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Jazz Articles about Bernard van Rossum
About Bernard van Rossum
Instrument: Saxophone, tenor
Sam 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 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 ...
Continue ReadingBvR Flamenco Big Band: Luz de Luna

by Jack Bowers
Luz de Luna is the second album by the BvR Flamenco Big Band, which is based in the Netherlands, and not, as might be assumed, in Spain. The band's Spanish roots are strong, however, as leader Bernard van Rossum (hence the name BvR) was born and raised in that country and has lived in the Netherlands for less than a decade (after studying at the University of North Texas in Denton). He was also raised on flamenco, whose colorful rhythms ...
Continue ReadingBvR Flamenco Big Band: Jaleo Holandes

by Jack Bowers
How did a jazz musician based in The Netherlands become so immersed in flamenco, a form of folk music and dance from Spain's Andalusia region? The answer becomes self-evident when one reads in Bernard van Rossum's bio that he was born and raised in Spain by an English mother and Dutch father. Flamenco has thus been an integral part of van Rossum's musical awareness since he was old enough to appreciate what music is, a fact that becomes readily apparent ...
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