Jazz in Ramadan concert series returns for third year

Legendary American jazz pianist/composer Ahmad Jamal will open this year’s series with an appearance at Santralİstanbul, the İstanbul-based Hakan Erdoğan Productions announced on Wednesday.

The 82-year-old Jamal, whose career spans more than six decades, has become a staple of the series, being the only performer to feature in all three editions. Jamal will be accompanied by Herlin Riley on drums, Manuel Badrena on percussion and Reginald Veal on bass in the opening concert, where they will also present songs from Jamal’s latest album, “Blue Moon,” released in February, the organizers said in a written statement.

Featuring an as-yet-undisclosed number of evening concerts in a variety of outdoor venues around İstanbul, the series will continue until Aug. 7, the press release said, adding that the full program would be “announced shortly.”

Famous American jazz drummer Omar Hakim is another name the organizers chose to disclose from this year’s lineup. With his new project, The Trio of OZ, where he is joined by pianist Rachel Z and bassist Solomon Dorsey, Hakim will be onstage the evening of July 31 at Santralİstanbul. The concert will feature the trio’s original reinterpretations of songs by a wide variety of acts, ranging from Duke Ellington to Depeche Mode and from Wayne Shorter to Sting to Coldplay and Bjork.

Tickets for the July 19 and July 31 concerts are available at Biletix.