Antonio Forcione & Cenk Erdoğan: Storytellers
Antonio Forcione, once dubbed the “Jimi Hendrix of the acoustic guitar”, has released over 20 albums and worked with the likes of Charlie Haden and Paco de Lucía whilst Cenk Erdoğan is a fretless guitar master, known for blending Turkish influences with contemporary sounds, as well as his work composing scores for Turkish films.
The pair first crossed paths over 20 years ago at a guitar festival in Istanbul where Erdoğan, then a conservatory student, caught Forcione’s attention with his expressive fretless guitar playing. A planned collaboration took a while to happen, but when they finally reunited for a concert in Sofia in 2019, the musical chemistry was still there. Following shows in Bulgaria and across Europe, the pair recorded this 10-track album in Sofia last year. Their styles come together naturally, with Forcione’s rhythmic, Mediterranean flair meeting Erdoğan’s fretless guitar and its Anatolian influences.
Folk Song for Two sets the tone, a tribute to Brazilian great Egberto Gismonti. It blends tradition with a gentle jazz touch, as Forcione and Erdoğan complement each other beautifully over a clear, lilting melody. Da Capo plays with shifting rhythms and interlocking guitar lines, while Children Of The World has a more folk-inspired feel, with Erdoğan’s fretless guitar adding a distinctive edge to Forcione’s acoustic playing. 4 Hands On The Table lives up to its name, with the two guitarists bouncing ideas off each other in a natural, flowing conversation.
Dilemma opens the B-side with shifting rhythms and expressive playing before the arrival of Nena, a more relaxed, lyrical track that leaves plenty of space for both guitarists. The album closes with Luna, which continues that theme, letting the guitars weave around each other in a lovely, understated way.
A captivating meeting of two guitar masters, blending Mediterranean rhythms, Turkish influences and soulful improvisation into a rich, melodic dialogue. Let’s hope this bromance continues and leads to a second offering.
Discography
Folk Song For Two; Da Capo; Children Of The World; 4 Hands On The Table; Petals In The Ashes (22:42) – Dilemma; Nena; Leaving Home; Turning Pages; Luna (22.46)
Forcione (nylon string guitar); Erdoğan (fretless guitar). Sofia, August 2025.
Jazz Plus DM104
Various: Jazz Samba
This compilation features 20 popular tracks from the bossa-nova canon pressed on 180g green-coloured vinyl including favourites Garota De Ipanema, Desafinado, Água De Beber and Mas, Que Nada! (the latter presented with its correct punctuation, so often omitted). The double-sided LP also includes lesser-known tracks from Brazilian guitar legend Luiz Bonfá, bossa-nova pioneer Carlos Lyra, samba-rock innovator Jorge Ben and Argentine-born composer and arranger Lalo Schifrin.
Particular standouts include Baden Powell’s 1967 recording of Consolação, blending bossa nova with his traditional classical guitar techniques, Insensatez (taken from Tom Jobim’s first studio album, The Composer of Desafinado, Plays – one I never tire of hearing), an early Sérgio Mendes tune titled Tristeza De Nós Dois lifted from his debut release and Quem Quiser Encontrar O Amor and an upbeat tune from the Tamba Trio who combined instrumental virtuosity with tightly arranged three-part vocal harmonies.
It’s a fairly budget-friendly edition, with no additional liner notes and a plain white paper sleeve, though the low-key packaging is reflected in the retail price. Same title, different album – don’t get it mixed up with Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd’s Jazz Samba. Surely, they could’ve come up with something a little more original and engaging for the release title – and don’t even get me started on the cover art. That said, it’s a pretty comprehensive and accessible introduction to one of Brazil’s greatest musical exports.
Discography
Desafinado; Tristeza De Nós Dois; Chove Chuva; Muito À Vontade; Chega De Saudade; Água De Beber; Vocé E Eu; Corcovado; Manhã De Carnaval; A Felicidade (28.09) – Garota De Ipanema; Só Danço Samba; Pela Luz Dos Olhos Teus; Consolaçao; Sambalamento; Insensatez; Silvia; O Barquinho; Quem Quiser Encontrar O Amor; Mas, Que Nada! (27.04)
Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd (A1); Sérgio Mendes (A2); Jorge Ben (A3, B10); João Donato (A4); João Gilberto (A5); Antônio Carlos Jobim (A6, B1, B6); Carlos Lyra (A7); Stan Getz (A8); Luiz Bonfá (A9, B5); Agostinho Dos Santos & Antônio Carlos Jobim (A10); Stan Getz & Luiz Bonfá (B2); Vinícius De Moraes (B3); Baden Powell (B4); Lalo Schifrin (B7); Charlie Byrd (B8); Tamba Trio (B9).
New Continent LP 101053