On October 4, we will meet at Babylon to commemorate Mehmet Uluğ on the ninth anniversary of his passing. Each year the Akbank Jazz Festival organizes a Mehmet Uluğ Νight. This time, the stage belongs to Volkan Öktem #7. Öktem began playing drums and performing live at age 11 and since the 1980s has worked with musicians from Tuna Ötenel and Aydın Esen to Tarkan and Sertab Erener both on the stage and in the studio. He has also been a part of versatile groups like Habbecik, Laço Tayfa, Quartet Muartet, and MadenÖktemErsönmez. His first album #7, the first single of which will be released in September, draws on his musical career. He will bring this project to the stage of the 32nd Akbank Jazz Festival, which is where we will have the first chance to listen to the compositions on the album. At his festival performance, Öktem will be accompanied by Ercüment Orkut, Barış Doğukan Yazıcı, Halil İbrahim Işık, and Serhat Şensesli.

Ercüment Orkut: Keys
Barış Doğukan Yazıcı: Trumpet
Halil İbrahim Işık: Keys and Trumpet
Serhat Şensesli: Bass
Volkan Öktem: Drums