Keep (it) Swinging: The Fourth International Jazz Festival Middelburg

Het vierde Internationale Jazzfestival Middelburg ( Nederlands) The fourth International Jazz Festival Middelburg (English)

Next weekend the first warm-ups
THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL IN MIDDELBURG
Hans Koert

In the month of May numerous festivals are scheduled in the southwestern part of The Netherlands. I don't want to mention the pop festivals ( like the Bevrijdingsfestival), but I limit myself to the two major jazz festivals: the Fourth International Jazz Festival of Middelburg and Scheldejazz10 in Terneuzen. Today I love to share with you the program of the former: The 4th International Jazz Festival of Middelburg.

Dave Holland Quintet ( at the festival last year) ( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

The International Jazz Festival Middelburg will be organized for the 4th time this year. Next weekend two so-called Prequels, warm-ups for the festival, are scheduled. The festival itself is on Friday the 21st up to Monday the 24th of May 2010.
On Saturday the 8th of May Michiel Borstlap will bring his solo p

rogram in the Stadsschouwburg of Middelburg. He will bring the music from his latest album Solo 2010. Michiel Borstlap is one of the most promising piano players of The Netherlands, who plays at all major International festivals besides the great names in jazz.
A year ago Michiel Borstlap made a great album, entitled Monk with a trio containing Ernst Glerum and Han Bennink. Han Bennink, famous Dutch percussionist, is one of the major guests in the second warm-up the next day: The Instant Composers Pool ( together with Ernst Glerum and Misha Mengelberg). This program is scheduled at the Grote Kerk of Veere. Misha Mengelberg and Han Bennink are playing together for a half century (!) now: Het is Han en Misha, zoals je Van Gend & Loos zegt of Laurel & Hardy ( = It is Han and Misha like Van Gend & Loos ( a former Dutch carrier) or Laurel & Hardy) ( quote from the book: Han Bennink - de Wereld Als Trommel by Erik van den Berg.).

Both Han Bennink and Misha were regular visitors of this region during the 1960s and 70s when they played for Nieuwe Muziek with their Instant Composers Pool. I loved to join these concerts as a young adult. In July 2007 I heard Misha in a concert with his trio at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam: I like Misha's music because of his Monkish style of playing and his tunes, like Hypochristmutreefuzz, Kwela P'Kwana, Wok Afhaal and We're Going Out for Italian not only have funny names - they belong also to the most fascinating compositions in Dutch jazz. Rik Mol will perform with his Funk On Me band (with Nate James vocals) on Saturday the 22nd of May ( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

The Instant Composers Pool, founded on the 1st of December 1967 playing at a concert in Persepolis, a Utrecht jazz club, by Willem Breuker, Misha Mengelberg and Han Bennink, een micro-politieke organisatie die zich buiten of net op de grens bevindt van wat men cultuur noemt ( = a micro-political organization, just outside the boundaries of culture), to quote Misha. Misha was also responsible for the name: Je weet toch hoe dat werkt? (= You know how it works?) Men neme een jampot, vulle die met kaartjes waarop woordjes staan geschreven, goed schudden voor gebruik, en voila ....( = Just take an empty jam jar, fill it with cards with names, mix it together and voila ... ). Uit dat idee is het begrip instant composing ontstaan, waarbij "instant" dus niet moet worden verward met "spontaan". (= That's the way the name instant composing was born, but don't mix up instant with spontaneous.). Instant componeren is voor mij net zo spontaan als de instant poëzie van Maciunas. (= Instant composing is for me as spontaneous as the instant poetry of Maciunas) ( quote by Misha from the book: Han Bennink - de Wereld Als Trommel by Erik van den Berg. (p. 128-129)). Jan Menu is schedulded with his Mulligan Moods program on Monday the 24th of May at the Inner court of the Abbey ( foto: Hans Koert)

Willem Breuker is not a member from the ICP, as it is mentioned shortly, anymore - he has his own band, famed all over the world as the Willem Breuker Kollektief. Both Han Bennink as Misha Mengelberg were members of the Misha Mengelberg Trio ( Jacques Scholz played the bass) at Eric Dolphy's Last Date.
The ICP orkest features Misha Mengelberg (piano), Han Bennink (drums), Ab Baars (reeds), Tobias Delius (tenor sax), Ernst Glerum (bass), Thomas Heberer (trumpet), Tristan Honsiger (cello), Michael Moore (reeds), Mary Oliver (violin) and Wolter Wierbos (trombone).

Jesse Van Ruller is part of the Jan Menu combo. This picture is from last year concert where he played as a member of the Mona Liza Overdrive ( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

The festival itself starts on Friday the 21st of May 2010 with a bar-hopping with fifteen, most traditional jazz bands and continues on Saturday with traditional jazz concerts and street parades in the streets of Middelburg. In the e

vening concerts by Brad Mehldau and the Dutch promising trumpet player Rik Mol. Last year het received the Culturele Prijs of the city of Goes. On Sunday Lillian Boutté will join a sermon with the International All Stars of Antoine Trommelen in the Nieuwe Kerk. In the evening Dick De Graaf's “Clazz" band and Avishai Cohen's Aurora band will perform at the Inner court of the Abbey in the centre of the city. The festival will be closed on Monday afternoon with the Jan Menu combo, dedicated to the music of Gerry Mulligan. Al Di Meola, who was on the festival wish lists for years, will conclude the four festival days. A great band to finish with. I hope to review some of the concerts later. You can find all information about the program and how to get your income tickets at its website.

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

The fourth International Jazz Festival of Middelburg, tradition in the Whitsun weekend, schedulded this year some great jazz musicians. What to think about Brad Mehldau, one of the best jazz piano players in the world, Avishai Cohen or Al Di Meola, whose guitar playing is legendary. Also Dutch jazz musicians are invited, like the Storyville Jassband, Dick De Graaf, Han Bennink, Misha Mengelberg and Michiel Borstlap ( the three latters even perform next weekend) and, last but not least, our own regional musicians: Jan Menu and Rik Mol. The Keep Swinging blog hopes to be there again. Don't miss it - ask for its newsletter .