Istanbul Mehmet has announced the introduction of a much-anticipated set of cymbals created in tribute to legendary jazz drummer Tony Williams. Created as faithful replicas of the cymbals Williams used on the recordings with the ’60s-era Miles Davis Quintet, these new versions will be made available initially as limited edition sets.

To recreate these classic sounds, Istanbul Mehmet was granted exclusive access to Williams’ cymbals, which were made in Istanbul in the late ’50s. Colleen Williams, Tony’s widow, carried these precious instruments to Turkey to allow the Istanbul Mehmet master artisans first-hand access to them. Every detail of the original has been meticulously measured, weighed, gauged, and recorded. Istanbul Mehmet even drew from its rich archives, to use the original cup dies to form the bells on the tribute models. Advertisement

“I am deeply happy to be working with the great and honorable Mr. Mehmet, whose personal legacy of mastery placed him at the creation of the original masterpiece cymbals and to be able to give to the world, once again, the true essence of these iconic cymbal sounds, sounds so loved and desired by so many for so long,” said Colleen Williams. “To have had the opportunity to go to Istanbul, the birthplace of the originals, to meet the Istanbul craftsmen, to hear the hammer blows, to witness their imagination, powerful labor and commitment to excellence on this project has been a revelation. It was a profound experience to attend this rebirth of something Tony loved and treasured and an experience that I shall never forget. One doesn’t hear the word mastery so often these days. It has been an extraordinary joy for me to step into its beautiful presence again.”

The Tony Williams Tribute Cymbal Limited Edition sets feature a 22″ ride, 18″ crash, and 14″ hi-hats, plus a deluxe leather cymbal bag, a selection of rare Tony Williams photographs, and a certificate of authenticity.