Checking out versatile, hard grooving fusion bassist Oyton Ersan’s origins offers a compelling geography lesson, with every biography calling him a “Turkish Cyprot” – meaning he is of Turkish origin and born in Nicosia on the island of Cyprus.
A quick review also offers his background, 20+ years and counting with the International Nicosia Municipality Orchestra, which he joined at 15. All of that would just be cool factoids if he wasn’t so crazily immersed in the Southern California jazz scene, where he populates his fiery, rhythmically intense, improvisation-rich (perfectly titled!) second album Fusiolicious with the likes of genre stalwarts Eric Marienthal, Dave Weckl, Karen Briggs, Mike Miller, Dean Brown.
He also includes an international cast of lesser known musicians to make this an exotic multi-generational jam. Adding to the spirited ear popping mania – which brings the classic jazz fusion era to vibrant contemporary life are Mitchel Forman’s snazzy horn arrangements. Ersan briefly balances the free-for-all fun and wild times with a trippy, ambient and spiritual two minute piano-vocal coda featuring Brigggs, pianist Gary Husband and intertwining vocalists Aytunc Akdogu and Simge Akdogu.