I could post this under events, but I'd like to talk a bit more in a blog-format way about what we're going to be doing and why it's important.

As many of you know, about one year ago Samuel Atchley and myself started working intensively on creating an adaptation of Turkish folk music for oud and clarinet that would keep the feeling, makam, ornamentation, meaning, rhythm, and vibe intact. Much of this music is better known and typically played on baglama-saz, kaval, and zurna, so adapting it tastefully for oud and clarinet was a considerable challenge. In October 2006, Sean Tergis joined us on percussion, and we alternated 3 hour performances at Viktoria Lokantasi (in Taksim, Istnabul) with intense rehearsals. Ladi Dell'aira (singing) joined us in the spring, and we've been playing together, trying to bring a myriad assortment of regional Turkish folk music, Roman gypsy dance repertoire, Anatolian ethnic music works, and contemporary compositions to a broad audience.

The group is called Nerelisin, we've performed in California at the Kosmos camp (Lake County) and at the Monterrey Turkish Arts and Culture Festival, and a whole bunch more in Istanbul at unpronounceable venues such as the "U-Turn Bar" and "Jazz Play Studio."

We have a short time left as a group.

Our clarinetist, Sam, is moving back to Turkey at the end of September.

We're playing Amnesia (San Francisco: Valencia @20th) this Sunday at 9 where we're opening for the Brass Menazeri. Come, or forever miss a historic occasion.

But, we'd like to do a gig or two in addition before Sam runs off to reunite with his love in Istanbul (and whatever else he's searching for that Istanbul has). If anyone has any concrete leads, we'd appreciate them. We've had strange response from the venues we knew in the Bay Area. We don't want strangeness. We want a gig where the venue wants us, and an audience who appreciates a variety of Anatolian/Turkish folk music can come, o kadar.

We have some CDs to peddle, as well. Our debut 9-song CD, entitled "Fark Etmez!" (It does't matter) is finished, and released on miq productions.

Anyway, help would be appreciated. We do shows including rocking social dance pieces and/or melancholic ballads. So we're purrfect for any dance-friendly gothic encounter you might have on your horizon.

Sonra görüşürüz,
-eliot (nerelisin)