Nezih Yeşilnil

Nezih Yeşilnil (born 2 April 1952) is a Turkish composer and arranger for double bass. He plays along bands such as Yansımalar or the Ayşegül Yeşilnil Quintet, as well as within his own jazz trio.

Biography

Nezih Yeşilnil was born on 2 April 1952 in Bursa, Turkey. He started with mandolin at the age of six and guitar at thirteen, and was playing bass guitar with Maca Besi Group in Izmir when he was seventeen. Following his graduation from Ege University’s Faculty of Economics in Izmir, he played a role in the formation of the musical band Grup Dogus. While playing with many dance bands, he took up the double bass in 1980. The same year he started to play with Emin Findiklioglu and all the musicians he performed with during this period became a jazz school for him.

He played with various well-known musicians at the Turkish jazz scene like Erol Pekcan, Tuna Ötenel, Neşet Ruacan, and Önder Focan.

He also regularly plays with his wife, the jazz vocalist (and painter) Ayşegül Yeşilnil. Together they co-produced an album (“Rüzgara Şarkılar Söyle”) in 1995, with Nezih supplying the music and the arrangements to lyrics written by Ayşegül. Nezih Yeşilnil has also participated in many album productions as a musician and an arranger.

He has also performed with international artists like Ron Afif, Ray Blue, Carol Chaikin, Lloyd Chisholm, Larry Coryell, Ted Curson, Scott Hamilton, Geraldine Hunt and Danny Lerman, Valeri Ponomarev, Vitali Samharadze, and Don Thompson.

Currently he performs with his own jazz trio and two music groups formed by leading musicians of Turkey; Yansımalar and Jak and Janet Esim Ensemble.

Nezih Yeşilnil has performed in Algeria, Belgium, China, Cyprus, Germany, Holland, India, Italy, Romania, Switzerland, Israel and Turkey.

Performances

Festivals

  • 2007 International Jerusalem Oud Festival – Israel (Janet & Jak Esim Ensemble)
  • 2007 Essen-Germany (with Jak & Janet Esim Ensemble)
  • 2005 Berlin Dialogue Theatre (with Yansımalar)
  • 2005 Bologna (Italy)(with Yansımalar)
  • 2005 European Countries Festival (Algeria)(with Yansımalar) 2005 Sufi Music Festival (New Delhi, India)(with Yansımalar)
  • 2004 Bodrum Jazz Festival (with Ayşegül Yeşilnil Quintet)
  • 2003 10. International Istanbul Jazz Festivali (with Ayşegül Yeşilnil Quintet)
  • 2002 9. International Istanbul Jazz Festivali (with Onder Focan Trio)
  • 2001 1. Afyonkarahisar Jazz Festival (Afyonkarahisar)
  • 2000 10. International Akbank Jazz Festival
  • 1997 Ayşegül Yeşilnil Quintet Jazz concert (Cyprus)
  • 1996 International Cyprus Magosa Festival (Cyprus)
  • 1994 4. International Akbank Jazz Festival (Istanbul)
  • 1992 - 1993 Three European tours (with Jak & Janet Esim Ensemble)
  • 1990 1. International Bursa Jazz Festival (Bursa)
  • 1989 Shenzhen & Zhuhai International Arts Festival (China)
  • 1986 Sibiu Jazz Festival (Romania)(with Istanbul Jazz Quartet)

Concert halls

  • Is Sanat Concert Hall (Istanbul)
  • Izmir Sanat Concert Hall (Izmir)

Clubs

  • Babylon (Istanbul),
  • BigBen (Bodrum),
  • Bilsak (Istanbul),
  • Cafe Gramofon (Istanbul),
  • Dilhayat (Istanbul),
  • Es Kandil (Istanbul),
  • Hayal Kahvesi (Istanbul),
  • Hot Jazz Club (Girne-Cyprus),
  • Istanblues Jazzclub (Istanbul),
  • Jazzcafe (Istanbul),
  • Jazzstop (Istanbul),
  • Kehribar (Istanbul),
  • Kerem Görsev Jazz Club (Istanbul),
  • Manhattan (Istanbul),
  • Naima (Istanbul),
  • Nardis (Istanbul),
  • Q Jazzclub (Istanbul),
  • Pinty (Istanbul),
  • Roofbar Dedeman (Istanbul),
  • Sapho (Istanbul),
  • Shaft (Istanbul),
  • Swissotel (Istanbul),
  • Zihni Bar (Istanbul).