NEVER-BEFORE-RELEASED RECORDING of the Sensational and Banned Turkish Theater Play by James Baldwin and Engin Cezzar, Istanbul 1970. Meticulously restored from the original master tape, remastered and cut by Shawn Joseph at Optimum Mastering, Bristol, UK.
“One of the most shocking and daring plays staged in Turkish theaters was banned by the Istanbul Governorship on February 7, 1970. The ban on the play, which was watched by 30,000 people in 60 days, did not last long.” – Turkish Press, 1970
Includes liner notes by Zeynep Oral (James Baldwin’s assistant and journalist), Gökhan Akçura, Okay Temiz, and record producer Erinç Güzel (Caz Plak İstanbul).

In 1970, Turkish theater owner Engin Cezzar produced James Baldwin’s groundbreaking play about gay relationships in a 1970s Istanbul prison setting. In 1969, jazz musician Don Cherry, visiting Istanbul with Okay Temiz to record an album, reunited with Baldwin and contributed music to the production. The recording session followed extensive discussions and featured performances by Cherry and Temiz, heightening the play’s tension. An unearthed masterpiece from 1970s Istanbul.