Jazz Articles
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Micheal Murray's Colourfield: Rounded Nature
by Ian Patterson
It is a long way from Falcarragh to Amsterdam. The distance is measured not so much in kilometers as in culture. Alto saxophonist Micheal Murray hails from the former, a small Irish-speaking town on the windswept coast of County Donegal. In this part of the world, Irish traditional music has deep roots, and the pubs resonate with country music. Even there, where the only other jazz musician was his twin brother, double bassist Conor, the siblings learned jazz on their ...
Continue ReadingSam Newbould: Homing
by Dan Bilawsky
England-born, Netherlands-based alto saxophonist Sam Newbould uses the title of his third album to directly reference his temporary adoption of a Polish homing pigeon. But in a broader sense, Homing is about a man's pursuit to pinpoint his identity as an artist abroad. Zeroing in on that subject with clarity, sophistication, smarts, humor and a slanted tunefulness all his own, Newbould folds everything neatly into his own findings and takes listeners along for a compelling ride. Leading ...
Continue ReadingKasper Rietkerk: The Island
by Neil Duggan
For many musicians, releasing their first album as a leader represents the high point of their career to that point. Even though it is daunting, alto saxophonist Kasper Rietkerk takes it all in his stride, making it seem straightforward. He brings his sextet, KRSIX, top-quality guest musicians and a string quartet to the studio to record eight of his compositions for The Island. Previously, he had played lead alto in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of the Netherlands, released two ...
Continue ReadingImperfect Bread: Imperfect Bread
by Neil Duggan
Imperfect Bread were formed in 2021 and, combining the traditions of British singer-songwriters with Dutch free jazz, they have created an unusual sonic landscape. After spending time honing their sound, performing throughout the Netherlands and winning awards, they have in 2024 released their debut album. This features nine tracks with music and lyrics written by British drummer Rod Oughton. Oughton formed the band whilst he was studying in Amsterdam. He has previously recorded with his London-based octet OK ...
Continue ReadingMark Lotz: Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out!
by Mike Jurkovic
There's a curious sense of humor rampant throughout flautist Mark Lotz's 2023 trio outing Tune In, Turn On, Drop Out!. And why shouldn't there be? Given the nature of Lotz's inspiration--acid folk-hero Timothy Leary's era defining treatise by the same title--the music should be that and a whole lot more. And it is! Lotz, a three decade veteran of the hotbed Dutch jazz scene who has recorded/gigged with Chris Potter, Don Byron and a host of ...
Continue ReadingMarjorie Barnes & Millennium Jazz Orchestra: Both Sides Now
by Jack Bowers
Marjorie Barnes, a native New Yorker who has been living in Europe for almost fifty years including several decades in the Netherlands, summons her many years of experience to brighten and embroider Both Sides Now, her impressive debut recording with the world-class Millennium Jazz Orchestra (MJO). Barnes sang in the mid-1970s with the multiple Grammy Award-winning ensemble, The Fifth Dimension, and has worked with such luminaries as Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Sammy Davis Jr., Billy Eckstine and many others. She ...
Continue ReadingZack Lober: NO FILL3R
by Jerome Wilson
Bassist Zack Lober has been part of the worlds of jazz and musical improvisation for some time but this is his debut as a leader, heading a frisky trio which also includes trumpet and drums. This album was recorded in the Netherlands and has Lober playing with trumpeter Suzan Veneman and drummer Sun-Mi Hong. The three combine for a tight, compact sound which is most immediately striking when Veneman's trumpet drifts melodically over the undulating rhythms laid down ...
Continue ReadingMillennium Jazz Orchestra: Bleeding Amazonia
by Jack Bowers
Bleeding Amazonia, the latest album by The Netherlands' superb Millennium Jazz Orchestra, offers clear proof that “music with a message" need not be barren nor bland. Amazonia is a vibrant and colorful eight-part suite by composer / arranger Joan Reinders, whose disheartening theme is the loss of the Amazon rainforest. Four of its movements have lyrics based on verses by the Brazilian poet and environmentalist Thiago de Mello, while a fifth has lyrics by Brazilian-born vocalist Lilian Vieira who has ...
Continue ReadingMichiel Stekelenburg: Trio Onoda
by Mark Sullivan
After releasing the albums Hypnos (Mainland Records, 2011) with a quartet and Layers (Zennez Records, 2016) with a quintet (both bearing his name), Dutch guitarist/composer Michiel Stekelenburg introduces a trio with the traditional line-up of guitar, Hammond organ, played by Arno Krijger, and drums, played by Jasper van Hulten. As the opening track, “Onoda," makes clear, this is not an entirely traditional program stylistically. It begins rubato, then follows a moody contemporary jazz path, reminiscent of guitarist John Abercrombie's organ ...
Continue ReadingSam Newbould: Bogus Notus
by Chris May
Sam Newbould is a British-born alto saxophonist and composer who has since 2016 been based in Amsterdam, where he leads the Sam Newbould Quintet. The group debuted on record with the self-produced Blencathra in 2019. Bogus Notus is the follow-up. The album is a substantial piece of work, a collection of eight originals which, says Newbould, takes the listener on a journey through the “mysterious corners of the northern English countryside" where he grew up. As the cover ...
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