An Evening with the Mehmet Polat Trio at Harris Center for the Arts

A spiritual yet adventurous meeting of three masters of magical instruments, which the group describes in terms of the elements: the 21-string kora is imagined as the earth element, the pear-shaped oud as space and the flute-like ney as the air...and the idea of Mehmet Polat Trio was born. “The instrumentation of the trio is unique. All the more surprising how coherent the merging of traditions sound” (Jazzthetik, DE). Rooted in the Ottoman, ancient Anatolian, Balkan and West African music traditions, the trio’s original compositions are colored by daring improvisations and grooves, presented in a chamber music-like atmosphere.