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Onder Focan

Önder Focan started music by playing mandolin at the age of 8. He switched to guitar at 15 and concentrated on jazz in 1975. Being mainly self- taught, he has become a jazz musician most sought after as a guitarist, player, composer arranger and lyrics writer. In 1986, he got married to Zuhal Focan withn whom founded Nardis Jazz Club in 2002.

Focan improved his skills in music and teaching by attending seminars by IAJE (International Association for Jazz Musicians). From 1996 to 1999, he conducted Jazz Ensemble courses at the Istanbul Academy. In 1997, he performed in the Guitar Night that was organized by MIDEM (Marché International du Disque et de l’Edition Musicale) with 11 international guitarists representing Istanbul Culture and Arts Fund (IKSV).

Between the years of 2001 and 2005, he taught harmony classes at Mujdat Gezen Art Centre where he was elected as the best artist in Western Music in 2000. At Yildiz Technical University, he lectured “Jazz Styles in Analysis” in 2003-2004 and also “Jazz Guitar” in 2006-2007.

Since 2002, he has been the art director of Nardis Jazz Club, where he organizes concerts for more than 315 musicians and accompanies them on stage every year. Some of these musicians are Benny Golson, Kurt Elling, Dianne Reeves, Al Foster, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Roy Haynes, Tierney Sutton, Kenny Drew Jr, Roseanne Vitro, Christian Mc Bride, Roy Hargrove, Ron Carter and majority of top local musicians.

Always valuing and recognizing social responsibility projects, Focan has directed and the coordinated IPMN (Istanbul – Pori Music Networking). This project supported jazz education, enabling young musicians to have experience on stage in both cities, Istanbul and Pori.

He has released 13 CD’s. In 1998, featuring the great drummer Bill Stewart and Hammond B3 player Sam Yahel, his album

“Beneath The Stars” honored him as the first Turkish Jazz musician to have released an album on Blue Note label. He has participated in 94 Festivals, while 43 have taken place in various cities in Turkey, the other 51 have been in other countries such as the USA (Los Angeles), France, Germany, China, Malta, Italy, Brazil, Senegal, Indiana, Finland, Australia, Jordan, Hungary, Switzerland, Croatia and Estonia.

Önder Focan uses and endorses Godin and Oeerless Guitars, also AER alpha amps.

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Album Review

Onder Focan: Aubergine / Patlican

Read "Aubergine / Patlican" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


Six tunes about food or, more precisely, six tunes in tribute to the eggplant (aka the aubergine or the patlican); that is the tracklist for Aubergine / Patlican, a delightfully fresh and joyous album from Turkish guitarist Önder Focan. An established jazz musician with over a dozen albums to his name, Focan is based in Istanbul where he is artistic director of the Nardis Jazz Club. His playing has been compared to jazz masters including Larry Coryell, Kenny Burrell and ...

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From Far and Wide

Istanbul Jazz: So Close to the Music, So Far From New York

Read "Istanbul Jazz: So Close to the Music, So Far From New York" reviewed by Arthur R George


That any musician, old cat, young lion, or apprentice anywhere, endeavors in jazz is amazing enough, given the elusiveness of “success." That is even more true in jny: Istanbul, Turkey: not a conventional jazz capitol, far from the African-American roots of jazz, and even beyond the music's major continental domiciles. Yet the tilting cobblestoned streets of the city echo with the music. There is indigenous Turkish music re-interpreted; progressive, experimental, and avant-garde to varying results. However, most dependably ...

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Performance / Tour

Café Noctambulo Is Proud To Present The Danny Lerman Experience With Special Guest, Turkish Guitarist Onder Focan on March 30th

Café Noctambulo Is Proud To Present The Danny Lerman Experience With Special Guest, Turkish Guitarist Onder Focan on March 30th

Source: Lampkin Publicity Service

Musical Director/arranger/pianist is Tim Gant with Lee Thompson on Drums, Lavondo Thomas on Bass with special guest guitarist Onder Focan. Danny Lerman is a riveting saxophonist and composer. Danny has studied with Junior Walker's legendary teacher, Charlie Atkins and at the music school of the University of North Texas and the Berklee School of Music as well as with Peter Ballin. Danny's CD’s, Danny’s Island/Chartmaker Jazz and Meow Baby/Lightyear/EMI earned stunning reviews, opening the door to international airplay, festivals and ...

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