Tamburi Cemil Bay

Tanburi Cemil Bey

"remarkable" Singout!

"a musician of extraterrestial inspiration" The Beat

"These acoustic recordings...show the virtuosity of this multi-instrumentalist and composer, the most influential Turkish musician in the last 100 years." Rhythm Music

(more reviews)

NEW!! VOLUMES IV & V (CD 4308) FINALLY AVAILABLE, AFTER YEARS OF RESEARCH AND GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS FROM COLLECTORS IN ISTANBUL AND THE US. INCLUDES EXPANDED BIOGRAPHY OF TANBURI CEMIL BEY; A HISTORY OF THE BLUMENTHAL BROTHERS RECORD COMPANY AND THE GRAMOPHONE IN TURKEY; AND MORE RARE PHOTOS!

TO CELEBRATE THIS NEW RELEASE, BOTH DOUBLE-CD SETS 4274 AND 4308, EACH WITH OVER TWO HOURS OF MUSIC, ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE SINGLE CD PRICE!! LIMITED TIME OFFER!!

Vol. I
CD 4264

Vol. II & III
CD 4274

Vol. IV & V
CD 4308

Circa 1905

Tanburi Cemil Bey is the most renowned composer of instrumental art music from the late Ottoman Empire. For over a century, his contributions to the suite forms known as pesrev and saz semai and breathtaking, elegiac improvisations (taksims) on tanbur and kemençe have remained the benchmark for modern Turkish composers and performers. From 1910 to 1914, before the invention of the electronic microphone, the Blumenthal Record and Talking Machine Company made acoustic recordings featuring Cemil Bey. These volumes in our Tanburi Cemil Bey series include extraordinary taksims, some of Cemil Bey's best compositions, and rare collaborations with great early 20th-century Turkish singers and instrumentalists. All have been digitally remastered using the state-of-the-art CEDAR system. Each features EXTENSIVE NOTES, INCLUDING A BIOGRAPHY OF TANBURI CEMIL BEY, and Volumes II & III and IV &V feature NUMEROUS RARE PHOTOGRAPHS.

Featuring Tanburi Cemil Bey on tanbur, kemençe, lavta, yayli tanbur and violoncello; other musicians include Tanburi Kadi Fuat Efendi, Udi Sevki Bey, Udi Nevres, and Kemani Salih Efendi, as well as some of the most celebrated master vocalists of the early 20th century, including Hafiz Asir, Hafiz Sabri Bey, Hafiz Yasar Okur, and Hafiz Sasi Osman Efendi.

Volume I
1. Eviç taksim (kemençe)
2. Saba taksim (kemençe)
3. Gülizar taksim (tanbur)
4. Ferahnâk taksim (tanbur)
5. Nihavent taksim (tanbur)
6. Nihavent sirto (ud & kemençe)
7. Zeibek havasi
8. Mahur taksim (kemençe)
9. Mahur gazel (Hafuz Yasar)
10. Çoban taksim
11. Bestenigâr taksim (violoncello)
12. Bestenigâr pesrev
13. Mahur pesrev
14. Saba pesrev
15. Yegâh pesrev
16. Kürdilihicazkâr pesrev
17. Gaida havasi

Blumenthal Brothers record shop,
Istanbul, circa 1920

Volume II (CD 1)
1. Senaz pesrev (Ali Aga, kemençe/ud)
2. Çeçen kizi (kemençe, ud)
3. Ussak gazel (Hafiz Sasi Osman Efendi)
4. Isfahan sarki (Ey gaziler yol göründü)
5. Rast taksim (tanbur)
6. Ferahnâk taksim (kemençe)
7. Hüseyni saz semai (Kemani Tatyos)
8. Nühüft pesrev
9. Suzidil taksim (tanbur)
10. Persendide taksim (kemençe)
11. Acem asiran pesrev (Emin aga)
12. Sevk efza gazel (voc. Hafiz Yasar Bey)

13. Neveser pesrev (Yusuf Pasa)
14. Setaraban taksim (tanbur)
15. Setaraban saz semai (comp. TCB)
16. Hicaz taksim (tanbur)
17. Sultani-yegah taksim (kemençe)

Volume III (CD 2)
1. Hüzzam taksim (violoncello)
2. Ussak taksim (violoncello)
3. Ussak saz semai (Aziz Dede)
4. Tahir puselik pesrev
5. Ferafeza taksim (yayli tanbur)
6. Ferafeza saz semai (comp. TCB)
7. Isvahan taksim (kemençe)
8. Isvahan gazel (Hafiz Osman)
9. Janik Nini (kemençe)
10. Janik Nini (yayli tanbur)
11. Yegah taksim (Hafiz Achir)
12. Katschma medjbourinden (Hafiz Achir)
13. Herden seusun (Hafiz Achir)
14. Pembe Kiz I II III IV (comp. TCB)
15. Hicaz taksim (yayli tanbur)
16. Hüseyni taksim (yayli tanbur)
17. Çifte Telli

Volume IV (CD 1)
1. Kürdilihicazkâr taksim (lavta)
2. Neva taksim (tanbur)
3. Yeni çifte telli gazel (voc. Hafiz Asir)
4. Hüseyni taksim (4-string kemençe)
5. Hicazkâr saz semai (comp. TCB)
6. Bestenigâr taksim (yayli tanbur)
7. Niâburek taksim (tanbur)
8. Irak taksim (kemençe)
9. Suzinak gazel (voc. Hafiz Yasar Okur)
10. Tahir sarki (voc. Hafiz Asir)
11. Suzinak gazel (voc. Hafiz Asir)
12. Rast gazel (voc. Hafiz Sabri Bey)
13. Saba gazel (voc. Hafiz Sabri Bey)
14. Tahirpuselik saz semai (comp. Kemani Riza Bey)
15. Eviç taksim (tanbur)
16. Muhayyer taksim (violoncello)
17. Beyâtiaraban taksim (tanbur)

Volume V (CD 2)
1. Setabaran pesrev (comp. TCB)
2. Gülizar pesrev (comp. Tanburi Isak)
3. Segâh Karabatak pesrev (comp. Hizir Aga)
4. Hicazkâr pesrev (comp. Osman Bey)
5. Ussak pesrev (comp. Osman Bey)
6. Bayâti pesrev (comp. TCB or Seyfeddin)
7. Hicazkâr pesrev (comp. Osman Bey)
8. Segâh taksim (kemençe)
9. Müstear taksim (tanbur)
10. Kürdî taksim (tanbur)
11. Segâh taksim (yayli tanbur)
12. Yegâh taksim (yayli tanbur)
13. Ussak taksim (lavta)
14. Ussak gazel (voc. Hafiz Yasar Okur)

REVIEWS

Praise for Tanburi Cemil Bey, Volume I:

Singout! "This is a remarkable recording, bringing the legacy of a special artist to another generation."

Rhythm Music Monthly "These acoustic records (made prior to the electronic microphone) show the virtuosity of this multi-instrumentalist and composer, the most influential Turkish musician of the past 100 years...essential elements of the Middle Eastern and North African classical repertoire. The extensive liner notes are excellent, and the cover beautifully reproduces a label from one of his 80-year-old Orfeon records."

New York Daily News "...these pieces sway and undulate while Cemil Bey bends notes in a clearly Islamic fashion, Turkish Blues if you like."

The Beat "... a left-hand technique of comparable strength and agility to that of Jimi Hendrix...the Cemil disc represents a high watermark for archival engineering. Studio technology, as represented here by England's CEDAR system, in the wrong hands still poses a threat to the raw stuff of music. Fortunately, Cemil's performances are treated with care, and the quick silver nature of his genius survives the rumble of worn grooves...a disc that is epitaph and a half for a musician of extraterrestrial inspiration."