New Dutch Jazz

these dutch jazz heroes hardly need any introduction: guitarist jesse van ruller and maarten hogenhuis form a versatile duo. even though their musicianship is rooted in jazz, they’re also inspired by singular bands and songwriters such as sufjan stevens, andrew bird, grizzly bear and blake mills. both players seek dialogue and steer away from the traditional roles of soloist and accompanist. their new album contains acoustic pieces as well as processed works where saxophone and guitar will be used in all kinds of ways possible. the first single, wonderwinkel, is now available on all streaming platforms. jesse van ruller has an international reputation as one of the most talented guitarists of his generation, which led to collaborations with many greats such as roy hargrove, joe lovano en bill stewart. his intuitive playing displays a deep melodic feel and high rhythmic agility. maarten hogenhuis is part of the internationally renowned formation bruut!, he leads his own trio and was awarded the north sea jazz composition assignment in 2019. as an in-demand sideman he has proven himself in a great variety of genres.

saxophonist ben van gelder and guitarist reinier baas proudly announce their new collaborative album. this is water is a testament to their unique artistic synergy, rooted in the american jazz tradition, but with unmistakable european flair. drawing from a shared musical vocabulary developed during their fifteen year collaboration, baas and van gelder effortlessly navigate a diverse range of moods and atmospheres, inviting listeners to explore new sonic horizons. among the illustrious guests on the album is drummer jeff ballard, who will also appear during this album presentation. this is water was inspired by american novelist david foster wallace's speech of the same name, in which wallace encourages the listener to find meaning and liberation in even the most tedious, mundane moments in life through simple awareness. baas and van gelder have played more than three hundred gigs together, and they have previously released two other albums as a duo: smash hits with the metropole orchestra, and mokum in hi-fi, an ode to the city of amsterdam. jeff ballard is a childhood hero of both artists. the american drummer became widely known as a member of the brad mehldau trio, and he also appeared on our stage with supertrio fly. ballard and the renowned dutch bassist clemens van der feen are invited by van gelder en baas to join them in this album presentation.

guitarist teis semey is back, and assertively so. his high voltage nordic avant-garde is invigorating, and his band sounds better than ever. building on the success of mean mean machine (2021) and learning from the choral midnight mess vol. 1 (2023) and the electro-improv sounds of crudo (2024), the danish guitar phenomenon returns to home base with his amsterdam quintet. gather around for en masse!, their new album. the newest band member jesse schilderink on tenor sax is a musical bulldozer, pushing the band in favor of the extrovert and wild together with josé soares on alto sax. underpinned by sun-mi hong on drums and jort terwijn on bass, the teis semey quintet is an otherworldly meteor shower, moving in unison through unspoken cues and raw energy. frontman teis semey cunningly balances the chaos with tenderness and depth, showcasing a newfound connection to his background with titles such as ’a tender melody to help me get through winter’ and ’a song for my siblings’.

saxophonist, composer, bandleader and arranger: kika sprangers is an all-rounder. in her large ensemble, that diversity comes to full fruition.  sprangers excels in her compositions for this chamber jazz line-up with the perfect blend of vocals with saxophone, bass clarinet, flute, trumpet and horn. at the same time, the group allows room for improvisations by the band members. the kika sprangers large ensemble is a collaboration of some of the most outspoken soloists of the dutch jazz scene and represents a unique and strong sound. outspoken musical characters flourish in abrasive interplay, unexpected decisions, but can also harmoniously embrace vocals and saxophone at the same time. now the ensemble presents their new album called (in)finity, which will be released in november on dox records.