Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series. On this episode, we talk with Grammy-nominated Jazz Pianist, Composer, and Musical Innovator Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol. We caught up with this veteran artist to explore his compelling new 2025 release, 7 Shades of Melancholia—an album that features the brilliant trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and showcases his signature fusion of global influences.

Launching his jazz career in the mid-1990s, Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol has carved out a distinctive sound informed by his deep background in traditional Turkish music, Western classical, and progressive rock. This genre-defying foundation has led to his reputation as an innovative composer, educator, and even instrument inventor, pushing the boundaries of modern jazz composition.

We dig into the making of the album, the concept behind its seven emotional landscapes, and how his global musical journey continues to evolve.

🎧 Dive into the mind of a true jazz polymath.

🎶 Get the album: 7 Shades of Melancholia on Bandcamp

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Joe Dimino Podcaster/Artist

Joe Dimino has been writing & creating in a variety of capacities since his college days at the University of Missouri-Kansas City somewhere around 1993. If you are keeping score, that would be about 29 years+. It all began at UMKCs University News as a Sports Writer & turned into a myriad of expressive avenues. Inventing poems, art, video & audio has always been in the proverbial cards.