mete erker

The Men

Saxophone

Mete Erker is born in Tilburg. His mother is Dutch, his father Turkish.

On a young age he starts playing the clarinet. At 11 he starts studying with drummer Steve Clover. He switches to saxophone in 1989 and finishes his studies in 1998 (Rotterdam conservatory). John Ruocco was his teacher there.

He meets David Liebman during a summerclass in Siena (Italy). Steve invites him to participate in a performance on the North Sea Jazz.

In 1999 he starts his own band. Blink, with Harmen Fraanje en bass player Gulli Gudmundsson. They won an Award at the Breda jazz festival (1999) and one year later in Dordrecht, which provided them to record a CD.

Mete was member of Quadrant, a band of bassist Eric van der Westen.

At the time he works with Blink TOO, an electric version of the first Blink, is member of the Artvark saxophone quartet which performs but also act as an educational project for Young kids

Besides Mete works as a freelancer, is Guest in residence at the JIN (Nijmegen) (2008/2009) and is side man with Stefan Lievestro.

Since some year Mete lives in Arnhem.