Embodied Poetry

The prolific Mehmet Polat presents another album of Turkish ud jazz with inflections of other traditions. Similar to his previous albums, this one features Polat’s ud as the lead instrument, backed by piano, bass and drums; with guest appearances of trumpet, duduk (from Armenia’s Vardan Hovanissian) and ney.

The contents are all original compositions by Polat and have a number of interesting inspirations. The title track, for example, grew from a fragment of melody from an Indian raga yama; while the rhythms of the preceding ‘For Growth’, with its speedy 5/8 rhythm, come from Spanish and Persian sources.

‘Diotima’, named after Polat’s daughter and, ultimately, after a semi-legendary female Greek philosopher, is where we hear some of his most expressive playing – subtly varying the touch of his left hand to bring out a wide tonal palette of sound. Much of the melody playing, particularly on the heads, is in unison with the piano or whatever other melody instrument is involved. The textures then complexify in solos that owe as much to their regional tonal sources as they do to modal jazz. Indeed, the jazz aesthetic is one that suffuses the entire album, but the extent to which this shines through waxes and wanes along the way.