Jazz Festival > Program > Opening Concert “ELLA FITZGERALD NIGHT”
Opening Concert
Thursday, March 7th, 2024 ● AASSM Grand Hall ● 20.30
“ELLA FITZGERALD NIGHT”
Soloist: Ayşegül Yeşilnil,
Zafer Çebi (piano), Nezih Yeşilnil (bass), Erdoğan Turanlı (saxophone) and Ferruh Arıç, (drums)
Presenter: Ümit Tunçağ
Ayşegül YEŞİLNİL, Painter, Jazz Artist, Textile & Fashion Designer
Graduating in Textile designfrom Dokuz Eylul University’s Fine Arts Department of Painting in 1981, Ayşegül was the first student to enter the "Fashion Design" speciality, which opened for the first time in Turkey. She was taught by Prof. Dr. Ayten SÜRÜR, and became the first and only university graduate fashion designer of her university time in Turkey. She has worked as a fashion designer at Istanbul’s Vakko Factory, and also worked as a creative designer for various export companies, with her designs exhibited at international fashion shows. She has produced original textile products for home and boat decor, and her batik work on silk and various textile products, garments, scarves and pillow designs have been exhibited in many art galleries. Ayşegül has also prepared posters for Izmir State Opera and Ballet, and took voice lessons with Erdoğan OKYAY from the Fine Arts Faculty’s polyphonic choir, and later from Nükhet RUACAN in Istanbul. Since 1985, she has held 21 solo exhibitions with her works consisting of paintings, jazz paintings and mythological paintings.
In addition to her painting works, she started to sing jazz professionally with leading Turkish jazz musicians in 1987.
In 1995, she released the album "Rüzgara Şarkılar Söyle", in which she wrote and sang all the lyrics to music composed by Nezih Yeşilnil
Ayşegül YEŞİLNİL, unique as an artist who sings jazz and creates jazz paintings, has been praised by jazz master Erol PEKCAN as "a very strong jazz artist who sings as herself and has extraordinary improvisational skills”. She has performed in many concerts, jazz clubs and international festival events.
At the invitation of UNESCO, Yeşilnil represented Turkey with her works entitled "AYŞEGÜL'UN'S RÜYALARI" at the 6th International European and American Visual Arts Biennial which was organised by UNESCO -A.I.A.P in Campeche, Mexico in 2009 and held in the Mayan temple. She gave a lecture entitled "Miracle" (Milagro), which was immediately translated into Spanish by Rosa Maria BURILLO VELASCO, World President of UNESCO - IAA (International Plastic Arts Associations). She was honoured with the award of "International Certificate of Mastery" at a ceremony organised by the committee.
In 2013, again at the invitation of UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Thelonious Monk Jazz Institute and IKSV, "Ayşegül & Nezih Yeşilnil Quartet" (Neşet Ruacan, Deniz Dündar) gave a concert on 30 April at the "2013 International Jazz Day" celebrations which were held for the first time in Istanbul. She performed with the same band at the Zorlu Centre PSM Stage for the "World Jazz Day" event in 2016.
Yeşilnil continued to produce digital paintings during the pandemic, and in 2021 she made a proposal to all UNESCO - Mexico / Campeche exhibition participants, saying that she dreamed of opening an online exhibition with the same artists again. The participating artists enthusiastically supported Ayşegül Yeşilnil's important and historical "Art Call".
As a result, the "Euromericana 2021" Exhibition, organised with the participation of 24 International artists, was held virtually in the midst of the pandemic. After this event, Ayşegül YEŞİLNİL represented Turkey in the face-to-face and online painting exhibition “1st World Water Day 2022”, organised by UNESCO /ARTAC-AIAP MX (World Council of Visual Artists) and Comonfort, which was declared a Magic Town (Pueblo Mágico) in Mexico.
In 2020, she performed all jazz songs in the "Musical Conversation" on "The Importance of Bass in Jazz" prepared by Ümit Tunçağ at the 27th IKSEV Izmir European Jazz Festival, where her husband Nezih Yeşilnil was guest bassist.
The Pink Flamingo she drew became the poster for the 2nd Izmir International Film and Music Festival in 2022. This poster was shown on all the billboards and digital boards in Izmir and became the mascot for the city, much loved by the public.
The artist, a member of UNESCO - International Plastic Arts Association, has a collection of jazz musicians' night life and instruments, deeply influenced by the intense musical environment she lives in. Her works are taught in university lectures and as Master's thesis subjects.
Ayşegül’s works attract the attention of collectors both in our country and in different countries of the world, while she continues her painting and design works in her studio.
Returning to Izmir after 35 years living in Istanbul, Yeşilnil gives private lessons with her husband and continues her jazz concerts with her own group, the Ayşegül YEŞİLNİL QUINTET.
Zafer ÇEBİ, piano
Born in 1958 in İzmir, Zafer Çebi graduated from the Music Department od Buca Education Faculty. His grandfather, Fahri Çebi, is a violinist in the Presidential Symphony Orchestr, and his father Erol Çebi and uncles Hüseyin and Ertuğrul Çebi are trumpeters.
Zafer Çebi has performed with all the Turkish symphony orchestras, and the CSO in particular, with his jazz arrangements. From 1989 to 99 Zafer worked as a contract artist for TRT televisio, and in 1993, Çebi participated from Turkey in the Eurovision finals with his composition "Gülümse". Çebi has worked with Turkey's major artists,
including Tanju Okan, Fatih Erkoç, Özdemir Erdoğan, Neco, Salim Dündar, İlhan Şeşen, Kürşat Başar, Jale, Sibel Alaş, Erdal, Yıldırım Gürses, Müjdat Gezen, Bora Ayanoğlu, Zeynep Casallini, Sibel Tüzün, Altuğ Dilmaç, Hakan Aysev, Doğan Canku, Suavi, Ali Kocatepe, Sibel Köse and Pınar Aylin. The artist continues to perform with the Zafer Cebi Jazz Band.
Nezih YEŞİLNİL, Musician, Composer, Instructor, Arranger
Nezih Yeşilnil started playing mandolin at the age of 6 and guitar at the age of 13. When he was 17, he started playing bass guitar in the Maça Beşi Ensemble in Izmir. After graduating from Ege University’s Faculty of Economics, Yeşilnil pioneered the formation of Grup Doğuş in 1974.
Having played in various dance music ensembles, he acquired a double bass in 1980, which led him to start playing jazz music. In the summer of the same year, he started playing with the Emin Fındıkoğlu trio, and the musicians he played with became a jazz school for him. He has worked with Erol Pekcan, Nükhet Ruacan, Tuna Ötenel, Neşet Ruacan, Önder Focan and Ali Perret. In 1986, he played in Sibiu with the Istanbul Jazz Quartet, and in 1989, he gave concerts in the People's Republic of China with the Neşet Ruacan Orchestra, working with them for many years.
In 1996, he took part in the group representing Turkey at the Eurovision Song Contest held in Oslo, Norway.
In addition to his stage work with his wife Ayşegül Yeşilnil, a painter and jazz soloist, he released the album "Rüzgara Şarkılar Söyle" in 1995, writing most of the compositions and arrangements himself. In 1992 and 1993, he made three European tours with the Jak - Janet Esim Ensemble.
Between 1996 and 2006, he took part in stage, album, TV programmes and festival events with Yansımalar, an ethnic music group, and has given international concerts in many countries.
With Ayşegül Yeşilnil, he has performed at International Jazz Festivals and played in many jazz clubs. In April 2013, Nezih and Ayşegül Yeşilnil performed their "Unutulmaz Aşk Şarkıları" concerts, a project consisting of very special Turkish and foreign songs. They were awarded the "Dario Moreno Award" on the 92nd birth anniversary of the world-famous legendary artist Dario Moreno from Izmir, where they gave a performance of unforgettable Dario Moreno songs called "Dear Dario...".
Invited by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), the Thelonious Monk Jazz Institute and IKSV, "Ayşegül & Nezih Yeşilnil Quartet" gave a concert on 30 April 2013 for the "2013 International Jazz Day" celebrations held for the first time in Istanbul. Nezih also gave a concert with the same band at the Zorlu Centre PSM Stage for the "World Jazz Day" event in 2016.
On 15 April 2014, an internet connection was established with 9 countries for the first time in the world for the UNESCO - WAD / IAA (International Art Day) "World Art Day" celebration. Ayşegül and Nezih Yeşilnil were invited from Turkey for this important event, which was led by UNESCO-AIAP World President Rosa Maria Burillo Velasco and arranged by French artist Marie Pierre. They gave a 45-minute performance and were honoured with a diploma from UNESCO - WAD for their participation.
Some of the foreign musicians Nezih has played with include Scott Hamilton, Ted Curson, Carol Chaikin, Ron Afif, Danny Lerman, Larry Coryell, Ray Blue, Lloyd Chisholm, Ted Taylor, Geraldine Hunt, Valery Ponomarev, Özay Fecht, Vitali Samharadze, Süren Asaduryan, Jeff Giansily and Don Thompson.
The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV) celebrated its 25th anniversary in June 2018, and honoured Nezih Yeşilnil with a "Lifetime Achievement Award" in recognition of his 50th year as an artist.
Nezih has also worked as a bass instructor at Pera Fine Arts Academy and Modern Music Academy, and in 2020, he shared his experiences as the guest for the bass-oriented "Musical Conversation" on "The Importance of Bass in Jazz" prepared by Ümit Tunçağ within the scope of IKSEV’s 27th Izmir European Jazz Festival.
Returning to Izmir after 35 years of living in Istanbul, Nezih Yeşilnil continues his artistic life with the Nezih YEŞİLNİL QUARTET as well as various other groups performing jazz and ethnic music. He gives private lessons, and continues to work as an academy instructor arranger for music studios.
