Archive

if anything fits better into our legacy series, it is arnold dooyeweerd's iconic workshop. for more than 45 years (!),double bassist dooyeweerd,  sent beginning and advanced adventurous musicians into the deep end with a gentle push. no chord diagrams or fixed melodies, but spontaneous improvisations were at the heart of this workshop where young and old musicians performed together for years. tonight and especially for our 50th anniversary, dooyeweerd will give a retrospective of his legendary workshop and there will be performances by loyal participants from the last years of the workshop. also performing will be musicians who joined the workshop as young talents and grew into renowned musicians in the form of eric boeren, wiek hijmans, wilbert de joode, hans hasebos and bart van helsdingen.

the famous icp orchestra returns to our stage once again. in 1967, together with pianist/composer misha mengelberg, han bennink stood at the foundations of this orchestra, which is currently known as one of the most creative groups in modern jazz. mengelberg passed away in 2017, but his compositions are kept alive by a basically steady line-up. mengelberg’s compositions are the starting point, but no icp concert is ever the same. the musicians of the icp orchestra have learned to deal with each other’s quirks, when it comes to timing and intonation. they know how to confuse each other, to bend or derail the music while performing. because of that, the music is full of surprises, unexpected turns, flexible grace and weird eruptions. “…the instant composers pool orchestra, from amsterdam, ….they are scholars and physical comedians, critics and joy-spreaders.” – the new york times

misha mengelberg’s songs are often funny and moving at the same time, with catchy melodies and crazy tones. misha was the main composer of the eccentric icp orchestra, which has been around for half a century. drummer han bennink is still part of the gang and is known all over the world. he can drum on literally anything. the songs will be performed by a very special guest who has sung many operas, soprano claron mcfadden. everyone, young and old, can sing along!

‘new cuban groove’ is what they call it themselves, cuban music of the year 2024 that exudes joy and energy. the members of el comité have each earned an excellent reputation in both jazz and cuban music. as a band they cannot be categorized and their virtuosity allows them to steer clear from clichés. on their new album carrousel we hear influences from latin jazz and thelonious monk alongside classical melodies and covers by, among others, rosalía and the weeknd. ‘the name el comité is actually a joke,’ said drummer rodney barreto in an interview with dutch magazine slagwerkkrant. ‘when you speak of a “comité” in cuba, one immediately thinks of government institutions such as comité de defensa de la revolución, so people tend to laugh when they hear our name.’ co-founder barreto played with cuban legends such as omara portuondo and chucho valdés. the other members also have impressive careers full of prestigious names such as buena vista social club, irakere, david murray, esperanza spalding, and richard bona. after the concert the music will continue with salsa panorama, a cuban salsa party at our café with an incredible view, where everybody is invited to dance.

in the past fifty years our venue has been an axis an international network of musicians who prioritize freedom, improvisation and independence. oscar jan hoogland celebrates this with twelve international top players who epitomize the spirit of the bimhuis. in a variety of line-ups they celebrate the bimhuis-sound, such as misha mengelberg’s mischievous swing, senegalese vocals, the chicago scene, crackling electronics, sean bergin’s south african kwelas, free improvisation alongside challenging composition, the wayward the ex, sultry ethiopian melodies, latin grooves and jazz by grandmasters such as monk, ellington and sun ra. oscar jan hoogland is a leading figure in the amsterdam improv scene. as misha mengelberg’s last student, he has strong ties to the history that is related to fifty years of bimhuis. especially for this concert he formed a supergroup in which he plays piano and electric clavichord.

new york saxophonist oded tzur has ushered in a new era for his instrument by giving it a whole new voice, one that is described by the guardian as a “unique tenor sax whisper”. often recalled by the artist as a ten year leap of faith, this complete reimagining of the instrument has established him as a torchbearer of spiritual jazz. his music is more than a conversation, states the new york city jazz record: “it is an interactive prayer”. my prophet, the third album of tzur’s quartet on ecm records, anoints music as the epicenter of a spiritual discipline: a prophet that tells us not about the future, but about who we really are. through a myth-like suite, the bandleader tells the story of an all-powerful deity, experiencing everything from sobering murmurs to cathartic, unabashed ecstasy.

to think outside the box: that has always been a motto to live by for saxophonist hans dulfer. musically, dulfer has always been at the forefront. he played psychedelic free jazz and created the first dutch world music. he was the first jazz musician to collaborate with house djs, and he achieved pop star status in japan with the unique blend of heavy guitars, beats and sax with the record big boy. he was also at the cradle of the dutch jazz scene, organising legendary concerts and co-founding our venue. in our anniversary month, a performance by this 'tough tenor' simply has to happen, 50 years after his first concert at the bimhuis. to this day, dulfer prefers to play live, at the most diverse venues and with relentless energy. as always, he brings a true all-star band including guitarist jerôme hol and drummer hans eijkenaar. dulfer has informed us that he likes to see a full house, so you know what to do.

to celebrate their 50th anniversary, bimhuis is partnering  with various venues and breeding grounds in amsterdam in their series bimhuis loves. together with these partners in jazz, the bimhuis will organize five exciting concerts during five wednesdays in october at the following special venues: de roode bioscoop, zaal100, zojazzstage, splendor and sexyland world. the entire program is now online. location: de roode bioscoop both gentlemen hardly need an introduction; two heavyweights from the dutch jazz and improvisation scene will engage in a musical conversation at a venue they quite frequent visitors of. han bennink just gave four concerts in a row in july at this atmospheric place, while ernst reijseger just gave a solo concert at this beautiful theater in june. what they will be doing this time? we have no idea. whether it's worth coming? absolutely, without a doubt.

on 1 october it will be exactly 50 years ago that the bimhuis opened. this month we will look back and ahead into the future. on the opening night we welcome two internationally recognized saxophone players. first we welcome dutch pride tineke postma, who will present her new band, followed by the new star from the motherland of jazz, james brandon lewis, who will share the stage with drum genius chad taylor. a grandiose start of a packed anniversary month! lyrical, melodic and full of groove and emotion: this is how tineke postma’s style is being described. she achieved acclaim across the pond as well, collaborating with the legends who inspired her, herbie hancock and wayne shorter, and with famous peers such as esperanza spalding and terri lyne carrington. as a band leader she released two albums on the international jazz label editions records, freya and aria. especially for this opening concert she will present her new band with star players from all over europe. james brandon lewis has already received the highest praise from his role model sonny rollins, and has proved himself to be a perfect addition to the tenor saxophone hall of fame. albert ayler’s spirituality and john coltrane’s cosmic aspirations have inspired him, but the new york-based saxophonist mainly stays grounded in the present. he leads a trio, a quartet, and he made an album on impulse! records with the messthetics, featuring ex-members of fugazi. he’s also part of the latest band of trumpet icon dave douglas. especially for our anniversary, james brandon lewis will arrive from the us together with drummer chad taylor, known from chicago underground duo. presentatie door kika sprangers en benjamin herman. ‘a dutch saxophonist of fluid expressivity, modern to the core’ (new york times over tineke postma). ‘the lyricism expressed is engaging, and postma’s saxophone technique dazzles’ (downbeat).

in october, we will celebrate our 50th anniversary, kicking it off with a grand opening concert called home by former 'composer of the fatherland' martin fondse and his ensemble bigbim50. this special opening is a tribute to the founders, inspirers and pioneers of the bimhuis, and a celebration of all the music that has sounded here over the past half century. music will be heard all over the building, from the balconies, from the lifts and from the stairs. especially for this occasion, martin fondse composed the composition home, performed by a special large line-up under the name bigbim50. this line-up, consisting of 15 horns and a rhythm section, represents a cross-section of the (jazz) musicians who have taken the stage in recent years. bigbim50 is both a marching band, a jazz orchestra, a chamber ensemble and a powerful improvisational instrument, featuring wood, saxophones, brass, percussion, piano and guitar. according to fondse, the bimhuis is home to many musicians and a wide and passionate audience. it is a place full of memories, new experiences and groundbreaking music. home embodies this spirit and opens the anniversary month with a powerful and multifaceted musical spectacle. practical info schedule: 19:00 bar open 19:30 start concert location: atrium of muziekgebouw, admission is free.