Akbank Sanat hosts Chico Freeman on Jazz Day

Famous US jazz saxophonist Chico Freeman and one of the world's best counter bassists, Heiri Känzig of Switzerland, will share the same stage in Istanbul on April 30, International Jazz Day. 

The duo will perform a repertoire from unforgettable songs from the world of jazz to new numbers on their recent joint album, "The Arrival." 

Before the concert at Akbank Sanat, Freeman talked to the Hürriyet Daily News about the concert and his adventure in jazz music. 

You are a legendary jazz musician who is set to honor Istanbul on International Jazz Day on April 30.  What will be your repertoire to celebrate the jazz?

In order to honor International Jazz Day on April 30, my repertoire will be exactly what I am performing now. Mr. Heiri Känzig and myself have a new CD entitled "The Arrival," and since we're doing the concert, much of the repertoire will come from that CD. It's the most recent CD of the duo with Mr. Heiri Känzig, so a lot of the music will come from the CD. There are some other additional songs and original songs that I will be playing. 

You have never limited yourself to any specific style in jazz, but what style in jazz represents you the most?

No, I have never limited myself to any specific style. I don't really like labels. So I don't like to label it. If anything, I would say that I play the music that is closest to my heart, which is from my heart. I think there is nothing more sincere than coming through honestly and searching for the truth of myself at any given moment. So I don't really recognize styles. I see them and I hear people speak about them but they don't concern me. I play what comes from my heart. And if it happens to fit into some label, so be it. But that's not my job to...