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catharsis can be defined as the process of releasing strong or repressed emotions. it is also the name of the new band of rising star guitar player and composer michiel stekelenburg. the eponymous album reflects his inner struggles, the search for balance between vulnerability and strength. ‘it is a journey through my soul, a quest for balance between my inner world and the expectations of the external world,’ says michiel, who formed a band featuring seven top players who draw from jazz, rock and contemporary composed music. catharsis provides a fresh take on the conventional septet line-up. the modernly arranged three-part harmonies of the horn section are essential to the overall sound. expect fiery improvised solos, ethereal textures and dynamic compositions. catharsis is michiel stekelenburg’s fourth album. his previous album onoda earned him the second place in the poll for best jazz guitarist in the benelux of the magazine gitarist. as a sideman he collaborated with celebrated artists such as marcus miller, damien erskine and eric vloeimans.

all ellington builds on the rich tradition of duke ellington. ellington said, “the music of my race is something more than the american idiom.” improvisation and individuality were the pillars of his music, and that is also at the core of all ellington. with a warm ensemble sound and adventurous solos, they present new compositions and arrangements. the emphasis is on the question: “what else can we do with this music?” all ellington combines the detail of ensemble playing with high-level individual contributions. the group consists of young, well-trained musicians and seasoned improvisers. they know what a melody is all about.

opo yeye (‘elevate your soul’) is an energetic, groundbreaking band led by eddy veldman, the paramaribo-born drum veteran. expect a dynamic mix of jazz, funk, hip-hop, and surinamese dance music such as kaseko and kawina. opo yeye fuses many rhythms and styles into a unique sound full of groove and improvisation. as a co-founder of the legendary surinam music ensemble, eddy veldman is one of the originators of the paramaribop sound. since the 1970s he has played in innovative bands such as reality and solat, and since 1998 he is leading opo yeye. in its current form, the group has a richly varied line-up including members of the influential fra fra sound and rising star violinist yannick hiwat, who played on our stage with his own bands.

eric vloeimans, one of the best known trumpeters of the netherlands, shares a fascination with the international ensemble reverso: the intersection between jazz and classical music. over a century ago, european composers such as ravel and debussy incorporated influences from the new american jazz in their music. reverso continues this tradition with “thrilling patterns, long pictorial lines, open fields and pointillist statements”, according to jazztimes. reverso plays in a line-up that is related to chamber music, with american trombonist ryan keberle, french cellist vincent courtois and german-born pianist frank woeste. the trio has released several albums with tributes to the likes of ravel and parisian composer group les six. vloeimans also eschews categories and barriers. his work is characterized by melodic and lyrical strength and a characteristic sound, ranging from bright and glowing to velvety and whispery.

the dutch jazz competition has been the national platform for up-and-coming jazz talent for 25 years. a total of 124 bands have entered the dutch jazz competition 2024. of these, four bands will reach the finals and compete for the main prize, audience prize and, again, a prize for the best composition. winners will go home with cash prizes, places to play at relevant festivals and a network for international tours. the dutch jazz competition aims to give talented dutch or netherlands-based musicians the opportunity to present themselves to a wider audience, the press and the music industry. previous editions were won by jamesz with izaline calister (2000), on the line (oene van geel, albert veenendaal and tmucin sahin) (2001), agog (2002), as guests quartet (2004), robinson, freitag & caruso (2005), fransz von chossy quartet (2006), the blazin' quartet (2008), the castel/ van damme quartet (2010), kapok (2012), the loran witteveen quintet (2014), the xavi torres trio (2016), sun mi hong quartet (2018), the aviv noam quartet (2020) and ragazzi (2022).

after fifty years, paul van kemenade will end his professional career in music. the alto saxophonist became renowned for his expressive, bluesy sound. for years he has united musicians from all over the world at his festival stranger than paranoia. he played in many different bands, for which he wrote around 250 compositions across the board. his elaborate farewell will be spread out over two nights on our stage. friday night opens with three horns and a bass. this lauded ensemble was featured on close enough, the album that received a five-star review in downbeat: ‘the perfect tonal overlay, with bassist wiro mahieu as a fine counterweight’. closing the night is paul van kemenade’s classic quintet, which he has led since 1989. the band will welcome two horn players from south africa, feya faku en sydney mnisi, with whom the dutchmen have been collaborating for thirty years. ‘alto saxophonist paul van kemenade would not be out of place in one of the volcanic groups of charles mingus, considering his passion, the highly personal ‘cry’ in his playing, the relentless swing and the blues feel’ (de volkskrant).‘his alto darts and dives luxuriously, a rainbow feathered bird of paradise riding to the stratosphere’ (downbeat, *****-review of van kemenade’s album close enough).

after fifty years, paul van kemenade will end his professional career in music. the alto saxophonist became renowned for his expressive, bluesy sound. for years he has united musicians from all over the world at his festival stranger than paranoia. he played in many different bands, for which he wrote around 250 compositions across the board. his elaborate farewell will be spread out over two nights on our stage. on thursday night, the saxophonist will open the concert together with pianist stevko busch, with whom he has formed a duo for years. they will be followed by the duo of polish pianist krzysztof kobylínski and the celebrated french trumpeter erik truffaz, who has released many albums on the legendary jazz label blue note. the first night will close with paul van kemenade’s classic quintet, which he has led since 1989. ‘alto saxophonist paul van kemenade would not be out of place in one of the volcanic groups of charles mingus, considering his passion, the highly personal ‘cry’ in his playing, the relentless swing and the blues feel’ (de volkskrant). ‘his alto darts and dives luxuriously, a rainbow feathered bird of paradise riding to the stratosphere’ (downbeat, *****-review of van kemenade’s album close enough).

tuesday night means it is time for a new tuesday jam! still led by saxophonist and winner of the boy edgar prize 2019 jasper blom, tuesday jam is the place where musicians of all ages and levels meet and inspire each other. with the celebrated jazz department of the conservatory of amsterdam only a couple of hundred meters away from our bimhuis, there is no lack of impressive talent on stage at anytime. add some spontanious visits of world-class musicians like esperanza spalding, seamus blake and dick oatts, and you got the perfect mix. in short, this is the session where every jazzmusician and jazzlover should be. entrance is free, reservations are not necessary.

against the background of climate change, the millennium jazz orchestra gives a fascinating performance dedicated to water and poetry. band leader joan reinders has put wonderful poems of climate conscious poets to music, which will be sung by the charismatic izaline calister. together with the young harpist sanne bakker, the orchestra conjures up magic, from warm blooded ballads to exciting latin jazz with caribbean influences. together with de stad verbeeldt from the city of zwolle, the story about water and climate change is made visual. a special focus lies on the vulnerable position of islands. ‘queen izaline’, who’s born and raised on curaçao, has made a selection of poems about islands. some have literal references and some are more intuitive. these are poems with a ‘sea feeling, i have to hear it splashing”, says izaline. islands, waterfalls, rivers, creeks, brooks, beaches, sea, rain and storm are all included. the lyrics are in dutch, english and papiamento.

wnbl, formerly known as wanubalé, is a dynamic collective of nine young musicians based in berlin and potsdam, blending electronic music, jazz, and hip-hop with unmatched energy. their ever-evolving sound creates a blissful harmony of virtuoso musicianship that instantly gets everyone on their feet. for the first time, the band has incorporated vocal features, collaborating with rapper mike nasa and soulful singer/producer evîn. with roots in jazz, wnbl embraces electronic influences, delivering genre-defying tracks like "still not in space" and "who is she." their live performances are characterized by powerful horns, tight rhythms, and exciting improvisations, with a four-piece brass section and two drummers ensuring infectious playfulness and ecstatic beats.

in the bimhuis productions series reflex we invite musicians to reflect on the world and society. the curator of this edition is alto saxophonist mo van der does. his vision will be shaped by his seven-piece motet, through which he is displaying influences from the likes of charles mingus, maurice ravel en heroes of contemporary jazz. motet is the seven-piece formation led by mo van der does, who has earned acclaim for his tone, his lyricism and his improvisational skills. his band features major talents from dutch scene and beyond. the group can be as flexible as a small ensemble and as powerful as a big band, while exploring composition, orchestration and improvisation. through long lasting friendships and musical connections these musicians have built up a mutual trust that allows them to go all the way on stage. their sonic world is characterized by lyrical melodies and strong grooves, while interchanging intimate, melancholic parts with orchestral eruptions.

four performances, each with a dancer and one or two musicians, improvising freely. this could well be the start of wonderful new collaborations. and a compelling experience for the audience. together with dance platform whynot we have linked up these renowned performers. they have all developed their own unique musical and physical language. jefta tanate x alistair payne & marta arpini jefta tanate is a prize-winning dancer. soon after his internship at scapino ballet he created several solo performances, followed by his first productions even onions don’t make me cry and domeless. now he will interact with the expressive tone and out-of-the-box-attitude of trumpeter alistair payne, and the challenging melodies and colorful orchestrations of singer-songwriter marta arpini. lucinda wessels x rafael devánte sinay lucinda wessels has danced in major productions in various genres, from street dance to ballet. she even performed in the opera how anansi freed the stories of the world by nationale opera & ballet. young guitarist rafael devánte sinay is making a name for himself in the jazz world with his band smandem. with which he performed at international festivals such as north sea jazz. tuan tran x yanna pelser dancer tuan tran has his origins in hip-hop and is always curious for more. he danced works by renowned choreographers such as conny janssen and sidi larbi cherkaoui. yanna pelser a classically trained violist who also use her voice. she played viola in various ensembles, also in pop and jazz settings, and played tracks for huge stars such as david guetta en will.i.am. alesya dobysh x sun-mi hong alesya dobysh combines her background in street, house and en battle dance scenes with performance art, theatre, visual art and sound art. through experimenting with various forms she develops her own choreographies. in the work of drummer sun-mi hong we hear catchy melodies and dramatic outbursts, alongside impressionistic patterns and irregular time signatures. after the performances there will be afterparty in our cafe with dj stijn van beek. everyone on the dance floor!

op dinsdagavond is ons café het toneel voor de tuesday jam! nog altijd onder de bezielende leiding van jasper blom, saxofonist en winnaar van de boy edgar prijs in 2019 is dit de plek waar muzikanten van jong en oud, professioneel en opkomend elkaar ontmoeten en inspireren. met de bekroonde jazzopleiding van het conservatorium van amsterdam maar enkele honderden meters van ons verwijderd is er aan aanstormend talent geen gebrek. voeg daar de spontane bezoeken van muzikanten van wereldklasse aan toe (esperanza spalding/seamus blake/dick oatts) en je hebt de perfecte mix. kortom, dit is de sessie waar je als jazzmuzikant of -liefhebber bij moet zijn. zowel voor publiek als muzikanten gratis toegankelijk.

the amsterdam klezmer band (akb) sets the tone worldwide when it comes to klezmer and balkan, often with an original twist. in the akb-lab series, the band seeks inspiration from musicians from unexpected corners. this time its guest is niki jacobs, one of the best interpreters of european yiddish songs. she has been bringing this rich musical tradition to the general public for over 20 years, and with her ensemble she connects the europe of the past with the listeners of today. the amsterdam klezmer band has been around for more than 25 years. founded in café de nieuwe lelie by frontman job chajes and bassist jasper de beer, the band grew into a multi-headed formation with a grandiose live reputation, from paradiso and the concertgebouw to sziget and lowlands.

since 2001 ronin has been bridging the gap between minimal music, jazz, zen meditation and martial arts. with utmost precision, swiss pianist nik bärtsch has been building a consistent oeuvre, recorded in fine detail by renowned label ecm records. through ‘modules’, numbered compositions, he builds a fine-meshed structure that reveals surprising rhythms and grooves. the tight performances recall minimal techno and electronic music.  throughout the years, ronin has had few lineup changes. the newest member is  jeremias keller on bass, since 2020, alongside sha on bass clarinet and double bass clarinet, and kaspar rast on drums. ‘firmly anchored to the groove, swiss-born bärtsch leads his group ronin through knotted moduls. layering his piano into and above ever-evolving patterns from a locked-in rhythm section, the group flirts with rock, funk and some kind of cosmic, steve reich-informed varietal of jazz. when bassist björn meyer and drummer kaspar rast start percolating, bärtsch touches on a new form of musical propulsion, one that isn’t necessarily swinging but always moving, evolving and expanding, ever forward’ (los angeles times). 

45 years ago he already gave his first concert at the bimhuis, together with cellist ernst reijseger and drummer michael vatcher. just a year before that, michael moore arrived in amsterdam for the first time. since then he has regularly performed on our stage every year, in all kinds of formations. familiar names and new acquaintances from the amsterdam scene return in his new seven-piece ensemble. what continues to drive him is his curiosity about music, especially music he does not yet comprehend, music with a lot of freedom and music in which players are aware that everything can change completely at the drop of a hat. alto sax and clarinet player michael moore is renowned all over the world for his beautiful tone and his rich musical imagination. he grew up in northern california, studied at the conservatory with jaki byard, george russell, joe maneri, ran blake and günther schuller, and spent two years in new york before he made his move to amsterdam. he is a fixture of  the amsterdam improv scene, as a writing member of icp orchestra and as the leader of his own bands. he has collaborated with many greats, including lee konitz, dave douglas and fred hersch.

inspired by a blend of early music, folk and plainsong, shadowlands weaves a form of contemporary chamber music rich in sonic texture. three vibrant voices from europe’s creative music scene, adept at crossing genres, agree to venture into the unknown together in a repertoire where improvisation rubs shoulders with centuries-old melodies and original compositions. the language of kit downes, a key pianist on the new british scene, blends with that of anglophile saxophonist and clarinettist robin fincker and irish singer lauren kinsella in a shared desire to question slowness and the right gesture. stretched, lilting melodies are surrounded by a halo of shimmering, shifting sound.

tuesday night means it is time for a new tuesday jam! still led by saxophonist and winner of the boy edgar prize 2019 jasper blom, tuesday jam is the place where musicians of all ages and levels meet and inspire each other. with the celebrated jazz department of the conservatory of amsterdam only a couple of hundred meters away from our bimhuis, there is no lack of impressive talent on stage at anytime. add some spontanious visits of world-class musicians like esperanza spalding, seamus blake and dick oatts, and you got the perfect mix. in short, this is the session where every jazzmusician and jazzlover should be. entrance is free, reservations are not necessary.

space is the place presents an intergalactic night, an evening of performances across genres and disciplines. this energetic and groundbreaking edition of intergalactic night features unique artists from the worlds of jazz, spoken word and avant-garde music. this night is all about musical encounters and artistic crossovers that take you from african roots to the sound of chicago, from improvisation to expressive poetry. 20.30-21.10 mike reed / hunter diamond (chicago, usa) the duo mike reed (drums) and hunter diamond (sax) represent the strength of chicago's avant-garde music scene. their album nilia was announced just after the lockdown and reflects feelings of uncertainty and resilience in challenging times. expect fragile ballads and unexpected bursts of sound, centered on the search for harmony and freedom. 21.25-21.45 daniËlle zawadi (nl) dutch spoken word artist daniëlle zawadi, second generation congolese-dutch, shares her insights on friendship and identity as part of gen z. zawadi's performances give an authentic voice to experiences of her generation. as founder of het zwarte schaap and winner of the bipoc voice award, she has created a platform for word art and is proving herself as a new force in the dutch literary world. 22.00-22.40 dudÙ kouate & ziv taubenfeld the collaboration between dudù kouate, renowned senegalese percussionist, and bass clarinetist ziv taubenfeld offers a profound musical dialogue. their project takes you back to a time when live music and cinema went hand in hand, with a focus on live accompaniment to african films. this combination of traditional african rhythms and innovative improvisations brings forgotten stories to life and puts new accents on cinematic narratives. before and between performances dj michael moore is playing.

anna webber is a composer for whom timbre and sound are as important as harmony, melody, and rhythm. with her new band shimmer whince she explores the oldest and arguably most beautiful tuning in music history, just intonation. combined with contemporary rhythms and grooves it delivers an innovative sound. the international music press is raving: this year anna weber reached the number one spot in the downbeat critics poll in the categories rising star tenor saxophone en rising star flute. anna webber is a unique multi-talent on tenor sax and flute. her music runs like well-oiled clockwork and is fascinating to observe. in her bands she brings together talents from avant-jazz as wel as contemporary classical music. in shimmer whince she works with renowned players from new york such as trumpeter adam o’farrill, who previously performed on our stage in mary halvorson’s bands. the five-piece ansemble also features cellist mariel roberts, keyboardist elias stemeseder and drummer lesley mok.