Minimum Vital 
Turkish saz
Jean-Luc playing the saz
The saz is a long neck lute used in Ottoman classical music and Turkish folk music. This instrument, very close to the cittern or the Greek bouzouki, has got three courses of metal strings that can actually play quarter tones, witch gives it a very interesting Middle Eastern colour. The first time I’ve heard the saz is in the capable hands of Michel Dedieu, guitarist of band Sombre Reptile. At the time, they played a very nice tune called Electro-Saz, which is a very interesting mix between progressive music and Middle Eastern music that you can actually hear in their latest album, Timeless Island (Musea).
JIn 2006 a friend of mine that had a Saz in his house, and didn’t play it at all, gave it to me pretending that I would certainly make good use of it! It was a magnificent present, and he was right, for I used the saz in many songs of the Capitaines album. The sound is very thin and naturally exotic, that’s the reason why I played it on stage on “Arabian” tunes such as Le Tourdion, as you can see in this video. Moreover, it mixes very well to my electrified oud, that’s the reason why I sometimes lend it to Eric on stage when I play the Godin MultiOud. Good combination!
Le Tourdion, live at Mussonville