Since emigrating from his native country of Turkey to New York City in 2000 bassist / composer Alper Yilmaz has been quietly carving out a name for himself on the local jazz scene as a free-lance musician. In 2007 he released his debut album as a bandleader entitled Clashes and earlier this year followed that up with his latest release Over The Clouds.
Working together with an ensemble made up of alto saxophonist David Binney, guitarist Nir Felder along with drummers Bodek Janke and Volkan Öktem, listening to these deeply enriching compositions, and how they're flawlessly executed by these master class musicians definitely makes for a fabulous overall listening experience.
While it's Alper's name on the marquee and he is the sole songwriter here, there is definitely a unified and cohesive feeling flowing back and forth amongst the players so that the talents of each individual musician is given ample time and space to shine through. Alper is definitely capable of flexing his chops as he clearly demonstrates throughout the course of his scorching bass solos in the middle section of the eleven minute "Misir with Grandma" and the closing third of "Perplexity", but perhaps his greatest strength is just how effective he is at laying down deep & fat sounding grooves. His sinuous and often subtle, but oh so thick, bass lines on "Her Waves" and "Straight Up" prove to be the ultimate foundation for both Binney and Felder to solo overtop of. The disc concludes with the dream like qualities of the title track as the laid back, airy mood is established with the delicate use of electronic sound design and vocalizations courtesy of guest musicians Tolga Tüzün and Aslihan Demirtas.
Over The Clouds is one of those albums that will reveal something new every time you listen to it. If you appreciate world class jazz, executed by seasoned musicians who are clearly at the top of their game, then this one is really a no-brainer.
Track Listing
1) Yet
2) Flughafen
3) Misir with Grandma
4) Her Waves
5) Straight Up
6) Cagdas' Tune
7) Perplexity
8) Over The Clouds
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