Catalogue

'The Cole Porter Notes', a simple-looking title for the second CD of the 'Dutch Jazz Ensemble'. Deceptively simple. Because that title emphasizes an attitude towards Porter's music. They are his notes, he is the leader, he shows the way. This Dutch Jazz Ensemble does not consist of six egos who compete with those notes, who have to win a war, but of enthusiasts, who want to enjoy how beautiful, delicious and intriguing those sequences can be. And they play their game with it, in style and swinging. The Dutch Jazz Ensemble makes it a close 'homage' to Porter. To quote one of his own crazy strings of words: “It's delightful, it's delicious, it's delectable, it's delirious, it's deluxe, it's de-lovely.”

Four of Holland's best musicians, a great atmosphere and audience, a beautiful grand piano and perfect sound. All the ingredients were present for a perfect afternoon of jazz. A balanced mix of jazz standards and own compositions by master pianist/composer Karel Boehlee enchanted the enthusiastic audience. Together with saxophonist Paul van der Feen, bassist Tijs Klaassen and drummer Joost van Schaik, they created wonderful jazz. Karel and his men reached their musical peaks whilst making it all look so easy, everything unfolding on the moment, interactive and playful. A live concert on August 13, 2023 which will not be easily forgotten.

Daeyeon Shin (Daejeon, S-Korea, 1996) Daeyeon Shin is a composer and pianist who was born in Daejeon of South Korea. He began studying piano at the age of 16 and playing both classical and jazz. His music is based on Jazz and modern classical music. The Daeyeon Shin trio was formed in 2016 around the Korean Pianist Daeyeon Shin. The band also consists of Mathijs Mens on drums and Jurriaan de Kok on bass. The Daeyeon Shin trio mainly plays their own compositions influenced by artists such as Eldar Djangirov, Alan Pasqua. For the band interaction is central. All compositions written and arranged by Daeyeon Shin.

It was a full house on November 15th 2019 when the Don Braden / Joris Teepe Quartet played “In the spirit of Herbie Hancock” in De Witte. Expectations were high knowing that Don and Joris have more than 25 years of collaboration behind them. Long ago they immediately recognized their compatibility of personalities and attitudes. Their last album “Conversations” (2016) is strong proof of that and was highly acclaimed among others by DownBeat Magazine. Judging by the standing ovation at the end of the concert on November 15th the same might happen to this album. The music of the great pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, arranger, composer and actor Herbie Hancock (April 12th, 1940), one of the primary architects of the post-bop sound, inspired Don and Joris to arrange a varied selection of his compositions from ballads to blues and straight-ahead to medium swing. They also added two of their own compositions that were strongly influenced by Hancock. All excellently performed by a finely tuned Dutch-American quartet showing visible and audible joy of playing in the spirit of their iconic collegue.

The compositions on this album are compelling, and stay with you after listening – it is as if they have always existed. The composer, Harald Walkate, is a pianist who combines a career in finance with a passion for jazz and whose playing is subtle – reminiscent of a philosopher who liberates himself in lyricism, and in the grooves of compositions that are often driven by a funky feel (‘Higher and Higher’). Never egocentrically exuberant; rather the attentive foreman of the quintet that he employs in spinning his tales. The album title ‘Emergo’ is inspired by the motto of Dutch province Zeeland (Luctor et Emergo), and the composition ‘A Water’s Cloak’ (written for the ZeelandJazz festival) is a sonification of the epic struggle against the sea in that part of the country: the quiet, the storm and its drama, followed by the reconstruction. Walkate’s quartet The New York Second is a close-knit group in its own right, but special guest trumpeter Teus Nobel lends it additional depth, with sumptuous improvisations including the muted trumpet solo in ‘Hadrian’s Hill’. But also in lush two-voiced harmonies together with saxophonist Frank Paavo, for example in ‘That Does It’, a piece that brims with gospel and soul influences. It all conspires in making ‘Emergo’ a refined and colorful album. Often with a funky touch (courtesy of Marijn van de Ven on bass and Max Sergeant on drums), as in the theme ‘Hello Joey’, in which Walkate discovered – after its completion – the influences of Quincy Jones and Joe Zawinul. Harald Walkate may be a less familiar name in jazz circles, all the more remarkable is his album ‘Emergo’. ‘Emergo’ offers music that is elegant and intimate. But also multi-faceted and vivacious.

It is one of the miracles, and at the same time essentials, of jazz: guitarplayer Martien Oster’s text accompanying his new album ‘Handshake’ tells how he found out two American musicians he admired were in Holland and how he just asked them to join him on an album. No rehearsals, no deeply thought-over arrangements, just the joy, fun and drive of the music and of playing for the first time together. Now, that’s jazz. Osters guests are stellar jazzmusicians: Joe Farnsworth and Harold Mabern. Oster remembered pianist Mabern from quite a while ago when Mabern accompanied the great Wes Montgomery in Europe. Mabern is the living connection between jazz and blues, listen here to his own ‘Rakin’ and scrapin’, (once title piece of an album he made with George Coleman and Blue Mitchell). When the New York jazzclub Smoke decided to issue its own series of cd’s, the first musician they asked was Mabern. Together with Joe Farnsworth, probably the busiest drummer in New York. And here they are, in the Netherlands, with Oster and Canadian –Dutch bassplayer Steven Willem Zwanink. The handshake they exchange is a warm and solid one. From Wes Montgomery’s ‘Road song’, to Charlie Parker-vehicle ‘Relaxing at Camarillo’s’, or the slowrocking swing of ‘Gee Baby, ain’t I good to You’ and the beauty of ‘My ideal’ and Kurt Weills ‘Speak Low’. A history of pure jazz, told by a unique one-time international quintet. You’ll want to join them.

René ten Cate presents a beautiful and ear-catching range of surprises in his first album 'Solar'. The Dutch jazz scene knows him as a vibraphonist, here he shows himself a pianist armed with the same qualities: love and respect for the favorite compositions he chooses for his trio and a warm musicality, with a romantic hint. Highly recognizable in five, often sensitive, own compositions including ‘April Song ', ' Journey’ and 'Reflections', the latter highlighted with a beautiful ‘classic touch’. All of them played with a relaxed sense of timing whilst maintaining a driving feel for swing and groove. The 'standards' he chooses pleasantly vary in character and have very different origins. Miles Davis' title song 'Solar', George Colemans 'Amsterdam after Dark’, Ellington's ‘In a sentimental mood’ to Milt Jackson's ‘Bags Groove (in which he strikingly does not play the vibes) and Chick Corea's' Bud Powell’. Ten Cate takes his hat off to these songs from the modern jazz tradition, but still makes them completely his own, without the intention of creating an ego story. This applies to 'Solar' as a whole: this is a real trio playing and improvising, in which piano, vibes and the sounds of bassist Andy Valkenburg and drummer Barry Olthof create strong, 'intertwined' patterns. The latter musicians also provide two personal contributions (resp. 'Drifting on a cloud' and 'Free space swing'). With Ten Cate's first album 'Solar' we have a subtle piano trio like you don’t hear that often anymore. Work of three jazz men clearly on the same level of understanding. And enjoying that audibly.

As a trio, we tried to create a mood reminiscent of Charlie Haden, Richie Beirach and Michel Petrucciani, but in our case with the harmonica as pivot, enabling us to create a special, unique texture. Because of this, the title “Dreamdancing” acquired a double meaning. Not only is the album named for the Cole Porter piece, but the ensemble’s special texture also lends the CD a dreamy aspect. The CD of course contains swing-pieces, but also free parts where rhythm hardly features, with beautiful bowed sections by Jasper, not coincidentally Enrico Pieranunzi’s fixed bass player. Both he and Johan played a strong part in creating the form of this album. Through his collaborations with Toots, Johan learned a lot about shaping the right musical setting for the harmonica. Both have worked with many international jazzcats. Furthermore, I wanted to send a message to all Dutch jazz musicians, encouraging them to continue playing the music of their forefathers, who, in a sense, taught them their ‘trade’ through the compositions they contributed. Of course there are the originals, your own work, and there are the Standards. I’ve created my own term: Original Standards. These are Realbook pieces that aren’t played that often but are, each one, cool jazz-pearls in their own right, such as those in classical music by, for example, Mahler, Beethoven and Bach. And classical musicians do honour their traditions!

Passionate and remarkable gypsy ensemble Sintiromarus was founded in October of 2006 by primas Blichta Hoopman, the greatgranddaughter of the well-known Tata Mirando. The name Sintiromarus refers to the origin of the musicians and their music. Their first CD was released in October 2009 with the title Latcho Drom - which means ”Good Journey”. Sintiromarus brings gypsy musics that from the very first note weaves its way into the heart. Through their music you can join them on a journey of all various cultures which the gypsies experienced whilest travelling. The longing, the melancholy and the celebrations which can be heard and felt in their virtuoso playing, is a global language which speaks from soul to soul. In the compostitions written by the primas, sinti lady Blichta Hoopman, you can hear her own gypsy rhythm and musical freedom which leads right to the heart.

Locomarket is a new Italian band on O.A.P. Records. Their first album Zingaria is a product of musical experiment by four childhood friends expressing their love for music and celebrating the moment of meeting each-other again. This musical experiment shows us that four different musicians can combine different styles of music and improvise to find a new balance. The result is a journey through an imaginary world where melody and rhythm are combined in fluid compositions. According to the band, the name Locomarket stands for a musical 'free-market' where ideas about melody, rhythm and sound are exchanged and smoothly reinterpreted. This music is created and written down on the spot, capturing the mood and airy atmosphere of a extraordinary moment in time. The wonderful sound and playing of award-winning accordionist Carmine Ioanna gifs this music an extra lift into another dimension. Recorded at O.A.P. Studio in The Hague, Locomarket first album Zingaria is now ready to be discovered!

Pianist, composer Sebastiaan van Bavel is at the beginning of his career, but he already shows an impressive CV. Next to a number of smaller awards he has won the prestigious Prinses Christina Competition in the category Jazz (2008). Three years later he wins the same Competition but now in the category of Classical music (2011). This because of his exceptional talent in both Classical and Jazz music. Van Bavel clearly shows his love for both genres. The fact that van Bavel is fully in command of the piano is reflected in his compositions. They have a structure more resembling a classical symphony than a jazz standard. With bassplayer Maciej Domaradzki and drummer Remi Troost van Bavel found the ideal musical partners to perform his compositions into perfection. In the spring of 2014 the Sebastiaan van Bavel Trio will present their debut-album: As The Journey Begins. It goes without saying that with this title the Trio refers to the fact that they show their own work for the first time. This album explains the musical and artistic journey that these three fantastic musicians are undertaking. The album contains eight of van Bavel's compositions. By intelligently linking the eight compositions the listener is compelled to also take this journey. The album marks the beginning of what undoubtedly will be a succesful career for both the trio and the individual musicians.

Rugile is a versatile musician whose passion is to improvise. Rugile's vision is to develop a style of vocal jazz in a spiritual direction: healing body, mind and soul through the combination of intention, sound and deep-in-meaning words. Through music she wants to inspire people to choose Compassion, Love and Oneness as opposed to Ego ways and follow their dreams! Next to that she wants her music to be entertaining and exciting. Apart from singing she plays and performs with flute and the Lithuanian plucked string instrument kankles. Rugile has been playing with many jazz musicians and has been changing jazz bands till she met a wonderful piano player Robert Rook with whom she has been collaborating on each possible occasion since then. She loved the combination and after bassist Luciano Poli and Victor de Boo on drums joined, the Jazz Quartet has been settled. All arrangements by Rugile Daujotaite, except: Round Midnight, Jazz Crimes and Save Your Love For Me. Arrangement 1st song of Three Lithuanian Folk Songs by Vytautas Straizys.

The young Korean guitar player Jaejin Ahn proves himself an amazing newcomer with his album ‘Lazy Step’. Mature, sharp, playful and daring, he creates his own and incomparable jazz in an often minimalistic, single-note style. Like a modern painter in a sketchbook in which jotted lines and the space between them shape the gripping final image. Quite diverging pieces thus becoming a perfect unity. Versions of Monk (‘Work’) and John Lewis (‘Milestones’) connect wonderfully with Ahns own compositions. As goes for an ‘oldie’ like Fats Wallers ‘Jitterbug waltz’. They carry the stamp of Ahn and of today. Moreover his own compositions ‘Grey’and ‘Jiho’- the latter with Caspar van Wijk on tenorsax – are a pure joy, sounding like they’ve always been around. ‘Nightmare’ is the only piece in which Ahn uses guitareffects in its haunting theme. Simplicity, warmth and originality abound in a debut to be cherished. All compositions by Jaejin Ahn, except Work by Thelonius Monk, Milestones by John Lewis and Jitterbug Waltz by Fats Waller.

Singer Gerrie van der Klei could have written her memoirs, but chose to make an album. What a joy. For ‘Lovers & Friends’ gives a better picture of life than hundred pages could. Love and love lost, happiness that becomes memory, life that seems to rhyme but just doesn’t. The actress-singer-musicalstar sings that lifestory in ballads, with ‘Scotch and soda' - playing herself the ukulele from her youth – as a musical smile in between. Topnotch songs from the international repertory, with a caressing delivery that touches the heart of them. Moving in the way she makes words and music completely her own: ‘In the wee small hours’, Lennonn & McCarthy’s ‘In my life’ – which marked her television debut in 1967 - ‘The best of times’, dedicated to her great love, big band leader and physician Boy Edgar (deceased 1980), a Sinatra-song like ‘Empty tables’, Strayhorns ‘Lush life’. Gerrie van der Klei is accompanied by topmusicians from the Dutch jazz scene with a superior feeling for the ‘whats’ and ‘wheres’ in a song, ideally contributing to this warm and poignant life in music.

For his second CD Marzio Scholten has surrounded himself with a great band. 'World Of Thought' superbly confirms the promise of his classy first album 'Motherland'. Besides a piano intro by the always intriguing Randal Corsen all of the compositions are Scholten’s. Musical stories that never stick to just one mood, but journey from stillness to emotion as in the opening ‘Tricks’, into introspection (title song), a deep feeling of longing in the fine ‘A breath of love’ or the strong movement and groove of ‘The puzzle’. The togetherness of Scholten’s band sound is striking, with Stefan Lievestro (bass), Bob Roos (drums) and Corsen as the ideal base and with two guest soloists who are both great surprises: the Israelian sax man Yaniv Nachum and the American trumpet player Ambrose Akinmusire (winner of the Thelonious Monk Award 2007). Both perfectly matching their very personal and driven improvisations to the atmosphere and subtility of Marzio Scholtens music. Without any cliché, moving and inviting to many more listenings. All compositions by Marzio Scholten, except 'Piano Intro To W.O.T.' by Randal Corsen.

Pianist Thijs Cuppen makes music that doesn’t want to be pigeon-holed. He belongs to no genre, does not want to be trendy, but reveals himself in his debut CD ‘Homeground’ as a poet-storyteller with feeling for drama and a pianistic idiom very much his own. Cuppen is known for his work in saxophone player Susanne Alt’s quartet, with whom he recorded three albums, performed several times at the North Sea jazz festival, but builds here a surprising and personal musical home with a remarkably precise and subtle trio. His ten own compositions, which almost can be listened to as a joint ‘suite’, are beautifully contrasting, with haunting melody lines that resound in one’s ears. Sometimes with an impressionistic shade, always full of atmosphere. From the strong and tight opening movement of ‘Slumber mountain’ into the tenderness of ‘The Traveler’. From a melancholic ‘Homeground’- with bowed bass – via the frenetic dissonants of ‘Otherness’ into a poetry (‘Last blossom') that never gets sentimental. Helped strongly by the naturalness and the original accompaniment of drummer Philippe Lemm and the right choices of bassplayer Cord Heineking in this tightly knit jazztrio. All compositions written and arranged by Thijs Cuppen.

Jazz-singer, composer ánd lyricist. All these qualifications are true for versatile and multi-talented Yvonne Smeets in her debut CD ‘Under a cloud’. This rich scope of talents results in four compositions of her own in quite varied musical colours: from the grooving title song to the philosophical ‘Circle’. That she aims high is clear from her choice of six compositions by jazzmasters Dave Holland, Kenny Wheeler and Wayne Shorter – from the latter his ‘Black Nile’, ‘Adam’s apple’ and ‘Iris’- all sung with her own, striking lyrics. Moreover she presents two songs by Kate Bush and three Brazilian songs (a.o. Jobim). Yvonne Smeets’ music is always pure, warm en never obvious. It can be the wit and finesse of the musical story she tells, the spirited improvisations she scats along, or the relaxed grooves. The singer is supported by the subtly swinging and open sounding trio of guitarist Jens Larsen, bassplayer Maciej Domaradzki and drummer Emanuel Donadelli. For three songs she chose as sole accompaniment the piano of Tilmar Junius. With a beautiful outcome that is both delicate and intriguing. The remarkable debut of a singer who makes choices both attractive and daring and already deserves her very own place in jazz.

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.

It is not often that a young jazzmusician, on his debut CD, presents himself with as much musical ripeness as guitarplayer Marzio Scholten does on his ‘Motherland’. In the first place there are the eight own compositions, each of them well wrought and elaborated with a different atmosphere and colouring. The broad emotional canvas is the most remarkable thing in Marzio Scholten’s debut. As a soloist he is a strikingly strong storyteller, with a subtle feel for melody, who can handle pure poetry (‘On the first day of spring’), melancholy (‘The end of an era’) as well as a delicious today-groove (‘300 Miles’). No surprise that starguitarplayer Jesse van Ruller, in his liner notes for ‘Motherland’, notes influences from Pat Metheny as well as John Scofield and Jimmy Raney. This is serious young jazz of today, sensitive, beautiful and intense. By an excellent quartet in which Scholten offers equal chances for all of the musicians and beautifully phrases lines together with reedman Floris van der Vlugt. All compositions written and arranged by Marzio Scholten.

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.

What a surprisingly versatile and strong band bass player Ruben Samama brought together here for his debut CD! There is really a lot to be discovered and enjoyed in this dynamic album: the inescapable structures of the arrangements, the exciting and frenetic movement of ‘Ji’, the touching way a classic like Gordon Jenkins’ ‘Goodbye’ is handled, the inspired and to-the-point soloing, this is a band with a sound of its own. What young cats? This is jazz from and for grown ups.