For bassist Taco Nieuwenhuizen, there was a mystique to the instrument that reeled him in at the age of 17. “The coolness; the sound of the instrument," Nieuwenhuizen revealed, almost like the affection for detail that an adoring husband has for his wife. “There is magic around the bass guitar. The thickness of the strings; you can play fast with two fingers, pull and slap. There's a world out there to explore."
And creative exploration, especially with the bass, summarizes the frisky rhythm attack of Playtime, the latest album from Taconieuwenhuizen Group. The Dutch group is still in its infancy, but artistically it has already blossomed into maturity. Formed in the summer of 2009, the band features Nieuwenhuizen on bass and vocals; drummer Taco Gorter; saxophonist Joao Driessen; guitarist Daniel de Moraes; percussionist Bart Fermie; and keyboardist Rein Godefroy. Together they coalesce into a tightly-knit and infectiously energetic unit. From the world-music turns of “Come & Go" to the reptilian bass of “Free Men 1," Taconieuwenhuizen Group break down stylistic boundaries and simply roam where the grooves take them.
Ironically, for a band embraces the modern, Nieuwenhuizen's musical background is rooted in the past. “I played classical violin from the age of six until I was 12-years-old and received classical piano lessons for eight years," Nieuwenhuizen recalled. But when it came to the bass, Nieuwenhuizen took lessons as a fan, not as a student. “My education came in that time from playing and jamming while listening to great bass players like Jaco Pastorius, the Brothers Johnson, and Victor Bailey. When I was 25 I locked myself up with the video of Pastorius and studied it everyday. Until now I study the legends and teach their stuff also to my students."
With the release of Playtime to a global market, Nieuwenhuizen's goals are modest. “I hope to play a lot of interesting gigs with my own band and playing good music with fine musicians," he said.
And creative exploration, especially with the bass, summarizes the frisky rhythm attack of Playtime, the latest album from Taconieuwenhuizen Group. The Dutch group is still in its infancy, but artistically it has already blossomed into maturity. Formed in the summer of 2009, the band features Nieuwenhuizen on bass and vocals; drummer Taco Gorter; saxophonist Joao Driessen; guitarist Daniel de Moraes; percussionist Bart Fermie; and keyboardist Rein Godefroy. Together they coalesce into a tightly-knit and infectiously energetic unit. From the world-music turns of “Come & Go" to the reptilian bass of “Free Men 1," Taconieuwenhuizen Group break down stylistic boundaries and simply roam where the grooves take them.
Ironically, for a band embraces the modern, Nieuwenhuizen's musical background is rooted in the past. “I played classical violin from the age of six until I was 12-years-old and received classical piano lessons for eight years," Nieuwenhuizen recalled. But when it came to the bass, Nieuwenhuizen took lessons as a fan, not as a student. “My education came in that time from playing and jamming while listening to great bass players like Jaco Pastorius, the Brothers Johnson, and Victor Bailey. When I was 25 I locked myself up with the video of Pastorius and studied it everyday. Until now I study the legends and teach their stuff also to my students."
With the release of Playtime to a global market, Nieuwenhuizen's goals are modest. “I hope to play a lot of interesting gigs with my own band and playing good music with fine musicians," he said.
