North Sea Jazz Update
Posted by: Bert Schurink on 05 July 2016
I am really looking forward to the coming weekend, I will again attend the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam and I will have an ability to see the creme de la creme in jazz and soul.... I decided to create a dedicated post - so that only people who are interested can read it. I will publish pictures and concert impressions of all concerts I will attend.
So first concert Snarky Puppy in one of the two huge venues. Music with a lot of prat but also quite sophisticated. I couldn't see the whole concert as I had to move to the Diana Krall concert (a special plus concert). But what I heard from Snarky Puppy I liked and I decided to still buy the last album, which I had avoided so far. The photos are from the concert and gives an impression of the size of the specific venue...
My next concert was Diana Krall. And she started with a lot of energy with one of the Diana Hits. But after that the concert calmed down and she left a lot of room to the rest of the band with a lot of individual solos of the drummer who just had become a father. Why didn't I like it, it was routine, it was not well planned from flow perspective and the star was too much in the background for me....while they didn't play bad. Perhaps it's also because I am not a big Diana fan.....
Had then a small intermezzo where I switched between a couple of venues. Was for a bit in the concert of Jasper can't Hof and Tineke Postma (I think that's her name), but left it soon as I didn't appreciate it.....
My next concert I awaited with a lot of excitement. But we had to wait a longer time as they had some challenges to get the sound prepared, and even in the first part of the concert the sound wasn't optimal, later on it improved and as usual Scott did deliver the goods . While I have to say that the overall experience was a bit less due to the sound issues. I also had the feeling that I was sitting to close to the podium for an optimal sound......., still Scott is playing exciting stretch music and he is still the man....
The highlight of the evening was the artist in residence Ibrahim Malouf. Who played his album Kalthoum in full. Perfectly executed and well balanced. A delightful concert, with an artist which is able to produce very special sounds on his trumpet (the Arabian influence).
The last concert was with the Shai Maestro Trio, tight and well played. An enjoyable concert in which you could hear how exciting modern trio jazz can be. A good closure of the day. Before that I had heard the last notes of James Blake and I chose to avoid Pharell Williams, not so much my style..... Also earlier in the evening I didn't listen to Buddy Guy which I guess some of you would like to have seen.
So as mentioned this morning early, it was a super day at the festival. It started off with me with the first challenge how do I choose the concert out of three or can a switch and listen to all a bit. The first conflicts where - Wolfert Brederode Trio, Steven Wilson and Enrico Pieranuzi Trio. I ended up with Wolfert Brederode with later on ten minutes of Steven Wilson.
The session with Wolfert was magical. Very nice texture interplay between three musicians who understand what it means to create beautiful lyrical music, to dream away with...
Steven Wilson was my next stop for 10 minutes. As expected I could have as well chosen the full concert of him, it sounded great, also a good video wall in the background..... Jazz not really but high quality music indeed..
The next stop was two greats of jazz. Pat Metheny and Ron Carter. An intimate encounter in which Ron was tightly following Pat's lead. Intriguing and playing a lot of well known material, in a duo setup. A petty that they didn't use the audience in the concert are where doing there thing together. Audiophile quality concert...
The concert of James Brandon Lewis was for me the absolute highlight of the evening. Raw energy of three guys who are completely at the top of their game. You get the feeling of huge influence of modern hip hop etc on the music of the trio. I almost would call it the hard rock of jazz. Pure, raw, honest and engaging. You can't flee the raw energy of what is happening on the podium. Of course I will buy his albums now on my return back home.
Then cooled a bit down with Charles McPherson. Very well,played. Easy to appreciate following the traditional template of the be bop....
Then another highlight Ibrahim Maalouf, he did the red and black album in a very dynamic and modern style. Fit for the large audience he was playing for. A feast of music and amazing as he had played a more introvert concert the evening before, and also there he was fully at home. This evening I will see his third concert......, great musician...
I finally landed at the last part of the Hiromi concert. In the past I was always a bit critical about her waterfall of notes, but since the last album and yesterday's concert it has changed. Yes her style is a lot about virtuosity, but she also has emerged to more due to pure enjoyment in playing which is coming across..... Great end of a great concert day......
On my way out I was treated with a fun band from Belgium, a perfect day.....
Yesterday was the last day. Not as great as Saturday which was a peak day but still very good. I started with the Steve Lehman Octet. This ensemble plays very complex and well composed music. However what I dislike about it is that it misses a bit the freedom which you normally find in jazz music. The musicians turn up being very serious playing everything from paper etc...... So good but I like it different at a concert, it's ok for my system...
After that I shortly went for 10 minutes to the concert of the Emil Parisien Quartet. And have to say we'll spend time. What I heard I liked, sophisticated modern jazz..., I will definitely have a closer listen to his music when I am back home, the benefit of Tidal....
The. I went to the third concert of the artist in residence Ibrahim Maalouf. He played with the Metropolis Ocrhestra and took 1 or 2 numbers of his past albums. Again Maalouf was in good form and also the orchestra played well. The music of Maalouf works also very well in this setting. The only minus of this concert that some of the elements of the concert of the evening before have been repeated, I less liked that as it was less fresh as it could have been....
Then again the burden of a festival...., a short look at the performance of the Yuri Honing Acoustic Quartet including Wolfert Brederode. A lot to look like with selective and soft use of the sax..., would have liked to stay there longer as this could have been a great type of concert for me, but had to move on to Chich Corea...
Chick Corea was there with an all star type of setup and played as expected on a very high level. Enjoyable and especially the trumpet player was a revelation for me Waynce Roney....
I missed fiesta, but at the end who cares when it's such a great concert....
Then I went to GoGoPenguin, what I heard I really liked. So modern, but also so connected with this acoustic concept, would have loved to listen to the full concert, but had to move in order to get a place for the Simply Red Concert, actually I should have stayed and just have gone for listening to the last part of the Simply Red Concert, or even have chosen the Mehldau, Scofield concert...
