic life, and full of feeling,” adding that it is “not touristy, but rather sophisticated, informed, internalized.” Sanlıkol’s first jazz orchestra album was JAZZIZ magazine’s Top 10 Critics’ Choice 2014 pick and his second jazz orchestra album was DownBeat magazine’s September 2016 Editor’s Pick. Sanlıkol’s The Rise Up, commissioned by NEA Jazz Master Dave Liebman, received a 4 star review from The Financial Times, his trio album was included among the “Best Albums of 2022” by DownBeat magazine, and his latest album was DownBeat magazine’s May 2025 Editor’s Pick with a 4 star review.
Ingrid Jensen has been hailed as one of the most gifted trumpeters of her generation. As a sought-out teacher, collaborator, and soloist, it is easy to see why the New York Times calls her “as versatile as she is vigorous.”
Settling in New York City, she joined the innovative jazz orchestras of Maria Schneider (1994-2012) and Darcy James Argue (2002-present). She has performed with a multigenerational cast of jazz legends ranging from Clark Terry to Esperanza Spalding. Jensen has also performed alongside British R&B artist Corrine Bailey Rae on Saturday Night Live and recorded with Canadian pop icon Sarah McLachlan. Jensen is prominently featured on the Grammy Award
winning Mosaic Project, led by drummer Terri-Lyne Carrington.
Line-up:
Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol, piano, Renaissance 17, electric oud, voice
Ingrid Jensen, trumpet
Lihi Haruvi-Means, soprano saxophone
James Heazlewood-Dale, bass
George Lernis, drums