The bridge is the collaboration itself — baglama and piano, Anatolia and jazz, tradition and improvisation.

Date:Saturday, 14 March 2026
Time:
Doors: 6:30 pm
Music: 7:00 pm
Address:277-279 Broadway, Glebe

Muharrem Aslan - Baglama
Alister Spence - piano

Muharrem and Alister have known each other since first meeting at UNSW over a decade ago. In early 2025, they began collaborating more closely, exploring ways to bring together Anatolian bağlama music—with its evocative quarter-tone language—and jazz and free improvisation on the piano, an instrument defined by equal temperament. Over the course of the year, they composed eight original instrumental works and began to uncover a shared musical language that extends the traditions and practices of both instruments. This performance marks their debut as a duo. Deeply engaged in the creative process, they hope audiences will find the result both captivating and exciting.

Muharrem Aslan

Muharrem Aslan is a Sydney-based composer, baglama virtuoso, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and music therapist. Born in Türkiye, his music fuses traditional Turkish folk with global influences, bridging cultures through emotionally rich storytelling in both Turkish and English. As an independent artist, Muharrem developed a unique baglama technique called Fourtemolo and creates a timeless sound that blends world music, acoustic textures, and Anatolian soul. His work explores themes of identity, migration, and belonging-drawing on his experience across continents and as a music therapist to craft performances that are both deeply human and universally resonant. https://muharremaslan.org/ 

Alister Spence

Over more than 30 years pianist and composer Alister Spence has established a reputation as a creative force in jazz and improvised music. He has recorded and toured numerous times with the Alister Spence Trio, featuring Lloyd Swanton (the Necks) on double bass, and Toby Hall drums. In 2020 the trio joined with rock guitarist Ed Kuepper (The Saints, The Laughing Clowns) to form Asteroid Ekosystem. Spence tours and records regularly with Satoko Fujii (Japan), Raymond MacDonald (Scotland), Joe Williamson and Christopher Cantillo (Sweden), and Tony Buck. Past recordings and tours include with Myra Melford (US), The Australian Art Orchestra, and Clarion Fracture Zone. Albums released with these collaborators have received numerous awards and are frequently reviewed and mentioned in ‘Best Of’ lists in magazines and blogs such as The Wire (UK), New York City Jazz Record (US), Jazzwise (UK), Jazz Forum (Poland), Music Magazine (Japan).

www.alisterspence.com

https://alisterspence.bandcamp.com/