Boston-based drummer, composer and producer Kerem Seçkin is emerging as a distinctive voice in contemporary jazz with his EP “City Sketches”, blending composition, improvisation and storytelling through sound.
A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Seçkin developed the foundations of his musical language within the city’s vibrant creative scene, collaborating with international musicians and exploring the evolving possibilities of modern jazz.
His new EP, “City Sketches”, reflects that experience. Recorded with an international quintet, the four-track project captures fleeting moments of urban life, from the restless rhythm of crowded streets to quieter, reflective pauses. The music combines carefully crafted compositions with collective improvisation, drawing subtle inspiration from jazz traditions while maintaining a personal and contemporary voice.
In this conversation, Kerem Seçkin discusses the creative process behind “City Sketches”, the musicians who shaped the recording, and how Boston’s atmosphere became the emotional and sonic backdrop for the project.
Can you introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Kerem Seçkin. I am a drummer, composer and producer. I began playing music at a very early age, and over time jazz became one of the most important ways for me to express myself musically. I studied Jazz Composition and Performance at Berklee College of Music, which was an incredibly formative experience. Berklee was not only an academic environment but also a place where I learned how to collaborate with musicians from different cultures and musical backgrounds.
I am currently based in Boston, where I perform in various concert projects, take part in recording sessions, and continue developing my work as a composer and producer. In the near future, I plan to move to Los Angeles, which I believe will open new opportunities for collaboration and production within the music industry.
Your new EP is called “City Sketches”. How did the project come about?
“City Sketches” emerged quite naturally during the time I spent living in Boston. At first, the pieces were not written with the intention of creating an EP. I was simply writing small musical ideas, almost like keeping a journal, but through music.
Over time, these sketches began to grow and connect with each other. Boston was a very transformative period for me both personally and musically, and I wanted to capture that experience in a tangible way. “City Sketches” title reflects exactly that: small moments, sounds, and impressions I experienced while walking through the city.
The EP was recorded with a quintet. Can you tell us about the ensemble?
Yes, “City Sketches” is a quintet project. The ensemble includes Valerio Apuzzo on trumpet, Sen Yoshimura on alto saxophone, Leomar Cordero on piano, Kapees Sukhavasi on double bass, and myself on drums.
Each musician in the group is both technically outstanding and musically very open-minded. Some are still studying at Berklee, while others are part of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute’s master’s program. One of the most important aspects of this project was capturing a collective energy. I wanted every musician to bring their own voice and personality into the music.
The EP includes four tracks. Let’s start with the opening piece, “Illusions.”
“Illusions” establishes the atmosphere of the EP and invites the listener into its sonic world. It begins with an introduction written for alto saxophone and piano before quickly evolving into a more rhythmic flow.
The piece has a slightly abstract and mysterious quality. It originally began as a very free musical idea without a clear structure, but over time, especially through rehearsals and performances with the group, it gradually developed into its final form.
The second piece in “City Sketches”, “Silver Linings,” references jazz history.
Yes, “Silver Linings” is built on the harmonic framework of Horace Silver’s composition Peace. I used the harmonic structure as a starting point and reshaped it with my own ideas.
For me this piece is both a tribute and a learning process. I wanted to reinterpret that harmonic language through my own melodic perspective and with a 3/4 rhythmic feel. The piece carries a sense of optimism and hope, but in a subtle way rather than in a direct narrative.
Another standout track is “What I Hear.” How did that piece develop?
“What I Hear” began as an academic assignment at Berklee. In Greg Hopkins’ class on Post-Bebop Harmonic Innovations, we were asked to reharmonize a jazz standard using tonic systems.
I chose the standard I Hear a Rhapsody and explored it through harmonic ideas inspired by John Coltrane. The harmonic structure that emerged was very exciting to me, and I didn’t want it to remain only as an academic exercise. I wrote a new melody over that harmonic framework, and the piece gradually became its own independent composition.
The title reflects both the harmonic world I discovered and the musical phrases I personally “hear” within it.
The final track, “Patience,” closes the EP in a different atmosphere.
Yes, “Patience” is a quieter and more introspective piece. Unlike the other tracks, we used an electric piano in the arrangement, which gives the piece a slightly different color.
The composition reflects themes of time, waiting, and acceptance. I wrote it during a moment when I was beginning to realize that not everything needs to happen immediately. Ending the EP with a more reflective mood felt like the right way to complete the musical journey.
What do you hope listeners will experience when they hear “City Sketches?”
I hope listeners feel as if they are walking through a city. Sometimes through a crowded street, sometimes through a quiet corner. Different moments, different emotions, and short pauses along the way.
For me, “City Sketches” is a musical diary of a period I spent in Boston. But I also believe that listeners can find their own city memories and personal stories within the music.
