Results for "Amsterdam"

Jetse de Jong

Born: January 11, 1997

Some think that pianist Jetse de Jong fell into a big pot of New Orleans’ Gumbo as a child. They say that after a few days he climbed out and hasn’t stopped playing the piano ever since. In reality he found his calling after hearing the music of rock ‘n roll legend Fats Domino.

Armed with steaming New Orleans second-line grooves and smoking blues licks, Jetse de Jong bends the keyboard to his will. His lifelong obsession for blues, jazz and gospel music from the South comes across in his original songs as well as in tributes to his heroes Dr. John, Ray Charles and Billy Preston.

Atzko Kohashi

Born: September 21

​Atzko Kohashi is a Japanese-born pianist with an international background, currently based in Amsterdam. Her musical journey began at the age of five with classical piano training. While studying Law at Keio University in Tokyo, she discovered her passion for jazz, joining the university’s big band and performing in the vibrant Tokyo jazz scene.

From 1994 to 2001, Atzko lived in New York, where she honed her craft under the guidance of jazz master Steve Kuhn. Her life across three continents—Asia, America, and Europe—has deeply shaped her musical perspective, resulting in a unique style that transcends borders. This multicultural influence is evident in her playing, described by critics as “warm, natural, and deeply human.” Her music is often likened to the Zen philosophy of balance: “neither too much nor too little.” While her roots lie in jazz, Atzko infuses each melody with her own distinctive voice, creating a sound that is both intimate and profound.

Ramon Valle: The Amsterdam transplant remains rooted in Cuba

by Joan Gannij
October 3, 2017

After transplanting himself to Amsterdam 20 years ago, Ramon Valle's island roots still run deep. Valle was raised in the eastern part of Cuba, in Holguin, in a musical family, with a trumpeter father, a mother who sang and recited poems, and five sisters; four who played piano, and another who was a multi-instumentalist, playing saxophone, ...

Louis Hayes: Still Moving Straight Ahead

by Joan Gannij
May 23, 2017

Louis Hayes will turn 80 on May 31 (2017), but the party is still goin' hearty. He started celebrating this milestone back in February with an 18-day tour that began in Barcelona and concluded in Amsterdam. It was mostly one-nighters with three nights in Athens, two in Paris and London appearances at the usual places, like ...

Fay Claassen: Luck Child

by C. Michael Bailey
April 16, 2017

Dutch singer Fay Claassen has taken her sweet time releasing a follow-up to her 2010 big band release, Sing (Challenge). Her most recent recordings before sing include Red, Hot & Blue: The Music of Cole Porter (Challenge, 2009), and the uniformly excellent Two Portraits Of Chet Baker (Munich, 2006), all uniquely their own works of art. ...

Petros Klampanis Blends the Colors of Emotion and Experience into a Rich Portrait of Humanity on his first Large Ensemble Album, "Chroma"

March 28, 2017

Motéma Music Debut, out now, features the Bassist/Composer’s Gifted Jazz Quintet (Gilad Hekselman, Shai Maestro, John Hadfield, Keita Ogawa) with a Vivid String Section Recorded in association with The Onassis Foundation USA Bassist/composer Petros Klampanis has absorbed a vibrant palette of colors over the course of a varied musical life journey, including Mediterranean and Balkan folk ...

Rodrigo Amado, Joe McPhee, Kent Kessler, Chris Corsano, live at Bimhuis Amsterdam

by Henning Bolte
March 19, 2017

Rodrigo Amado, Joe McPhee, Kent Kessler, Chris Corsano Bimhuis Amsterdam March 8, 2017 As part of a European tour through nine countries, the Portuguese-North American configuration of Lisbon tenor saxophonist Rodrigo Amado, multi-instrumentalist Joe McPhee (saxophones, trumpet, didgeridoo), bassist Kent Kessler from Chicago, and young drummer Chris Corsano ...

Clarence Becton: Straight Ahead Into Freedom

by Barbara Ina Frenz
January 19, 2017

Clarence Becton is a musicians' musician—meaning, someone well-known in musician circles. He belongs to the generation of American jazz heroes who grew up under economically and socially difficult circumstances, and for that very reason, succeeded in gaining a comprehensive education, emancipating himself, and embodying the history of jazz music by directly learning from and working with ...

Punkt Festival 2016

by Henning Bolte
October 1, 2016

Punkt Festival Kristiansand, Norway September, 3-5, 2016 Punkt Festival in Kristiansand, Southern Norway, is a small, informal festival of internationally high artistic reputation and esteem. It takes place during the first week of September. Founded in 2005 its 12th edition as usual presented a wide range of musical performances and ...

Trombonist Chris Abelen Releases "A Day At The Office"

August 21, 2016

Trombonist Chris Abelen doesn’t think (or talk) like other composer bandleaders—the kind who work to further their careers. He lives just outside Amsterdam, and is plugged into the scene there, but he isn’t one for hanging in the Bimhuis café till all hours, or mounting bands to play international summer festivals. He has a disarming habit ...