Maffy Falay

The first international jazz soloist to emerge from Turkey, trumpeter Maffy Falay was born in 1930 and studied in Ankara. In 1956, the Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra was greeted by a jazz band in the Turkish capital and Gillespie was so impressed that he advised Falay to travel to the United States. His given name Muvaffak being hilarious to American ears, he earned the nickname Maffy. Properly translated, his name means "he who shall be successful." In 1960, he moved to Germany to play with Kurt Edelhagen's Orchestra and the Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band, appearing on several records. In 1960, Falay went to Sweden to join the Harry Arnold Radio Jazz Orchestra; he also played with Quincy Jones. In Sweden, he played with Bernt Rosengren and Don Cherry (The Creator Has a Master Plan, Caprice 1971); after becoming a member of the Swedish Radio Jazz Group he moved there permanently. In 1970, he joined the Dizzy Gillespie Reunion Orchestra. Falay also played with baritone saxophonist Lars Gullin from 1960 until Gullin's death in 1976 (Bluesport, EMI 1974, and Aeros Aromatica Atomica Suit, EMI 1976). His group Sevda ("love" in Turkish) was one of the first attempts to fuse Turkish musical tradition and jazz (Sevda, Caprice 1972; Live at Jazzhus Montmartre, Caprice 1972; Live at Fregatten, Sonet 1973). In its best moments, Sevda was a very successful, exciting band, featuring Turkish violinist Salih Baysal. In 1985, Falay formed a more mainstream group with Rosengren and Turkish trombonist Elvan Araci (We Six, Phontastic 1986). A similar quintet, recorded live in Istanbul in 1994 (Golden Horn), features his mature, round tone and his phrasing reminiscent of Brown and Hubbard, performing fine, under-recorded compositions by Mobley, Dorham, Horace Silver, Tina Brooks, and McCoy Tyner. ~ Francesco Martinelli, Rovi