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Ab Baars' Kinda Dukish in Baltimore
AB BAARS QUARTET - KINDA DUKISH
Music of Duke Ellington (adapted by Ab Baars)
Ab Baars (tenor sax, clarinet)
Joost Buis (trombone)
Wilbert de Joode (double bass)
Martin van Duynhoven (drums)
SUNDAY 16 APRIL @ 8PM
@An die Musik Live
409 N.Charles St
Baltimore MD 21201
Tel 410 385 2638
$18/$15 SENIORS AND STUDENTS
"What is music to you? What would you be without music? Music is everything. Nature is music. The sea is music, the wind is music. The rain drumming on the roof and the storm raging in the sky are music. Music is the oldest entity. The scope of music is immense and infinite. It is the 'esperanto' of the world." - Duke Ellington.
This timeless quote from a timeless legend, Duke Ellington, may have served as inspiration to renowned Dutch jazz saxophonist, Ab Baars, whose latest release, Kinda Dukish, pays homage to the great jazz legend in this masterful re-invention of such very famous classic hits such as Solitude, Caravan, Prelude To A Kiss, Perdido, and others not so famous.
It's a very intelligent approach absolutely devoid of any commercial cheap means and it is done alongside his equally talented band which includes bassist Wilbert de Joode, drummer Martin van Duynhoven and his most recent addition in his newly formed quartet, trombonist Joost Buis.
As one of the most celebrated players on the Dutch improv scene, he co-founded his first group, Cumulus in 1978. In this band, attempts were made to break from the traditional of theme-solo-theme-pattern by using improvisations primarily as a means to influence the progressive development of the compositions rather than improvising for its own sake.
Around 1980 this concept was further developed during his time with the Trebbel Ensemble, with Guus Janssen and Mariette Rouppe van der Voort. Baars continued to play within this framework in the Guus Janssen Septet. Since the early 1980's, he has perfomed in the Theo Loevendie Consort, Willem van Manen's Springband and the Maarten Altena Octet.
Influenced by the American Saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell with whom he worked in 1987, and his participation in the (Thelonious) Monk Project performed by the Instant -Composers Pool orchestra under the direction of Misha Mengelberg with George Lewis, Anthony Braxton, and Cecil Taylor, Baars adopted a more personal style, or 'ab music' as Mengelberg calls it which may have sparked his initial fascination with 'the Duke' as Ellington's music was featured in their suite called Ellington Mix.
In the fall of 1989, he studied in Los Angeles for two months with American clarinettist/composer John Carter. This was made possible thanks to a scholarship from the Dutch Ministry of Culture. In that same year, Baars was presented with the prestigious Boy Edgar Award and as a result, which is said to be quite common for many members of the Dutch avant-garde, Baars recorded a traditional tribute to said Carter with his trio entitled, 'A Free Step'.
Since 1990, his main focus of attention has been on the Ab Baars Trio which led to national and international projects with such musicians as Steve Lacy, Roswell Rudd, musicians from the Nieu Ensemble and influenced by his increasing interest in dance, collaborated with Japanese musicians and dancers on a solo tour of Japan in 2005.
"Which reed men stood out? How about Dutch multithreat Ab Baars (with trombonist Joost Buis) deconstructing Duke Ellington with humour, wit and intelligence" - Paul de Barros, Downbeat
"What these players create here is a minor miracle. A postmodern quartet plays Duke loosey-goosey, and yet dots its performances with moments that recreate the sound and majesty of the Ellington orchestra. It's a kinda thing you wouldn't think possible if you hadn't heard it yourself " - Kevin Whitehead
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