The Two Al´s, European Jazz Trio
FRI 11 NOV 2011 20.00, PIANOLAB GOETHE INSTITUTE, AMSTERDAM (NL)
THE TWO AL’S: Albert van Veenendaal · prepared piano, Alan Purves · percussion
EUROPEAN JAZZ TRIO: Gerd Dudek · sax, Rob van den Broeck · piano, Ali Haurand · bass
This concert presents two pianists – and their colleagues – who represent the richness and versatility of Dutch and European jazz.
Albert van Veenendaal has recently been focusing on extensive preparations of the piano – entirely in the tradition of John Cage, but extended with the motifs of worldmusic and jazz.
“Lyrical themes, African or even Balinese-looking, incantatory rhythms, repetitive mechanistic-sounding fragments are spun out brilliantly and in a balanced way. Van Veenendaal makes his soul visible in this music, which surprises, fascinates, shines like a diamond.” (Marc van de Walle, Jazzmozaik, December 2010 on Albert´s solo CD “Minimal Damage”)
Rob van den Broeck has not only influenced and trained many musicians in the Netherlands, he has also been in contact with international greats since the 1960s.
This Trio has been around for over 25 years and has performed all over the world. The musicians are the founders of many significant European ensembles – such as Alex von Schlippenbach’s Globe Unitity Orchestra and Manfred Schoof’s Big Band – and have worked with many colleagues, including Don Cherry, Ben Webster, Joachim Kühn, Daniel Humair, Alan Skidmore and many more.
1st set
THE TWO AL’S
Albert van Veenendaal – prepared piano
Alan Purves – percussion
bizarre, happy, exuberant & melancholic squeecky & freaky songs on prepared piano and custom-made percussion. A surprising, imaginative world of unheard sounds that go straight to the soul, created on the spot by two adventurous musicians
Albert van Veenendaal recently released his solo CD Minimal Damage, dedicated to the prepared piano. With this project he performed for VPRO’s Vrije Geluiden and during the festival VPRO Jazz Live in the Bimhuis, among other things. By placing various objects, such as rubbers, chop-sticks, clothes pegs, screws, paper or tape between or on the strings, the sound colour of the piano will change considerably. The instrument becomes a one-person percussion ensemble with a wide variety of sounds, from percussive to meditative. The pioneer of the prepared piano was the American composer John Cage who wrote a large number of pieces for this instrument.
Alan ‘Gunga’ Purves can rightly be called a phenomenon. On his special, partly self-developed instruments, he always knows how to touch the essence. Intuitive, razor-sharp, groovy and dynamic, he is a true sonic magician. Unique is his brim-bram, a self-made instrument with which he produces sounds that seem to come from another world.
The reactions on the CD Minimal Damage are enthusiastic:
“This is a fascinating monologue. Through the prepared piano, astonishing sounds and sound combinations are generated and combined. Lyrical themes, African or even Balinese sounding, mesmerizing rhythms, repetitive mechanistic sounding fragments are spun out brilliantly and in a balanced way. Van Veenendaal makes his soul visible in this music, which surprises, fascinates and shines like a diamond. (Marc van de Walle, Jazzmozaik, december 2010)
Journalist Remco Takken wrote:
“Van Veenendaal makes you believe that a prepared piano á la John Cage was designed for jazz in the first place.”
2.set
EUROPEAN JAZZ TRIO
Gerd Dudek, sax
Rob van den Broeck, piano
Ali Haurand, bass
This Trio has been around for over 25 years and has performed all over the world. The musicians are the founders of many significant European ensembles – such as Alex von Schlippenbach’s Globe Unitity Orchestra and Manfred Schoof’s Big Band – and have worked with many colleagues, including Don Cherry, Ben Webster, Joachim Kühn, Daniel Humair, Alan Skidmore and many more.
Rob van den Broeck (piano)
Pianist Rob van den Broeck was born in Hilversum in 1940. He studied printmaking at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. That building was near the museum square where the concert hall was.
“During that time 1957 to 1961 I went to many night concerts including John Coltrane quartet, Miles Davis, Artur Rubinstein, Duke Ellington. My first job was on Wednesdays at the Cherazade where I met Ben Webster who taught me the basic chords. He taught me that by waving a knife and then you learn fast! Ben played me the pieces in his flat in the Jordaan.
For two years I played in the Chris Hinze Combination with Henny Vonk, Charlie Mariano, John Lee and Gerrie Brown (in 1972 two weeks in the Ronny Scott club in London). Together with Dick Vennik we had the group Free Fair, a quartet that was later expanded with 4 trumpets and 4 trombones, musicians from the Metropole Orchestra.
For Wim Wigt’s Timeless label I recorded with Joe Farrell, Louis Hayes, Billy Higgins, Henny Vonk and Clint Houston.
Worked freelance with the Nederlands Danstheater in the Netherlands, the Sadlers Wells. Theatre in London and in Venice in Saint Mark’s Square. For 20 years I taught piano at the Concervatorium in Arhem. From 1976 I have a long musical relationship with Ali Haurand in various groups.
Recordings made with Alan Skidmre, Stan Sulzmann, Jiri Stivin, Jarmo Hoogendijk, Manfred Schoof, Alan Botchinsky, Enrico Rava, Paolo Frezo, Kenny Wheeler, Tony Coe, Tony Levin, Tony Oxley, Daniel Humair, Conny Bauer, Gerd Dudek and Wilton Gayner.
From 1982 I was in the European Jazz Ensemble and it was at the same time the birth of the trio with Gerd Dudek and Ali Haurand.
More than twenty records and CDs are the result of this collaboration.
Tours have shown me Europe, Africa, Canada, USA, and Australia. I’ve been working with the Masha Bijlsma Band for 15 years now.
Other than that, I like to draw and paint or do nothing.”
Rob van den Broeck
Gerd Dudek (tenor & soprano sax)
Born in 1938 in Gross-Döbern (now in Poland)
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Gerd Dudek, after completing his studies, was a member of the famous Kurt Edelhagen Big Band from 1960 to 1964. Whereupon he joined the Manfred Schoof Quintet.
As a member of the Albert Mangelsdorff Quintet and the German All Stars he undertook several tours of Asia and South America. Gerd has also played in a quartet with Alan Skidmore and Adelhard Roidinger. He was one of the founding members of the Manfred Schoof Big Band as well as of both Alexander von Schlippenbach´s “Globe Unity” and “Berlin Contemporary Orchestra”.
What is more, Gerd Dudek was also among the founding members of the EUROPEAN JAZZ ENSEMBLE in 1976. Besides many other productions with various groups and soloists, he made a recording in Japan in 1961.
In the 1960s he went on tour with George Russell and Don Cherry. He has worked extensively in trios, quartets and duets with Ali Haurand. With the EUROPEAN JAZZ ENSEMBLE and smaller formations he has recorded more than 70 records and CDs.
Ali Haurand (bass)
The versatile double bass player Ali Haurand (1943) is the founder of the European Jazz Ensemble, the driving force behind the New Frontier Trio (with Charlie Marriano and Daniel Humair), and the idiosyncratic TV presenter of jazz programmes on German, Swiss and Austrian television.
In 1966 Ali Haurand played in Jacques Brel’s accompanying band during the singer’s farewell tour. A high-flying but not always easy career followed, in which this remarkable ex-Provo and soixantehuitard, who is at home in all markets and regions and who speaks Dutch without an accent, ended up on stage with about all the great jazz musicians of the world.
The great thing is that despite all the success and trials, Ali has remained completely himself and still smokes, drives and lives as hard as ever: ‘Un homme debout ne se couche que pour mourir!,’ dixit Léo Ferré. Since 2002 Ali has performed regularly as a guest musician in the company Dichters Dansen Niet.
