Keep (it) Swinging: Ilja Reijngoud: Music for six trombones and rhythm section

Ilja Reijngoud: Muziek voor zes trombones met ritmesectie ( Nederlands) Ilja Reijngoud: Music for six trombones and rhythm section ( English)

Untamed World
ILJA REIJNGOUD: Music for six trombones and rhythm section.
Hans Koert

A few years ago I became interested in writing music for larger trombone ensemble. After forming a modern jazz quintet with Bart Van Lier, I was asked to join the Dutch trombone group Bart's Bones. In the years that followed I started to write my own music for four to twelve trombones, with and without rhythm section, and either classical or jazz related. After music performance at events like the North Sea Jazz Festival, I decided to record most of my compositions. I asked some of my good friends ( who happens to be the best trombone-players in Europe!) to record the music, accompanied by the rhythm section of my own Jazz Quartet. I am both happy and honored that those great musicians were willing to bring my music to life. (Ilja Reijngoud on the cd-booklet)

Drawing: Ilon Adrian

Last year I found myself a copy of a great recording that surprised me: Untamed World by Ilja Reijngoud and his Trombone Ensemble. It's one of those Jazz recordings that should be in each serious jazz collection.
Fragment of the cd cover by Ilon Adrian

Ilja Reijngoud is born in July 1972 in Leiden, in the western part of The Netherlands, and studied trombone at the Hilversum Conservatory. As a student he became part of the Dutch Jazz Orchestra and is to be heard on records like On The Scene, Portrait of a Silk Threat and the great 5 CD box with the Music of Rob Madna ( recently released by Challenge Records). He also recorded with the Big Band of the Hilversum Conservatory of Music, performing the music of Duke Ellington. He is also to be heard on a nice cd titled the Young Dutch Jazz Cats in a tune My Foolish Heart with Carolyn Breuer, Peter and Marius Beets and Joost Patocka. He is now, besides an active musician, trombone teacher at several Dutch schools of music, like in Rotterdam and Arnhem.

Marius Beets ( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)
He became a sought after trombone player in a lot of Dutch jazz formation, like the Houdini's, Nueva Manteca and the Cubop City Big Band. In 2003 he won the Thelonious Monk award and an Edison Award for The Shakespeare Album with vocalist Fay Claassen.

Rob Van Bavel ( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)
He made but few records under his own name, and this is one of his latest - It's a record that features a lot of known Dutch and Flemish trombone players, like Bart Van Lier, Jan Oosting and Martin Van den Berg (bass trombone) all members of the Metropole Orchestra; Jörgen Van Rijen of the Orchestra of the Concertgebouw; Evert Josemanders of the Mambo Beach band and the Marinierskapel and Lode Mertens from the Brussels Jazz Orchestra.

Martijn Van Iterson (photo courtesy: Hans Koert)
The rhythm section features Rob Van Bavel at the piano, Martijn Van Iterson guitar, Marius Beets on bass and Marcel Serierse on drums. Marius Beets is also responsible for the recordings and production of this album at his Studio de Smederij.

Ilja Reijngoud.

On the record you'll find eight tracks, almost all compositions by Ilja Reijngoud. With one of these compositions, No Substitute, he won the Thelonious Monk Award 2003 as mentioned above. Love to share with you a fragment I found from a concert at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam with his rhythm section like on the Untamed World album ( Rob Van Bavel, Martijn Van Iterson, Marius Beets and Marcel Serierse) plus Tineke Postma on soprano sax. Enjoy No Substitute.

When I found the album and read about the trombone ensemble, featuring seven trombones, I had objections, afraid that the sound of these trombones would dominate the recordings in a hodge podge of noises, but these objections were unfounded - it is a great album with fabulous harmonic arrangements by Ilja and a solid rhythm section which makes this record a feast for the ears ...... Try to get yourself a copy.

Ilja Reijngoud - Untamed World ( Maxanter Records MAX 75378n)

Hans Koert
keepswinging@live.nl
Fragment of the cd cover by Ilon Adrian

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