Soolmaan is a sextet led by Belgian oud player and composer Tristan Driessens, accompanied by Nathan Daems, Christos Barbas, Annemie Osborne, Andrea Piccioni, and Levent Yildirim. Together, they create sound tableaus that float freely between the Bosphorus and India, with flute, sax, ney, cello, piano, and tamburello igniting an imaginary folklore infected by jazz. Releasing their second album ‘Kashgul’ on the 24th of January with Zephyrus Records. (Vinyl / CD)
Driessens began his career immersed in the classical music of the Ottoman court, founding the Lâmekân Ensemble in 2011. After training under oud virtuoso Necati Çelikin Istanbul, he returned to Belgium in 2016 to form Soolmaan, an ensemble that reflects his multi-faceted identity. Rooted in Eastern modal traditions, Soolmaan’s music bridges jazz, folk, and classical influences, creating a unique and contemporary sound.Their 2017 debut album, ‘Letters to Handenberg’, was described as “oriental chamber jazz,” with Istanbul serving as a common thread. With Kashgul, their latest release, Soolmaan explores Ottoman makam, Indian raga and Anatolian halk muzigi, blending these traditions with a contemporary modal language. Created during Driessens’ artist residency at the Concertgebouw of Bruges, the album features original compositions alongside reimagined works by Ravi Shankar, Amjad Ali Khan, and Art Pepper.With improvisation as a connecting factor, Soolmaan’s music invites listeners into rich, boundary-crossing soundscapes where tradition and innovation meet. Kashgul exemplifies the ensemble’s ability to craft an immersive musical experience.that resonates deeply with diverse audiences.
“I started writing the music for Kashgul two years ago. I was at a point in my career where borders had become more blurred. For some time, I had been playing side by side with musicians from India, Iran, Andalusia and elsewhere. By force of circumstance, I was soaking up new influences. And while remaining filled with the spirit passed on to me by my master Necati Çelik, I assimilated rhythms and melodies that I had never heard before. Then, during the year of composition that preceded the recording of this album, I felt that my writing language had changed. It was difficult for me to stay within the framework of the tradition in which I had been trained. I couldn’t help but give free rein to new inspirations, those that had gradually and sometimes imperceptibly found their way into my oud playing, as I met new people, played concerts and improvised alone in the evenings. Beyond the city of Istanbul, that luminous port of call that remains so dear to me, new resonances have emanated from my writing, naturally, without my being able to name them. Little by little, I began to anchor these resonances, thus revealing my long-standing affection for Persia, Central Asia and India, of course…
While the music on this album still reflects my years in Istanbul, it now expresses a more travelled, more eccentric orient. Alongside the new compositions, always approached with the jazz sparkle characteristic of the Soolmaan line-up, one of the central pieces is a cover – performed on saxophone, oud, piano, cello, doholla and tamburello – of a work by the Indian Sarod master Amjad Ali Khan.
I would like to thank the five musicians with whom I had the great honour of working to create this album, and who enriched and spiced up what I had to say with their presence and their great freedom. And I would also like to thank the Concertgebouw in Bruges, co-sponsor of this project, for placing its trust in me and supporting my creative trajectory. This album is a first fruit.”
-Tristan Driessens, Brussels, 27 January 2023
Listen here -> https://album.link/be/i/1786688189
Order ‘Kashgul’ -> https://soolmaan.bandcamp.com/album/kashgul