Yavuz Çetin – The Bodrum Sessions
Groovie Studio London – 2026
7 tracks; 27.31 minutes
Yavuz Çetin was a Turkish guitarist who, sadly, died young, aged just 30, having already established himself as one of the first in his country to embrace blues-rock. This recording was made in 1997 and, whereas his other releases appear to have been in Turkish, here he gives us versions of English songs, many of which will be well known to Blues Blast readers. Clearly an intimate recording session (there are several off-mike exchanges just audible), Yavuz sings and there is plenty of acoustic and electric guitar. There were no musician credits supplied with the CD, but it sounds as if someone un-credited is playing acoustic and Yavuz adding the electric elements.
The first track is “Living Next Door To Alice”, from Australian band Smokie in 1977, Yavuz delivering a solid version of a pleasant soft-rock tune. Ben E King’s 1961 classic “Stand By Me” follows, short, tasteful electric guitar set against the acoustic rhythm, though a semi-spoken element is less successful. The version of “Proud Mary” is closer to Tina Turner’s barnstorming cover than Creedence’s original and certainly gets the toes tapping, Yavuz playing a nicely poised Rn’R solo. “Photographs & Memories” is a Jim Croce tune and perhaps the least familiar song here, this gentle version running to under two minutes.
“Hard To Handle” is given a funky treatment with wah-wah guitar that takes it well away from Otis Redding’s version, but “Rockin’ In The Free World” is far closer to Neil Young’s 1991 original. After some initial ‘noodling’ the acoustic sets the rhythm and the electric embellishes, the chorus with which we are all so familiar present and correct. JJ Cale’s “Cocaine” concludes this short album and starts well but, unfortunately, Yavuz decides to use a Talk Box for the second half of the tune, a device that definitely dates the recording as Yavuz seems to be using it in conjunction with his wah-wah pedal.
As can be seen from the titles, there is no actual blues content here, but the intention of the release is to remind listeners of Yavuz, his music and its place in the history of Turkish rock. For this reviewer the highlights are “Rockin’ In The Free World” and “Proud Mary”, but others may prefer some of the quieter moments or the vocal distortions of “Cocaine”.
