İlhan Erşahin's Istanbul Sessions

İlhan Erşahin is a musician driven by a constant desire to explore new forms of expression and continually reinvent himself. Over the years, he has proven this through thematic projects such as Wax Poetic, Love Trio, Nublu Orchestra, Praia Futuro, and Silver. Yet İstanbul Sessions—founded in 2005 with the dream of creating a “session band” he could freely play with—holds a distinct place among them. The group released its debut album in 2010, featuring Alp Ersönmez, Turgut Alp Bekoğlu, and İzzet Kızıl alongside Erşahin.

French trumpeter Erik Truffaz once described them as, “If Radiohead played jazz, it would sound like this.” It’s not far from the truth. Drawing inspiration from different places and eras, İstanbul Sessions creates a unique sound unconstrained by genre boundaries. Their fifth studio album, Bir Zamanlar Şimdi, released during the pandemic, takes listeners on a timeless journey through tracks named after Anatolian and Mesopotamian civilizations.

With Erşahin’s free-form jazz riffs, Ersönmez’s groovy bass lines, Bekoğlu’s powerful drumming, and Kızıl’s dynamic percussion, İstanbul Sessions expands on stage with an ever-growing energy—lifting the audience along with them.