By George Richardson, Sussex Jazz Magazine
Throughout the course of history it has been common practice for composers of all styles to create music to tell the story of a certain culture’s identity. The likes of Ellington, Stravinsky and Rodrigo have all penned large scale compositions to document and express their cultural heritage through music. The Rise Up, the new release by Turkish-Amercian musician and composer Mehmet Ali Sanlikol is a fine example of a composer musically narrating key moments in the history of the Middle East and doing so with grace and gusto. Read this review here.