When contemporary London jazz meets electronic sound, acoustic piano and an experimental musical approach, the result is the world of Cenk Esen Trio.
On 9 October, In The Mood Jazz Club welcomes Cenk Esen Trio to Bulgaria for the very first time — the project of Istanbul-born, London-based pianist, composer and producer Cenk Esen. With this exclusive concert, In The Mood introduces Bulgarian audiences to one of the most exciting young musicians on today’s London jazz scene.
His music brings together electronic textures and the acoustic resonance of the piano. The trio traces a continuous movement between acoustic sound, synths, bass and drums; between precise composition and improvisation that remains open and in flux.
For Esen, piano and synths are not simply at the centre of the arrangement, but the driving force behind the music as a whole. At times, they unfold into an airy, almost cinematic space; at others, they gather the energy into a pulsing groove, with the sense of urban speed and focus that defines some of the most compelling projects on today’s London scene.
After studying at the esteemed Berklee College of Music and the Global Jazz Institute, Cenk Esen settled in London — the city where his musical language found its natural home. There, his piano and synths move freely between jazz harmony, electronic sound and the rhythmic culture of contemporary urban music.
“Istanbul-born Cenk Esen is fast building a reputation as a keys-man-about-town.”
— Jazzwise
In recent years, Esen has worked with artists including Mansur Brown, Chaos in the CBD, MckNasty and Tom Driessler — encounters that have expanded his own voice in different directions across the London scene.
Early in his career, he was a member of Vibes Trio, alongside bassist Yiğit Can Öztop and drummer Mehmet Ali Şimayli. In 2017, the trio won the IKSV Young Jazz competition and performed at the Istanbul Jazz Festival. This was followed by appearances at venues such as Ronnie Scott’s, Southbank Centre, Royal Albert Hall and Nublu in New York, as well as at Montreux Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival and We Out Here.
At In The Mood, Cenk Esen will present his trio with Jules Chappert on electric bass and Jack Robson on drums, bringing together piano, synths, bass and drums in a format that places the dialogue between electronic sound and acoustic instruments at its core.
The clearest portrait of the sound Cenk Esen is developing today can be found in his latest album, Endlessly, recorded at AIR Studios in London. The programme will consist entirely of original music, featuring compositions from Endlessly alongside new, as-yet-unreleased material. Within the trio format, this sound takes on a further dimension through the attentive dialogue between piano, synths, bass and drums.
“Cenk’s own contemporary musical voice shines through wholeheartedly… Endlessly is a decisive and fully formed work.”
— DownBeat
On 9 October, Cenk Esen Trio makes its first Bulgarian appearance in an exclusive concert at In The Mood Jazz Club. In the club’s intimate setting, this is a rare opportunity to experience music with the feeling of today’s great city — elegant, modern and open to unexpected directions. A London night of contemporary jazz, pulsing groove and improvisation, brought to 52 Pozitano Street.