Dutch combo illustrates subtle differences between American, European jazz
Chicago Sun-Times, March 31, 2005
by JOHN LITWEILER
European jazz isn't like American jazz. Especially in the last 40 years, the African-American sources of our jazz are at best secondary in their jazz, which has its own traditions rooted in European popular and classical music. The highly theatrical Willem Breuker Kollektief is a supreme example of jazz that developed far away from American influences.
In the midst of the Kollektief's show at the Empty Bottle on Tuesday was, in fact, an especially fine example. "And the Angels Sing" is an old klezmer melody that the Benny Goodman band once turned into a swing-era hit. Breuker took the same melody, altered the chord changes and added rich layers of harmony and texture. His transformation gave the song a new, haunting quality, almost a symphonic feeling, even though only 10 musicians were playing. The free-ranging, seldom-dissonant harmonic ingenuity of his composing is a main reason this medium-sized band sounds much bigger.
The Empty Bottle set was a rare visit to Chicago by Dutch composer-saxophonist Breuker's collective. Seven of these musicians have been playing together for well over two decades, and it is a pleasure to report that the band was as tight and aggressive as ever. Of course, they had to be very together musicians, because he once again created demanding scores that were rich with color and full of action.
Most of the set was a single, long medley full of quick stylistic juxtapositions, of major-minor key changes, of sudden fast-slow tempo shifts. While fast, pounding paces prevailed, rhythms often turned on a dime into weird waltzes or two-beat thumping. There were many fanfares, shattered melodies, false introductions, false endings.
Certainly Breuker can re-create whole centuries of Western folk, popular and classical music styles. Satire drove much of his earlier work, but his mockery has now dissipated. This music was straightforwardly dramatic -- he seemed to compress an epic's passions into one long set.
What made this thoroughly European-sounding band a jazz act? Their trumpets-trombones-saxophones sound, of course, and a hot rhythm section, even if its rhythms suggested clomping wooden shoes instead of lighter American swing.
There were plenty of solos, too, and they were mostly idiosyncratic. Hermine Deurloo played far-out harmonica, while Bernard Hunnekink offered grand, slashing trombone. Andy Altenfelder, with a big, fat trumpet tone, improvised in a modern klezmer style, full of shakes and bravura licks. Tenor saxophonist Maarten van Norden invented melodic ideas amid his bebop and John Coltrane quotes. Even Breuker himself played some jokey free jazz on soprano sax and bass clarinet, complete with seagull cries, hoarse honks and a bit of Beethoven.
John Litweiler is a Chicago jazz writer and author.
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM, Monday, April 4, 2005
Willem Breuker Kollektief: Experienced group shines
REVIEW by STEVE FEENEY
WHERE: Center for Cultural Exchange, Portland
WHEN: April 2, 2005
They may have toned down their on-stage antics just a bit over the years but Holland's Willem Breuker Kollektief is still a wild and crazy bunch. The now 30- year-old tentet's return visit to Portland on Saturday night was full of first rate jazz with a decidedly manic twist.
Made up of nine men and one woman, the group has the ability to quickly turn from 1920's-style jaunty dance numbers to somber chamber music refrains with a seriousness of purpose and attention to detail that make you smile in both amusement and approval. They can throw in rumbas and waltzes, fanfares and lullabies and make them all work individually and together in a sort of kaleidoscopic whole. The band not only finds the connection between different types of music, they force connections through the highly imaginative sensibility of their leader.
Looking a little like Joe Cocker in a blazer, Breuker conducted the band mostly with little dips and swirls of his soprano sax. They all read from sheet music but the feel was that the repertoire had been lived in. Even the more complex passages went down relatively easy. Most larger jazz ensembles of today don't come near the hard-earned collective voice and individual fluency of this group.
Though the emphasis was on ensemble work, both the veteran members of the band (seven have been with the group since the beginning) and the newer musicians were given solo space during the 2 1/2-hour performance.
Hermine Deurloo, an attractive young blonde woman among a group of mostly balding older fellows, naturally drew attention on the crowded stage. One wondered if her presence had something to do with improving the visual aesthetics of the band as much as the music, but those thoughts were quickly dispelled when she launched into an alto sax solo that easily combined bebop logic with expressive tonal leaps. Later she executed a long and compelling harmonica solo, backed by bassist Arjen Gorter and pianist Henk de Jonge, that was simply outstanding.
Bernard Hunnekink was excellent on trombone during a passage that had the band surging behind him and Maarten van Norden used a gritty tenor sax tone to good advantage in a couple of spots. The leader soloed on both soprano sax and bass clarinet and in each instance worked in grunts, growls, tweets and hollers to the amusement of the others.
They danced a little and Breuker sang a song during the encore, just to show the appreciative crowd that they still were willing to go for a laugh. But it was the amazing musicianship and compositional variety of this very unique musical outfit that made them still a band not to be missed when they pass this way, as Breuker promised, "next time."
Steve Feeney is a free-lance writer who lives in Portland.