BIK BENT BRAAM
SERENDIPITIES
Michiel Braam piano, Wilbert de Joode bass, Michael Vatcher drums, Frans Vermeerssen tenor/bariton saxophone, Frank Gratkowski alto saxophone/clarinets, Jan Willem van der Ham alto saxophone/fagot, Bart van der Putten alto saxophone/clarinet, Peter van Bergen tenor saxophone/clarinets, Peter Haex tenortuba, Carl Ludwig Hübsch tuba, Eric Boeren cornet, Angelo Verploegen trumpet, Wolter Wierbos trombone
Bik Bent Braam guarantees adventurous and infectious playing. Freedom is paramount to the big band. Style, tempo and set list are not fixed beforehand. Although this might sound anarchic, the ensemble playing, which the Dutch press has described as ‘magical’ , always avoids chaos. The catchy compositions of pianist and band leader Michiel Braam reference all kinds of styles from jazz history; wild improvisations are interchanged with lyrical ballads or cheerful big band swing. ‘A lively, but dedicated bunch that pleasantly cuts and pastes with pieces of jazz material’ (De Morgen).
Prior to the concert Bik Bent Braam will be introduced with a short film (12 min.) by Jellie Dekker, in which band members explain and demonstrate the extraordinary Bik Bent Braam-approach.