Literally Telvin means changing colors but it was used to express the change of the state of consciousness in Sufi philosophy. Erkan Oğur, Turgut Alp Bekoğlu and Ilkin Deniz have chosen the word to name the change in the state of their music during their journey together into the sounds of Anatolia.

Telvin strated its journey in 1995 in Istanbul. Besides their popularity within the Jazz and Blues scene in Turkey, the trio was greatly appreciated during its early international appearances in Houston and New Orleans in 1995 and in the North Sea Jazz Festival in 1998. After a period of playing together the band started featuring numerous talented musicians who played traditional folk instruments such as kaval, kopuz, erbane and hanging drums in addition to more contemporary instruments such as the piano and the saxophone. These features have greatly inspired the band to combine traditional folk music and jazz. Enriched by diversified improvisations, these features have created a magical tone that filled the gaps between traditional folk and contemporary music.

After years of hard work; long studio nights and many concerts, Telvin released their first album “Telvin” in 2006. Telvin is a band that has succeeded in bringing together the music of this geography and its deep heritage with jazz music, and has captivated a huge audience during its performances. The success of Erkan Oğur not only on fretless guitar but also on traditional string instruments and the E-Bow is evident in the album.

Erkan Oğur is a pioneer of the fretless guitar who has has mesmerized music lovers for the past 30 years since he designed and built his very first fretless classical guitar in 1976. His unique sound combines ethnic folk music and traditional Turkish themes with rock, blues and contemporary jazz. Erkan plays traditional lutes and various types of guitar, acoustic and electric, fretted and fretless, all with the same sense of perfectionism.

Erkan Oğur built his own fretless guitar to be able to obtain Turkish melodies within the Turkish musical system. He has also modified the bağlama, a traditional ethnic instrument, with six double or single strings; and a doublesided bağlama, with two different tunings. He frequently uses an e-bow, a magnetized bowing device that can produce a variety of sounds reminiscent of the complex makam system.

He had invented fretless guitar in order to be able to play in the Turkish system. He also made bağlama (Traditional Ethnic Instrument), with six double or single strings; even made a doublesided bağlama, with two different tunings.

Turgut Alp Bekoğlu has for years been a notable figure on the international music scene. While his heart has always been steeped in the jazz tradition, his virtuosity has allowed him to accompany numerous Turkish pop stars in the 1980s. Turgut has performed at various international festivals through the years and has influenced an entire new generation of Turkish drummers with his percussion knowledge and techniques.

İlkin Deniz is perhaps not as well known as the other two musicians. Living and working in the US as an artist and graphic designer, he has seldom been able to share his musical talents with European and Turkish audiences. But, Ilkin has played alongside many reputable Turkish musicians and singers and his skills on acoustic and electric bass are admired in inner circles. He has a strong reputation in jazz circles of east coast USA.