Bilge Gunaydin: Daydreams

Once this disc by Turkish pianist Bilge Gunaydin is in your CD player, you may find it hard to take it out again.

There are several reasons for this. One is to hear the beautiful sound once crafted by composer Sinan Sakizli in his Hayyam Studio, down the hill from Istiklal towards Kasimpasa, a go-to location for quality recording in Istanbul; another is to listen to the instrumental voices of the band members, some of the brightest lights of the Istanbul jazz scene. They include Serhan Erkol on alto saxophone, Tamer Temel on soprano and tenor saxophones, alternating bassists Apostolos Sideris and Kagan Yildiz, drummer Berke Ozgumus and guests Cenk Erdogan on fretless guitar and Esra Kayikci on vocals. They each enrich the affair with their personal contributions.

The main reason, however, is the evocative pulling-power of Bilge's compositions. They charm the listener with quirky harmonic turns, melodic imagination and variety in the arrangements. From open-sounding wind arrangements to nostalgic Turkish tango evocations, this album makes you indeed daydream.