Ron Scudder, Livermore

Hi, Dore!

I wanted to tell you and any others how much I not only enjoyed the Tangents Turkey tour, but how special it was. I have always been a very independent traveler, and like to stay in one place for about a week, or at least three or four days if I travel to a small town, so that I can begin to feel the pulse of a region. Other than the Tangents tour I have only taken one other group tour, and for me it was a disaster - I rebelled against the early rising, jump on the tour bus, zoom-around feeling, even though compared to many tours the one I took was relatively relaxed with free time. Your tour was the closest thing to traveling independently that I could imagine, but it had the HUGE advantage of your connections with the musicians throughout Turkey.

There is absolutely no way that anyone traveling independently or in any other group could have experienced the range and quality of the musicians that we encountered, not to mention the intimacy of private concerts, dinners, and face-to-face meetings with the musicians and others in the music world, such as the instrument makers, publishers, clubs, etc. Your assembling of musicians who had never played together before was very special, not only for us but apparently for the musicians themselves. I had never paid much attention to Turkish music before (read any attention at all) but was a jazz fan, and was totally blown away by the range and quality of music that we encountered. After buying 26 CDs during the trip, I found that I liked every one of them, and have played each over and over. Unbelievable!

Not only was the music very special, but the guided tours were much higher quality than the average. The variety of places, especially Cappadocia and Ephesus that we saw, made the trip have double value - during the day we could act as independent tourists or join the great group activities, and at night, when most tourists are wondering what to do, we had all of the concerts.

So if anyone wants to travel with the flexibility of having ample time to explore by yourself but with the benefit of a real expert to provide very special encounters, the Tangents Turkey tour is terrific!

Hilary Winslow, Bolinas

I would scream it from the rooftops how great it was.  It is crazy that you don't have a full house every single time.

The Tangents Turkey Music trip in October 2009 exceeded all my expectations. Not only did we have a great crew with lots of lively discussions and laughter, incredible sights and wonderful accommodations/food, but also we had amazing music and made personal connections with many great musicians on this trip.  Adding the fascination of Istanbul and sites outside that amazing city, it was almost like two trips in one.  If you are thinking of going to Turkey, this is a great way to do it! And if you are not thinking of going to Turkey, it's time to reconsider!

Donald Fortescue, Oakland

Don has a descriptive Tangents Turkey Music Tour blog and here is an excerpt:

Tangents has been a huge influence on my musical tastes since moving to SF. I was excited to be able to spend more time with Dore and to get a chance to experience the musicians he has gotten to know in this richly musical city.
 
We also visited a well known traditional instrument maker in his tiny apartment which was essentially a museum of instruments from Asia Minor, many of which he had created from research into historical miniature paintings. I was tempted by a beautiful juniper wood balağmathat he had made but decided to continue researching my options before committing. We spent some time in his tiny, hole-in-the-wall workshop. It’s amazing how such immaculate instruments can be built in such cramped and seemingly chaotic conditions. 

Sandra Kelch, Oakland

The trip was so much more than just a music tour. Our days were filled with beautiful sights, great food, wonderful conversation, and exciting music. Istanbul was the perfect place to see where Eastern cultures meet Western. I loved wandering in the markets during the day, knowing we had great music to relax to in the evenings. It was a great experience and I would do it again!

Bryan  Tully, Barnes England

The trip we have been on and fashioned so expertly by Dore will be one I shall always treasure.  My appreciation of Turkish music has extended manyfold, from I must admit a tiny original base.  The CDs remind me most days of those wonderful times and one or two go beyond that.  As much as I didn't know that the Turks loved pasta so much and even made it for the Italian market, so I find that one of my CDs, "Tangolar" by Ibrahim Ozgur, (Kalan) is a repository of Turkish made and loved Tango music which went through a flourishing period before the second world war.  As is so often the case, it was minority musicians (in this case Jewish and Armenian) who exploited this rather niche area of creativity.  Ibrahim's songs are of the soft bluesy nostalgic type of Tango singing and really quite haunting.  Such serendipity.  I had such lovely conversations with everyone and none of them really finished.  So, if anyone travels to or thru UK and finding themselves at a loose end in London I hope they will feel free to drop in /stay over in our lovely little village of Barnes (duck pond and all) within the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.

Just to add finally I particularly appreciated how Dore would just have to hear of some special interest by someone, but he would put himself out to see if that interest could be met.  Thank you Dore for introducing me to Tom Brosnahan.  His comments were very enlightening and also the few discrete words from his quiet ("Actually I'm an Atheist") friend.  At times Dore seemed to run himself into the ground for us to make sure we got maximum out of everything.

Sure If I go on, he's going to need a bigger size orange baseball hat.

Nancy Torrey, Bolinas

Needless to say, we had a wonderful 3 weeks in Turkey, start to finish.  The T-10 group was great - it felt like a long dinner party conversation at times, such an indulgence.  The music gave us a window on the country and culture that we wouldn't have had otherwise.  The Turkish people everywhere were so welcoming and kind and generous - we really want to go back as soon as time and money permits. Thanks for getting us there!

Kent Khtikian, Bolinas

I am the type of traveler who likes to not make reservations, be free from structure and by that means (hopefully) find a little magic.  Dore finds that magic. And it is consistently done, evening after evening, with musical delight followed by musical delight that you could not possibly find on your own.   ...Go.

Dore Stein, San Francisco

Reason number 3,944 to come to Turkey: Love those persimmons!

Tom Tollefsen, Glen Ellen

Byzantion. Constantinople. Stambol. Istanbul…

The city which still answers to any and all of these names is a City of Memory, its histories underfoot and overhead, offshore and hilltop, across the bridge or beneath a dome. It is a jostling place; pedestrians vie with taxis, trams snake through old caddesi (main streets), ferries cross-plow the Bosphorus, hawkers declaim in the Grand bazaar, the devout prostrate themselves on prayer rugs like tiles before the mihrab.

But always a respite is just a door or a side alley away. One can find a quiet moment in a mosque or a park alongside the Golden Horn, take lunch al fresco in a covered back street, scud about on a soapy marble slab in a hamam (Turkish bath), or bask in a bağlama solo in the Guitar Café.

All of the arts are celebrated in the City of Memory, none more so than music. Ottoman, Byzantine, Persian, Roma, Balkan musics --- all flourish here. Jazz, rock, hip-hop, pop, arabesque, electronica --- you can go there, too. Turkey is the ultimate sampler for East/West “Tangential” cross-pollination. You may listen to Selim Sesler, with 40 years of playing village weddings inside him, lay out on clarinet with his crisp jazz sextet. Or hear Cenk Erdoğan coax an old Turkoman folk song into the 21st century with a soulful riff on electric guitar. Or hear him accompany Sumru Ağıryürüyen on some spontaneous vocalizing (“Turkoscat”?).

How about a hands-on drum lesson with the irrepressible Okay Temiz in his studio, demonstrating his electric berimbau. Or a back-street afterhours club-hop through Beğolu looking for the next superstar? (I guarantee you’ll be dancing.) Or maybe you’ll just feel blessed sitting among a chorus of women spontaneously accompanying the performer with their mellifluous voices.

Go Turkey. Go Tangents!

Brenda Cravens, San Francisco

I had a terrific time on the Tangents Turkey Tour. Dore had planned a wonderful itinerary for us, and it felt very personal and spontaneous, not at all as I imagine the packaged programs of most tours. Our guides were excellent, very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and friendly. We were given an amazing amount of information about Turkish history and culture and plenty of time to see the important sites, both in Istanbul and elsewhere in the country. 

But what made this trip truly unique and fascinating was the music part of it.  Whereas most tours end each evening with dinner, we almost always had some thrilling adventure still ahead of us, traveling around Istanbul to hear entrancing music. We got a taste of many Turkish styles, from Roma to Jazz, and had the great pleasure of meeting, talking and even dining with many of the musicians.  As far as I could tell, we were the only Americans in the clubs we visited. We got to see the authentic nightlife of Istanbul that I’m sure most tourists never see.  Visiting the studio of percussionist Okay Temiz and actually trying our hand at some of his exotic instruments was another unusual treat.

The group was very congenial. I didn’t know anyone before the trip, but we all got along really well. The bond of liking Turkish music seemed to bring together kindred, fun-loving souls ready for new adventures.

One of my favorite evenings was in Goreme in central Anatolia in one of the magical tufa formations that cover the landscapes. After a delicious barbecue on the terrace we reclined on low divans in the carpeted interior and enjoyed a marvelous concert by fantastic regional artists on baglama (saz) and percussion.  As we savoured the beautiful music, accompanied in song by the Turkish guests, the urge to dance became irresistible. Dancing barefooted on soft carpets in a Turkish “cave” to beautiful haunting music was an experience I never expected (and doubt I will be able to repeat).

Another favorite moment was diving into the Aegean at a beautiful secluded beach we visited for a picnic after our tour of Ephesus. Looking out at the island of Samos as I bobbed around in the buoyant blue water was another exquisite moment in this ancient land.

Our last night, after a delicious dinner in Istanbul, some of us went with Dore to explore whatever music we could find in the clubs of Beyoglu, the vibrant neighborhood which is home to a myriad of wonderful restaurants and music venues. We found some great music and had a terrific time dancing up a storm on the last evening of a great trip!

Barbara and Mike Collins 2008 Tangents Turkey Alum

Mike and I feel EXTREMELY fortunate to have been some of the people who experienced a Tangents Turkey Tour. Your knowledge of the music + your wonderful contacts in this fascinating country cannot be matched. Thank you (and Clara) for creating such a life-enriching trip.