Istanbul Blues Company

Istanbul Blues Company (İstanbul Blues Kumpanyası in Turkish, or referred as IBC hereafter) is a blues band from Turkey. They're often referred as "The Original Turkish Blues Band". They bring the blues sound to their national melodies, harvesting both to put together a unique and plausible sound.
History.
IBC was founded in October 1993, as the ever and the last "string band" oriented band of Turkey; by Sarp Keskiner (vocal, guitar, harmonica, mandolin, washtub bass, banjo, foamboard, shaker) and Salih Nazım Peker (vocal, mandolin, banjo, baglama), both being the band's founding and mentor members. The first album, "Roots" was released on 10 October 1996 (Ada Muzik). IBC enjoyed the vast repertoire of traditional blues of the late 1930s to the late 1950s; by covering many blues standards but always being keen to blend acoustic rural blues with a slight touch of Turkish baglama music's essential ingredients. Also in 1997, IBC turned out to be the main base for some vitalising folk-blues projects like Tuzlu Nehir (Salty River), Mama & Friends and Mardi Gras; on which each of them did perform tracks from masters like Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Blake, Fred McDowell, Mahalia Jackson, Leadbelly, etc...
During the "revival movement of Istanbul Underground" circa 1998-9, the band was a unique and leading voice in Turkish underground music community by addition of Orcun Basturk (vocals, drums, objects, gongs, bells) from Replikas, besides other bands like Baba Zula, Nekropsi and Replikas; but modelling Alexis Korner's Blues Inc. to host various musicians without any hesitation to launch a "completely free line up" motto; as whomever did practice any kind of blues, gospel, Cajun, acoustic, electronica, collective improvisation and Anatolian psychedelic rock were very welcome to the line up within Turkish boundaries; until their "farewell tour" in May 2000, just after releasing their second album "Sair Zamanlar (Other Times)" on 7 January 1999 by Doublemoon Records.
During 1997 - 2000; IBC line ups recruited numerous musicians, who'd later rule Turkish jazz, Latin, punk, blues, post rock or pop rock arenas, nationally or internationally; circa 2000 and 2010.
Some examples are featured on their latest and updated Myspace pages:
 (circa 1997-8)
 (circa 1998-2000)
Keskiner joined the first and last electric Chicago style blues band in Turkey in 1996; Moe Joe, which was founded by Vefa Karatay (bass) and Feramerz Ayadi (guitar) in 1994; also bringing names like İlhan Babaoglu (tenor and alto saxophone) and Tugrul Aray (harmonica, flute, tenor saxophone) from IBC's latest line up to Moe Joe's. After countless gigs and tours and festivals; since 1996, Moe Joe still runs the show as a quartet, but without Babaoglu and Aray. In 1999, Keskiner founded Kirika with Salih Peker and Orcun Basturk of IBC: and he was the founder member - producer - composer of Saska (2000–2004): 
"Sweet Mother Nature's Child" (Chris Chavez, 1999), 
"Sair Zamanlar" (IBC, 1999)
"Chicago Istanbul Mainline" (Moe Joe, 2000)
"Sokkur Saska" (Saska, 2004): 
"Yuri Skies" (Sarp Keskiner, Erdem Helvacioglu, Umut Caglar, Ozun Usta, 2009: 
"The Great Republic of Southernsides" (The Great Republic of Southernsides, 2010)
www.sweetpapalowdown.com: Live recordings 2002-10
Line-up.
KOKLER (THE ROOTS, 1996)
SAIR ZAMANLAR (OTHER TIMES, 1999)