The quartet blends jazz with rich musical traditions from Polat’s many previous crossover projects.
The crossover-inspired compositions spring into existence through contemplation, experiments, emotions, adventure and virtuosity. Polat finds a certain freedom in diverging from simple time signatures into complex ‘odd meters’ like the 5/4, 7/4 and 9/8 found in non-Western music. The drums and double bass provide a rhythmical fundament for melodic ud and piano lines. Each of the musicians brings an individual musical sensibility, creativity and freshness to interpreting and performing the works. Collectively they make the whole much more than a sum of the parts.

The Mehmet Polat Quartet’s debut album, Embodied Poetry was released in June 2023 with a release concert in Bimhuis, Amsterdam. Listen & buy it here: https://orcd.co/embodiedpoetry

Mehmet Polat ud / compositions
Philipp Rüttgers piano
Martin Hafizi drums
Daniel van Huffelen double bass

Videos on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgpT3-_OhJQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN7O8VZud4E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRmYrQoo65A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2fX5SQkJTo

Performance highlights van Mehmet Polat Quartet:

Bimhuis, LantarenVenster, Muziekpodium Zeeland, De X, Growing Music Festival, Amersfoort Jazz Festival, World Music Festival Taiwan (TW), Jammin' Juan in Antibes (FR).

Quotes from the reviews:

"...the jazz aesthetic is one that suffuses the entire album.." **** Songlines UK

“Unforgettable musical tranquility” JazzNu NL

"Admirable harmonious playing, impressive range of styles" Cumhuriyet TR

“Mehmet Polat is one of the best, most influential and innovative ud players of his generation." Heaven Magazine NL

"Contemporary, unconventional world music of great stature...." New Folk Sounds NL

"...the inclusiveness of the music is distinctive." Jazzflits NL

"Beautiful, melancholic, often exciting, always warm music..." Moors Magazine NL

“Embodied Poetry” is an evocative work, a result of the openness and peaceful coexistence of music that has references in different cultures those expertly innervated with jazz. The result is extremely pleasant, opens the mind." Blogfoolk IT

“A brilliant album” Lira Magazine SE

“…the emphasis is always on his magnificent playing on the ud…” Mixed World Music NL

“Polat is currently the most important representative of the oud in Europe, always fascinatingly mixing the music of his homeland with jazz.” Nieuwe Noten NL

“...displays pure creative jazz with outbursts of introspective improvisations…” Written on Music & Europe Jazz Network

“Discover the beautiful, virtuoso union of two united universes. ..all these harmonious, soothing beauties will reveal themselves to you.” Jazzmania BE

​​​​​​“Mehmet Polat is a wonderful musician: an open eye and ear for everything and everyone… The band provides seventy minutes of excellent listening pleasure.” Rootstime BE
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"Unequalled, heartwarming global sounds..." Zeeuwse Cultuur Agenda, NL

Links to website & social media:

www.mehmetpolat.net
www.facebook.com/udimehmetpolat
www.youtube.com/user/mehmetpolat
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5G3QhltT1IWPSkV3Wh1My4
https://mehmetpolat.bandcamp.com/
www.instagram.com/mehmet.polat.udi

Contact:
Mehmet Polat
info@mehmetpolat.net
Chris Lebeaustraat 4, 1062DC Amsterdam