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Jasper Blom

The Jasper Blom Quartet adds a lot of weight to the scales of the Dutch jazz world. Take tenor saxophonist Blom himself, for example: for twenty years, he has been a household name in the Dutch and European jazz scenes. And not only because of his two European Jazz Awards, or the various scholarships and composition assignments he's received, but also because of his participation in a dozen other jazz groups, and his countless studio sessions and live performances--around the world, and sometimes with the world greats, including Chet Baker, Nat Adderley, and George Duke. Or take, for example, guitarist Jesse van Ruller, who was the first European winner of the American Monk Award, and who is at least as active as Jasper. Or take bassist Frans van der Hoeven, who can be heard on more than 75 albums, and who feels at home in all different genres. Or take Martijn Vink, who for good reason is one of the most requested drummers in Europe. And then consider how the whole of the Jasper Blom Quartet is more than the sum of its parts, because they have been playing together for more than fifteen years. This is also clear from their recently released second album, Dexterity. As Jasper says, ‘I want to make ten albums with this band in the years ahead. It is an honor to play my music with these musicians!’

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5
Album Review

Teus Nobel & Liberty Group: Human First

Read "Human First" reviewed by Phillip Woolever


Highly respected Dutch trumpeter Teus Nobel has forged a distinguished, modern jazz-based discography which includes expertise ranging from small bands to orchestras, and mainstream pop to theatrical show tunes. The third project released by Nobel's Liberty Group progresses along traditional quartet-type experimentation which proves to be some of his most extraordinary work yet; it sounds like a thematic sky with no limit in imagination or proficiency. The album's tour de force is the twenty-seven minute “Human First," which ...

4
Album Review

Jasper Blom Quartet: Polyphony

Read "Polyphony" reviewed by Roger Farbey


Saxophonist Jasper Blom's double album Polyphony, released on Whirlwind, centres around two key elements. Firstly, his long- standing penchant for adding a guest soloist to his quartet, reflected in each disc having its own additional musician. On the first CD there is trumpeter Bert Joris, with whom Blom and his quartet have played for several years, whereas on the second CD, the extra player is Nils Wogram on trombone. The music on both discs was recorded live at Amsterdam's famous ...

3
Album Review

The Jasper Blom Quartet: Gravity

Read "Gravity" reviewed by John Kelman


With Gravity, Dutch saxophonist Jasper Blom concludes his Mainland Records trilogy--its cover perhaps suggesting something more danceable than the heads and hands that graced the respective covers of 2008's Statue of Liberty and 2011's Dexterity. Each recording has its own charms, but Gravity is, hands-down, the most upbeat and joyous of the three, and another superb outing for a quartet fast approaching its sixth anniversary since first recording in June 2007.Gravity gets off to a surprisingly rock-inflected start ...

302
Album Review

The Jasper Blom Quartet: Dexterity

Read "Dexterity" reviewed by John Kelman


With the impossible volume of music released each and every week, there's always that sinking feeling that something's being missed. When saxophonist Jasper Blom and his quartet delivered their showcase performance at Dutch Jazz & World Meeting 2010, it became immediately clear that this was a contemporary group well worth investigating. Blom is a part of the second generation of Dutch musicians, following the emergence of now iconic countrymen like drummer Han Bennink and pianist Misha Mengelberg in the 1960s, ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Human First

Nobel Music / PIAS
2023

buy

Polyphony

Whirlwind Recordings
2019

buy

Gravity

Mainland Records
2013

buy

Dexterity

Mainland Records
2011

buy

Knor

From: Dexterity
By Jasper Blom

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