For saxophonist Jasper Staps and pianist Rembrandt Frerichs, jazz is all about beauty and telling a musical story. After twenty-five years of being friends, they finally joined forces for a first collaborative album, The First at Last. Through careful selection of their instruments, they manage to approach the sound of vintage jazz from the fifties and sixties. At the same time the group sounds contemporary, in part thanks to young players Matheus Nicolaiewsky on double bass and Mitchell Damen on drums.

Alongside original compositions, the album contains songs by the likes of Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn, Cole Porter, and Jerome Kern, alongside ‘Time and Again’, an instrumental version of a Dutch classic by Willeke Alberti. ‘They have to have warmth, a strong melody, and room for musical conversation’, says Jasper Staps about the tracks. He sees himself as a true melody player, who aims to tell a story and draw listeners in. Rembrandt is known for his experimental nature, always looking for a new sound. They met at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague. Jasper developed a career as an arranger, conductor and sideman in jazz orchestras, while Rembrandt followed his curiosity and performed all over the world, in very different genres.

Jasper Staps saxophone, Rembrandt Frerichs piano, Matheus Nicolaiewsky double bass, Mitchell Damen drums