Biography
Yavuz Akyazıcı was born in 1966. He started his education at Istanbul Technical University Plane Engineering Department then moved on to Chemical Engineering at Bosphorus University. When he was nineteen, he heard John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” album and realized he wanted to be a jazz musician. He moved to New York to study jazz in New School of New York. He studied with Cary De Nigris, Vic Juris, Doug Weiss, Phil Grenadier, Phil Markowitz, Billy Harper, Charlie Persip during his school years. After school Yavuz Akyazıcı performed and recorded at New York City with Matt Wilson, Kevin Fitzgerald Burke, Eric Person, Joe Fonda. He played at New York Jazz Clubs like Auggie’s, Birdland, Knitting Factory, 55 Bar, St Cornelia St Cafe, Zinc Bar etc.. He released two albums with Eric Person, Joe Fonda & Matt Wilson.
After 17 years at New York jazz scene, he returned to his home town Istanbul, Turkey and recorded many albums including Turkish Standards Series Vol. 1-2-3. His albums Turkish Standards Vol.1, 2 and 3, immediately withdrew attention in Istanbul’s jazz scene. These albums also caught attention of NPR News and they did an interview with Yavuz.
Recently he formed a new Duo with his wife Funda Akyazıcı and started writing original lyrics and music with her. This duo released 9 singles at digital platforms including collaborations with Kevin Fitzgerald Burke.
Yavuz Akyazıcı also scored for a few feature films in Turkey including Sinan Çetin’s “Romantik” and Yücel Yolcu’s “Bırakmak İstiyorum”.
Funda & Yavuz Akyazıcı keep performing as duo and releasing / composing new original music.