Over 250 local and international artists took the stage at the 22nd edition of the Istanbul Jazz Festival (June 27 – July 15, 2015).

Joan Baez, Jools Holland, Marcus Miller, Melody Gardot , Aloe Blacc and China Moses were some of the festival’s highlights this year.

Euronews was there to meet Iraqi-American composer and trumpet player Amir ElSaffar after the concert he gave with his ‘Two Rivers Ensemble’, a project combining Middle Eastern sounds with Western contemporary jazz.

“Every time we perform, I feel like we discover new ways of letting these very distinct traditions combine and melt into one sound,” ElSaffar said.

“I play the santur, which is a very old Iraqi instrument that goes back to Babylonian times and Sumerian times. I also sing Iraqi Maqam, which is the traditional vocal style of Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk. It’s been practiced for centuries. And also with my trumpet I play Taqseem style, which is kind of an improvisation style that’s native to Middle Eastern tr