One of Turkish Jazz's most sought-after and sampled records is coming back to life. Caz Plak's partnership with notable jazz drummer Okay Temiz reaches a third stage with the long-awaited reissue of his landmark album, Drummer of Two Worlds. Initially released in Turkey, Scandinavia, and the United States in 1980, Caz Plak's modern reintroduction of a Turkish Psychedelic Jazz essential will see its reissue on vinyl on March 1st for the first time in almost half a century.
The Drummer of Two Worlds reissue is Caz Plak's follow-up to 2023's showcase of Temiz's performance alongside Don Cherry and Johnny Dyani on the debut worldwide release of Don Cherry Trio's The ORTF Recordings Paris 1971. This release underwent the utmost delicacy, with Caz Plak having worked with Warner Music Sweden to unearth the vaulted recordings and arranging Shawn Joseph of Optimum Mastering to restore the album's dynamics for a new audience. An intriguing fact revealed by Caz Plak is that the album Drummer of Two Worlds serves as a treasure trove of unique Turkish Psychedelic samples. This includes the song “Penguin," a track famously sampled by Scarface from the legendary Geto Boys, highlighting the album's significant influence.
A midpoint of Temiz's career, captured between his time exploring 'Organic Music Theory' as a member of Don Cherry Trio and before answering the question 'What Is Turkish Jazz?' upon embarking on his own with The Oriental Wind. The sessions comprising the Drummer of Two Worlds were recorded between Istanbul and Stockholm after notable American composer Jon Appleton asked Temiz to explain the sounds and melodies he was hearing in his mind, which Caz Plak co-founder Haluk Damar describes below.
“Drummer of Two Worlds is a star map of Okay Temiz's musical worlds. Blending elements from the grand piano to his handmade drums and from the amplified Berimbau to his cowbell array, weaving Turkish rhythms like 9/8 and 7/8 with the universality of 4/4, it presents a unique sound narrative that resonates with the dimensions of a well-traveled mind."
Drummer of Two Worlds vinyl LP will be released worldwide in two different limited editions, each hand-numbered and region-specific. Two European versions will be available, one with the original artwork and another with artwork and a lime green OBI strip with Japanese/English language album description. There will also be a limited number of signed copies by Okay Temiz exclusively available for order through Caz Plak's Bandcamp. All pressings are on 180-gram vinyl and come with a gloss-finished 350gr Bristol molded cover. Now available for pre-order through Caz Plak's Bandcamp, Drummer of Two Worlds sees its official reissue for the first time in 45 years on March 1st, 2024.
The Drummer of Two Worlds reissue is Caz Plak's follow-up to 2023's showcase of Temiz's performance alongside Don Cherry and Johnny Dyani on the debut worldwide release of Don Cherry Trio's The ORTF Recordings Paris 1971. This release underwent the utmost delicacy, with Caz Plak having worked with Warner Music Sweden to unearth the vaulted recordings and arranging Shawn Joseph of Optimum Mastering to restore the album's dynamics for a new audience. An intriguing fact revealed by Caz Plak is that the album Drummer of Two Worlds serves as a treasure trove of unique Turkish Psychedelic samples. This includes the song “Penguin," a track famously sampled by Scarface from the legendary Geto Boys, highlighting the album's significant influence.
A midpoint of Temiz's career, captured between his time exploring 'Organic Music Theory' as a member of Don Cherry Trio and before answering the question 'What Is Turkish Jazz?' upon embarking on his own with The Oriental Wind. The sessions comprising the Drummer of Two Worlds were recorded between Istanbul and Stockholm after notable American composer Jon Appleton asked Temiz to explain the sounds and melodies he was hearing in his mind, which Caz Plak co-founder Haluk Damar describes below.
“Drummer of Two Worlds is a star map of Okay Temiz's musical worlds. Blending elements from the grand piano to his handmade drums and from the amplified Berimbau to his cowbell array, weaving Turkish rhythms like 9/8 and 7/8 with the universality of 4/4, it presents a unique sound narrative that resonates with the dimensions of a well-traveled mind."
Drummer of Two Worlds vinyl LP will be released worldwide in two different limited editions, each hand-numbered and region-specific. Two European versions will be available, one with the original artwork and another with artwork and a lime green OBI strip with Japanese/English language album description. There will also be a limited number of signed copies by Okay Temiz exclusively available for order through Caz Plak's Bandcamp. All pressings are on 180-gram vinyl and come with a gloss-finished 350gr Bristol molded cover. Now available for pre-order through Caz Plak's Bandcamp, Drummer of Two Worlds sees its official reissue for the first time in 45 years on March 1st, 2024.
