Mama & Friends - Mama's Bag (2021)

Founded by luthier - finger picking master Çaglayan Örge (banjo-guitar), Suna Suner (vocal, tambourine) and Sarp Keskiner (vocal, electric lead and slide guitar, kazoo, harmonica, tambourine, snare & a cymbal) in 1996; MAMA & FRIENDS is known as “the ever first combo in Turkey, based on pre-war blues styles, gospels and spirituals.” This album presents an unreleased bundle of materials taken from the live sessions of the trio, recorded directly to a cassette recorder by in house sound engineer Kubilay Gürol, between June and August 1997, at Eylül Müzik Kulübü.1 Gospels and spirituals performed here are also known as secondary examples, ever recorded in Turkey. Thus, enjoy this rare audio documentary; featuring covers of Robert Johnson, Jesse Fuller, Leadbelly and Bessie Smith.3 Other than displaying a naïve authenticity; “Mama’s Bag” captures a historical time frame of local blues scene in Turkey, when any event representing those styles was able to pull together hundreds of people, enjoying the diversity of the blues inventory.