Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw: Threnody
Marco Kegel alto sax, Jasper van Damme alto sax, Simon Rigter tenor sax, Sjoerd Dijkhuizen tenor sax, Juan Martinez baritone sax, Wim Both trumpet, Erik Veldkamp trumpet, Jan van Duikeren trumpet, Ruud Breuls trumpet, Jan Oosting trombone, Ilja Reijngoud trombone, Bert Boeren trombone, Martin van den Berg bass trombone, Martijn van Iterson guitar, Peter Beets piano, Frans van Geest bass, Martijn Vink drums
Jim McNeely, one of the current tastemakers of big band jazz, presents new compositions for the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw. This new body of work forms the album Threnody, which will be released this fall. At first, Threnody (lament) was written for those affected by the corona pandemic. But then McNeely decided to dedicate it to the victims of the next crisis: the attack on freedom and democracy.
American pianist, arranger and composer Jim McNeely was the (virtual) Composer in Residence of the orchestra in 2021. This exceptional year influenced the compositional process as well as the music itself. In the compositions, McNeely departed from the talents and interests of the soloists. In this performance the orchestra will not be led by a conductor, but by master drummer Martijn Vink. Het Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw has won several Edison Awards, and has previously collaborated with legends such as Chick Corea, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and Joshua Redman.