Catalogue

Jazz has a thousand faces. From uptight, playful to spectacular. The jazz that the Remco Hofman Quartet presents on this CD goes for another feeling: subtle, mellifluous, without any hectics. The English language has a label for it: ‘fireplace music’. Music that one can bring home to enjoy tranquilly with a glass of wine in front of that open fire. It starts at the quartets home, the Netherlands, with composer Rogier van Otterloo’s hitsong ‘Dat mistige rooie beest’ (That misty reddish animal) from the movie ‘Turkish delight’, made famous by Toots Thielemans. You can’t miss the joyful pleasure in the way pianist Hofman chooses his notes here. The second solo voice in his quartet is guitar player Ron Lezer, remarkably versatile. He colours, brings deep warmth and can ‘sing’ on his instrument. Moreover two songs in which guest-trumpetteer Victor Borkent adds an important voice to the quartet: in ‘My funny Valentine’ and in a surprising version of ‘Summertime’. Jazz with an almost romantic approach, with lyricism and emotions, but always swinging. Driven and supported by the precisely dosed rhythms of drummer Barry Olthof and bassist Willem van Wijngaarden.

In Jazz it's not about what you do, but it's about what you don't do. With this in mind, combined with blue notes, you get a twisted swing and it becomes very recognizably Bebop. The combination of piano, bass and drums is the ideal basis for a musical jazz party. This CD is the result of friendship, dedication, guts, spontaneity and years of musical discovery. Taking into account that good health is no longer a given for everyone (Remco), that age does not play a role (Jacques) and that experience plus routine provide total peace and harmony (Barry), this trio has risen above themselves. These musicians loved playing for you and they hope that you will enjoy the blue notes with a summertime feel!

‘Rhythms Of Grace’ invites you to stand still and listen attentively. Hanna Marieke’s compositions challenge you to view the world from a different perspective. She finds light, hope, grace and beauty in her everyday life. Lyrical jazz with a touch of classical and gospel music is the language that she uses to express her view on this world. This is how the album came to be. When listening to ‘Groundwater’ you can almost see spring bursting out from the trees. With ‘A Moment’s Choice’ an important choice is at center stage, which is translated into an energetic twist. The album takes you on the journey of Hanna Marieke’s life; from a slow morning walk with ‘Quiet times’ to an inner battle with ‘Whisper Louder’. Her bright voice enters with the third piece on the album. She opens the piece singing about the character of time, after which you can hear the clock ticking when the constant groove comes in. The calmness and playfulness of the music are reinforced by the acoustic jazz trio. The thrilling interactions between the musicians are dynamic yet in peace with each other. The album characterizes itself by its feminine character. Hanna Marieke is one of the rare female pianists in the Netherlands. Her album doesn’t scream for attention, it invites you to find empathy for life as it is.

‘Lazy Notes’, not a word of a lie. Remarkable, because the Dutch Jazz Ensemble is a newly formed group of musicians from different generations. They know each other from the gigs and jams in the pubs and clubs of The Hague. Here united for a joint feeling for all those beautiful jazzstandards. From Hoagy Carmichaels ‘Skylark’ to Victor Youngs ‘Beautiful Love’. Together with the old gold of ‘Black Orpheus’, ‘Estate’, ‘Angel Eyes’, ‘Body and Soul’. Or lesser known compositions as guitarplayer-singer Sacha Distels ‘The good life’ and Henry Earl (= Hank) Mobley’s ‘This I Dig of You’. So don’t expect doors to be opened to a soundscape of frightful innovations, here the doors swing open to a venue full of warmth and respect for the character of these songs. With the tender touch of Patrieck Bonnets sax, the graceful swing of René ten Cate’s vibes, the crystal clear guitar articulations of Wouter van Deventer and the adventurous trumpet of Kees Kamphuis who forbids it to become too smooth. All tightly backed by the experienced rhythm section of Remco Hofman (piano), Willem van Wijngaarden (bas) and Barry Olthof (drums). Their tasteful ‘Lazy Notes’ are good for happy recognitions, and urge one to sit down, relax and enjoy.

It has become common practice now: jazz concerts, recorded live on cd by O.A.P. Records, right in the centre of The Hague at the splendid location of what is officially known as “The Nieuwe of Littéraire Sociëteit De Witte", a private club founded in 1782 and generally referred to as 'De Witte'. In 2018 it was saxophone legend Scott Hamilton and company who were invited by the Jazz Table and this time Mike LeDonne, one of the leading Hammond B3 organ players in the world and master alto saxophonist Vincent Herring supported by two of Holland’s finest jazz musicians, Martien Oster on guitar and Hans Braber on drums, appeared in “De Witte” on Monday April 8th 2019 as part of their “That Feeling” tour. A quick decision was made when on the eve of a tour through The Netherlands and Germany it appeared that Mike LeDonne on Hammond B3 and alto saxophonist Vincent Herring were interested in performing and recording at De Witte. Accompanied by Dutch guitarist Martien Oster and drummer Hans Braber these two famous Americans gave an inspiring and eventful concert for an enthusiastic audience on April 8th. The characteristic, funky and soulful sound of Mike’s Hammond B3 joined by the crisp and versatile playing of Vincent on alto saxophone interspersed with well chosen solos by Martien on guitar and supported by solid drumming of Hans made this a truly united Dutch - American performance. Two sets were played full of variation with two compositions by Mike LeDonne himself inspired by hammond heavy weights such as Jimmy Smith, Richard “Groove” Holmes and “Brother” Jack McDuff and also compositions or arrangements by Stevie Wonder, Natalie Cole and Sammy Davis jr.

Hearing Scott Hamilton play, is like listening to a declaration of love that already lasts for many years but still is as potent as then. And what a joy to recognize how the tenorman absorbed the musical idiom of the jazzgreats of his youth, from Coleman Hawkins to Ben Webster, and shaped his very own language and pronounciation for it. On his musical journeys in a stylistically mixed-up world, he always found in any country musicians who were glad to speak that language with him. As in the Netherlands in OAP’s ‘Blue 'N' Boogie’: the contagious swing of drummer Frits Landesbergen, light when it can, forceful when it has to be. Or bassplayer Hans Mantel who lovingly provides his punctuation marks and reminds one (e.g. in Franz Léhars ‘Yours is my heart alone’) of a George Mraz. Italian pianoplayer and singer Francesca Tandoi is a discovery. Who heard her play and sing Bruno Martino’s ‘Estate’ doesn’t want it any other way; the romance of ‘Maybe you’ll be there’ is matching. Within her stylistically pure piano adventures always a nose for the right ‘blue notes’. Hamiltons choice of repertory mirrors the timelessness of his taste. Dizzy Gillespie’s swinging titlesong next to ‘The sheik of Araby’ that dates from 1921 but sparklingly is lifted over years and time. Or the non-sentimental beauty of ‘Body and soul’. Or Duke Ellington’s ‘Come Sunday’, with echoes of Johnny Hodges. ‘Blue 'N' Boogie’ is sheer pleasure.

The choice of two compositions strongly connected with the name of masterpianist Bill Evans speaks volumes on ‘View lines’, the new cd of the Leo Bouwmeester trio. Evans’own ‘Turn out the stars’, Earl Zindars ‘How my heart sings’, turned famous by Evans, here characterize pianist Bouwmeesters subtility, his feeling for musical shades, for the beauty of harmonies and his tendency to turn the adventure inside. He touches them with love and devotion. They typify the warmth Bouwmeesters cd radiates, including the four own compositions he presents. This is not the jazz of the theatrical grand gestures, or the conceited ego, this is music of beautiful developments, swinging with care and refinement but concise. Gershwins ‘I loves you Porgy’, Bouwmeesters own, strong compositions ‘View lines’ and ‘Park Evenue’, Bruno Martins lovely ballad ‘Estate’ are ideal examples as well. Bouwmeesters vision and his loves are intensely shared by his soulmates in rhythm and harmony: bassplayer Sanne van Delft and drummer Nout Ingen Housz. A tight trio caught here in a beautiful soundscape. With ‘Bebe’ (by the Brazilian Hermeto Pascual) Bouwmeester introduces a ‘latin’ element, with ‘Mr. C.I.’ (by composer Chano Dominguez dedicated to Cameron de la Isla) the Bouwmeester trio closes a very happy marriage between swing and flamenco.

It strikes you right-away in the debut cd of jazzpianist Laurence Fish and his quintet that it evades trends, fashions or influences from too often visited corners of the musical universe. This is jazz, mainstream jazz, supported by the simple feeling of creating beauty, to fascinate and emote. Through ‘music pure’. Moreover Fish adds five, very diverse compositions of his own that are quite something. From the strong title-piece with its appetising, jumpy melodyline to the ballads ‘Dust’ and ‘Mariposa’. The former with a rich coloring by the three horns (tenor-, altosax and trumpet), whereas guesttrompetist Nanouck Brassers (now on flügelhorn) transcends the latter into one long dreamline. Fish’choice of standards speaks volumes: Johnny Mandels ‘Close enough for love’, Mercer Ellingtons ‘Things ain’t what they used to be’, Jobims ‘Ligia’. Strong character pieces, with insight and feeling supported by the young saxplayers Casper van Wijk and Tom van der Zaal, bassplayer Matheus Nicolaiewsky. And by ‘old masterhand’ Eric Ineke who uses both his hard drive and his subtle brushes for the dots, points and exclamation marks. Laurence Fish’s trio-version of Victor Youngs ‘Ghost of a chance’ says all about his musical attitude: Lovingly, with the guts to reveal solid beauty. “A half way point, yet a beginning”, Fish characterises his position in his endearing accompanying text. It makes you curious to hear his follow up.

Inedits is a new band, conceived as the brainchild of bassist and bandleader Nuno Torres Marques (Lissabon, 1971). With Inedits Nuno explores the musical spectrum: he’s influenced by the combination tone / color and composes adventurous, melodic jazz. This interesting approach can be heard in catchy, drawn-out compositions. The listener will be taken on a journey through a wonderful hypnotic world that sometimes reflects hints of the Mediterranean. This is no coincidence considering the international line-up of musicians. The relatively young band has experienced some line-up changes and is now at full strength with new guitarist (Rui Silva) and drummer (Jimmi Hueting). In March 2015 the band went to the O.A.P. Studio and recorded the strong debut album 'Vortex'. This album show's us the fruit of vision, hard work and inspiration laid down by Nuno Torres Marques and company.

On their debut album called ‘Headbanger’, the band takes the listener into a deep-rooted musical tradition of catchy jazz-melodies and afro cuban rhythms. The craftsmanship and musical ingenuity of keyboardist Peter Wenk (and associates) gives this record memorable melodies, depth and a danceable feel. Since its birth, the band has experienced a growing maturity and their group dynamics have become noticeably strong. This all comes together in the recordings sessions that Mescolanza did in November 2014 for O.A.P. Records. Interesting detail: percussionist Gerardo Rosales recently received a Grammy for his percussion work for various studio sessions in the USA. His contribution to 'Headbanger' is therefore a sign that Mezcolanza is an act to reckon with!

Second Line is the culmination of two years of research on early jazz by Genzo Okabe. By exploring the African-American music that flourished in New Orleans at the beginning of the 20th century, Genzo incorporated the essence of it's melodies, harmonies, and rhythm into his own compositions. The first half of the album is a tribute to early jazz music, introducing stride piano, second line rhythm, and the funeral march which is deeply rooted in the traditions of New Orleans. Slowly the album begins to demonstrate Genzo's individual manner of reconstruction and integration of these source materials, fusing them more freely with his interpretation of contemporary polyrhythm and reharmonization. Composed as an homage to the origins of jazz music, the album shows the rediscovery of the richness, effectiveness, and modernity of the early jazz, as well as the fundamental affinity with contemporary jazz music.

On BALLAD, the latest CD from the Orion Ensemble, are three ballads without words. In a ballad, we tell each other our stories. About people fighting for their freedom, fighting over life and death, about men and women desiring to their ideal love. The ballads on this CD are all inspired by lyrics and melodies from the Jewish culture. Some of these texts were originally in Yiddish, Ladino, or other in Hebrew. The first ballad is about the desire for peace, the second about hope and the third about the tragedy of unrequited love. The music on the CD BALLAD is composed and arranged by Leonard Leutscher, the pianist of the Orion Ensemble. With one of his compositions, Ale Brider (track 3 on the CD), was the Orion Ensemble finalist in 2008 and winner of the First International Jewish Music Competition in Amsterdam. The Orion Ensemble is a chamber music ensemble with a solid core piano trio. It was founded in 2000. It gives many concerts on the Dutch stages with feature programming without borders, in style and time. One of the strengths of the ensemble is the original way link between classical, jazz, Jewish, Spanish and Argentine music. BALLAD is the ninth album of the Orion Ensemble. The CD Touched by Orion, also published by O.A.P. Records, was No. 1 for two weeks in the Classical Top 50 of TROS radio in The Netherlands.

Robert Rook is a jazz pianist who attracts the listener’s attention immediately through the intensity of his playing: an intriguing encounter between drama and poetry. Penetrating exploration tempered by softness and tenderness. Musical intelligence coupled with a bright imagination. On this new trio CD, Momentum, this all is present. A personal touch is combined with the thoughtful and sensitive yet swinging accompaniment of bass and drums, culminating in beautiful unity. All composition by Robert Rook, except Orbits by Wayne Shorter.

With his second CD ‘From here to her’ jazz guitar player Jan Schröder confirms the promises he did in his internationally enthusiastically received debut (‘OneLineDrawing’). ‘Multilayered’, ‘a direct hit’, ‘top quartet’ wrote JazzThing (Germany) and JazzPodium then. Schröders latest strikes again by its unusual richness in melodically haunting material, in themes as well as in improvisations. With hypnotically beautiful lines that often show a deep, romantic sensitivity, without getting sentimental. With subtle lyrical moments and even when the quartet sounds more ‘down to earth’ always that unique feeling for melody and form. The title composition is pure musical beauty without frills, the heart of the matter for this whole CD. The tender subtility goes for all of the quartet with its constantly changing colouring of classical song elements and modern jazzy rhythms. Tasteful and exact (Bas Kisjes double bass and Tuur Moens drums), with keyboardist Paul Maassen’s apt and matching choices for piano, fender rhodes or hammond. And always there is that original sound of Schröder himself, with that admirable playing style, very much his own, like you seldom hear.

Atmosphere and emotions are key words for the European Union Quartet and its CD 'The Dark Peak'. A quartet that is really European with its combination of a Dutch, a German, a Slovak and an English jazzmusician. The title piece (by bassist Gavin Barras) has a nearly picturesque quality: one hears a landscape growing in the sheer suggestive lines of sax and guitar. Adventurous music-making is what these nine, own compositions have in common. It can be in subtle musing, with a dreamlike feel, like in the beautiful soundscape of 'House by the lake'. Or in the way the quartet grows together towards a structure in 'Reddish Vale'. All four instruments are equally important in there improvisations and strikingly together in emotionality saxplayer Iman Spaargaren's composition 'Zieleroersel' is all about emotions and it is a joy to hear how suggestive and controlled the band explores form and sounds. The European Union Quartet plays a modern jazz that looks for the inside of things. With great emotional and melodic qualities.

Vibraphone legend Teddy Charles performed with the Walter Wolff Trio at the Bimhuis in The Netherlands on November 7th 2008. In his own words he experienced: ‘Some of the finest and most challenging moments in my lengthy career’. This is one of the great wonders of Jazz: three young musicians together with a vibraphonist who for over six decades has played his own role in the development of Jazz. It hits off immediately, is both daring and subtle. They sound as if they've shared the stage for years: Teddy Charles (1928) and the trio of Finnish piano player Walter Wolff (1981). Charles went through everything in Jazz from swing to bop, to ‘third stream’, to playing with Charles Mingus. His solo phrasing is original, compare to none and never clichéd, like a youngster, he's still discovering things. Pianist Wolff answers beautifully, always tasteful, and leaves little wonder that he is considered a rising talent on his instrument (winner Leidse Jazz Award). Italian bassist Francesco Angiuli and Danish drummer Andreas Fryland are the ideal partners in this inspiring adventure. The Wolff and Charles duet in Haggarts' ‘What’s new’ is a piece of pure beauty. All eight tracks were remarkably well recorded ‘LIVE’ in Amsterdam at the Bimhuis.

The Nordic Project by the quartet Træben adds a surprising and sensitive sound to the jazz idiom. Træben consists of young jazzmusicians (some of them originating from Scandinavia) who met at the the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. For their debut CD they combined ‘traditionals’ from Scandinavia (so-called ‘viser’) with a remarkable choice of four songs by the late Cornelis Vreeswijk, the Dutch troubadour, who had a few hits in his land of birth and is famous in Sweden and Denmark as a poet. The Traeben quartet does not use his texts, but takes advantage of his melodies for beautiful, softly melancholic excursions into the jazz area. The fine balance of their jazz-drive and the tunefullness of the folk ‘viser’ sets this debut CD apart. Crisp when in its swinging gear (as in Vreeswijks ‘Horoskopvisa’), making one’s heart melt in its ballads. Traeben brings a warm, new sound, strong in its vulnerability. A quartet with equal room for the individual voices without the subtle, stilistic unity getting lost. With a graceful harmony, tersely supported by the rhythm, of bass and guitar or saxophone, that makes a difference. All arrangements by Jens Larsen except Grimasch om Morgonen by Olaf Meijer.

What is possible in jazz can be heard in the debut CD of Anka Koziel. The young Polish singer (who studied at the Royal Conservatory, the Hague) goes back to the songs she grew up with. Her jazz versions of two songs of compatriot Chopin with texts by the poet S.Witwicki, three Polish folksongs, her own ‘Spring Night’ inspired by Fauré’s ‘Clair de lune’ and her ‘Forest tale’, with its instrumental suggestion of mysterious sounds of woods, fit together wonderfully. Romantic with pep; as well wild and high-spirited as dreamily enjoying the poetry: The force of spring, a very earthy ‘Red berry blues’ (Czerwone jagody) up to the funnily jumpy ‘Goldfish’ (Zlota rybka). ‘The face I love’, the only standard (M.Valle and R.Gilbert) fits like a glove with its first line ‘Just think of things like daffodils and peaceful sheep on clovered hills’. Koziels well-wrought arrangements guarantee the harmonious marriage of all these elements. Her international trio (Brice Soniano, bass, Oriol Roca, drums, Michal Vanoucek, piano) gets ample room for perfect counteraction with a beautiful role for the Slovak pianist.

Singer Nina Ebbenhout presents herself on her debut album ‘When we kiss’ in a surprising and confident way. The album title (taken from one of the two own compositions she includes) speaks of a feeling of romance in her vision of life and music. A look at the other songs she chose confirms that: ‘Cry me a river’, ‘Close to you’, ‘Devil may care’, ‘Here’s that rainy day’. There are even more classics from the American songbook here, sung by many, always different, and Nina Ebbenhout adds with poise and confidence her very own, emotional vocal approach. With a striking feeling for delivery, stressing and prolonging different notes and especially with a well-chosen and essential ‘time’: keeping the songs open, leaving space, so that vocals and accompaniment together are getting more ‘voice’. Nina Ebbenhout knows how to sing ‘jazzy’, but she can be the classic ‘songstress’as well ( ‘Both sides now’), who takes place behind the piano for her own, very personally frased love song ‘Confused’ (she studied piano at the conservatory). The jazz-element is stressed in the tasteful arrangements by piano- and keyboardplayer Menno de Boer, who makes some striking choices. As for the attractive and sensitive ‘fills’ by young jazzmusicians like Susanne Alt (soprano and altsax), David Lukács (tenorsax, clarinet) and René ten Cate (vibes). Or as in his ‘latin feel’ for an unusually fast and swinging version of ‘The days of wine and roses’, in which singer Nina does her own backing vocals. ‘Love me like a man’ sings Nina...musically speaking the request is almost superfluous.

It's always a surprise when musicians each of whom you’ve heard before in various bands or during widely divergent jamsessions, suddenly happen to form a band together. And when I say band, I really mean band. As is the case with Thinktank and their first CD effort Pek Dek. They sound very close, like they’ve been working a lot together before, like they know each other musically inside out. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why you loose the feeling the music on their debut CD Pek Dek was recorded in a studio and, instead, get and enjoy the sensation of a live performance.