Few musicians can claim to have achieved virtuosity on two fundamentally different instruments. Hazar is one of these rare exceptions. His training took him through harmony and counterpoint with Prof. Tibor Yusti von Arth—a student of Sergei Rachmaninoff—at the Maastricht Academy of Music. There, he became the first musician in the world to earn an internationally recognized Master’s degree in jazz on the saz. In between: compositions for Paramount Pictures.

His album “Virtuoso” (2009), recorded together with bassist Carles Benavent, caught the attention of music critics worldwide. On it, Hazar performed pieces by Chick Corea, Bach, Mozart, and Paganini’s Capricci—using only three strings of the saz. Prof. Talip Özkan, himself a leading authority in his field, described him as one of the best saz players of all time. The nickname “The Paganini of the Saz” did not remain his only accolade for long.

The decisive impetus for this new direction came from a concert evening in Cologne. In conversation with John McLaughlin, the guitar legend advised him: “If you want to show your skills, you should play guitar.” Hazar took this advice to heart. “I had nothing left to say to the saz,” he later described his decision himself. What followed was not a gradual transition, but a decisive leap: within a very short time, he mastered the acoustic guitar at the highest level.
“Reincarnated” is the result of this new direction—an album that speaks for itself. With Al Di Meola as a guest musician and jazz guitarist Michael Sagmeister as artistic collaborator, the recordings were mastered at Abbey Road Studios in London. Here, Hazar demonstrates a finely balanced style that blends resonant melodies, fast solos, and technical precision, while always retaining a playful quality. “Black Orpheus” grooves with a funky drive, “Made in France” moves nimbly and with a sense of turmoil, while evergreens like Gershwin’s “Summertime” or Charlie Parker’s “Donna Lee” sound, in Hazar’s hands, as if you were hearing them for the first time.

The Pure Audio Blu-ray offers the album in Hi-Res Stereo (96 kHz), 5.1 Surround, Dolby Atmos, and Auro-3D 7.1.4. In the Dolby Atmos mix, the musicians’ delicate interplay unfolds in all its depth: Hazar’s guitar lines stand out with a precision and transparency that is virtually impossible to experience on conventional formats. Piotr Torunski’s bass clarinet envelops the listener from all around the room, Mike Roelofs’ piano opens up in every direction—and the interplay between Hazar and Al Di Meola becomes a tangible, three-dimensional experience, as if you were sitting right in the middle of the ensemble.