Cenk Esen / Kevin Kim

Join us for a night with Cenk Esen and Kevin Kim!

Date: Wed, Apr 02, 2025

Time: 9:00 PM

Location: Dada

After recent collaborations in albums ‘Peace Achievement’ , ‘It’s a Family Thing’, as well as years of playing and growing together at the esteemed Berklee College of Music, Cenk and Kevin reunite to play their first show together in years. Expect to hear some beautiful and lush soundscapes, going between free improvisations and original compositions.

Cenk Esen is an Istanbul-born, London-based pianist and composer. Born to a family of musicians, Cenk grew up listening to post-bop classics alongside mid- noughties pop, shaping a musical sensibility as diverse as the soundscapes of his hometown.

After graduating from the Berklee College of Music, where he was a student at the prestigious Global Jazz Institute, Cenk moved to London, quickly establishing himself as a mover and shaker in the scene. The last few years have seen him tour and collaborate with artists like MckNasty, Romarna Campbell, Şam, Tom Driessler; perform in venues like Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, Cadogan Hall, Southbank Centre and Royal Albert Hall; and events like Montreux Jazz Festival, New York Winter Jazz Festival, London Jazz Festival and We Out Here Festival.

His sophomore album, “Endlessly”, featuring Mcknasty, Tom Driessler, Leyla & Aydın Esen, was recorded at London’s hallowed AIR Studios and is slated to be released in May this year.

Saxophonist Kevin Kim began his musical journey as a self-taught drummer from an early age. Playing along to his father’s record collection, Kim eventually expanded his talents to guitar and finally the saxophone. His allure for the jazz language was kindled when he stumbled upon Stan Getz’s Jazz Samba and, upon completing high school, was accepted to the Berklee College of Music in 2016 with a Presidential Scholarship. He graduated with honors from Berklee in 2020 and moved to the NYC area soon after, pursuing his continual search to decipher humanity’s innate and infinite essence through the medium of music. In addition to freelancing as a musician and recording engineer around the metropolitan area, Kim works as an audio engineer at Trinity Church Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, where he’s had the privilege of recording a plethora of world renowned musicians such as The Choir of Trinity Wall Street, Trinity Baroque Orchestra, Downtown Voices, NOVUS NY, Christian McBride, Tom Harrell, Billy Hart, Ron Carter, Reggie Workman, and Kenny Barron.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Dada, 6047 Myrtle Avenue, Queens, United States