MO VAN DER DOES QUARTET

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Photo by Govert Driessen
The young Mo van der Does Quartet plays own compositions in which improvisation and interaction are the main elements. All individual winners of the Prinses Christina Jazz Concours and as a band of the Expression of Art Award, these are promising musicians. With unconditional trust in each other they explore the extremes of their musical world on stage and are constantly challenging each other. The compositions tell stories through the band members, sometimes obvious, sometimes the listener has to determine what these are. The fact that there is no harmony instrument results in a creative challenge of dealing with both the freedom and the limitations that this line up creates. Love for artists like Mark Turner, Ambrose Akinmusire and Ornette Coleman, but also for composers like Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy brings the musicians together. They give each other space to project their own unique musical personality, which they melt together in one strong band sound. They recorded their debut album in November 2018 and was released recently on Fattoria Musica Records

TIJS KLAASSEN QUINTET

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Photo by Teresa Costa
The Tijs Klaassen Quintet consists out of some of the most talented young jazz musicians on the Amsterdam scene. All of whom are not only known as great players, but also as gifted composers. This reflects on the way in which they interpret the compositions by the bandleader. A striking aspect of the band’s sound is the search for new orchestrations within the classic quintet line up. Vintage 80s synths, complex horn harmonies, west African drum rhythms and arco bass melodies create a unique blending of sounds. As a composer, Tijs gets his inspiration from the sounds of various 20th century European composers combined with the energy from the present day New York jazz scene.

Recently the band was among the winners of the Keep an Eye The Records 2018 edition. This prize, consisting out of 10.000 euro’s, enabled them to record their debut ‘Clavius’ album in April 2019. This record came out December 2019 and was met with considerable acclaim.

Mo van der Does: Alto saxophone
Matthias van den Brande: Tenor saxophone
Floris Kappeyne: Piano
Wouter Kühne: Drums
Tijs Klaassen: Double bass & Compositions

ALL ELLINGTON

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Photo by Cees van de Ven

Duke Ellington – his music is an inexhaustible source of inspiration for musicians of all styles and generations. That same goes for All Ellington, a tentet featuring musicians from the flourishing Amsterdam improv scene who are ‘excellent melodists and magnificent sound blenders’, according to founding member Eric Boeren. They tackle Ellington arrangements by various band members. In All Ellington, respect for the original compositions goes hand in hand with individuality and inventiveness, much in the spirit of Ellington’s orchestra back in the day. The expanding All Ellington repertory contains big hits as well as lesser-known gems. The eponymous first album of the group, which appeared earlier this year, received great reviews in the international media.

‘When Eric Boeren assembles a cast of musicians to play the music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn you know it won’t be your father’s Ellington. Well, unless your father is very, very hip’ (All About Jazz).