|
 New
Dutch Swing by Kevin Whitehead
The jazz scene
in Amsterdam is like no other. And reading Kevin Whitehead's gripping
glimpse of the country's improvisational music scene, New Dutch
Swing, it's impossible not to feel caught up in the author's
excitement. Dating from the dawn of European free jazz in the
'60s, Amsterdam has fostered jazz filled with humor, virtuosity,
and creativity. It helps when the scene's elder statesmen--the
motley but venerable triumvirate of pianist Misha Mengelberg,
drumming powerhouse Han Bennink, and saxophonist Willem Breuker--are
loaded with personality. These three musicians have collaborated
with anarchist punks, prepared skits that unravel as they improvise,
and--in the extreme case of Mengelberg (the scene's godfather)--performed
the occasional duet album with his daughter's parrot.
Of course,
there's real music behind the novelty here, a fact that Whitehead--a
jazz critic for NPR's Fresh Air and numerous music rags--never
forgets. Mengelberg and Bennink performed on Yankee jazz great
Eric Dolphy's seminal Last Date recording, cellist Ernst
Reijseger is praised by Yo-Yo Ma, and new musical mavericks keep
coming forth to play at the BIMhuis, the epicenter venue of all
this madness... -- Jason Verlinde (Amazon.com)
|
