Artist(s)

Mete Erker, born in Holland in 1971, son of a Turkish father and a Dutch mother, started playing classical clarinet at the age of ten. At the end of the 1980’s he got into jazzmusic, taking lessons from drummer Steve Clover (U.S.A.) and trumpeter Charlie Green (U.S.A.).In 1989 he switched to tenorsaxophone and from 1991 on he studied classical saxophone at the Rotterdam Conservatory. In 1998, after studying with saxophonist/clarinettist JohnRuocco (U.S.A.) for four years, he graduated in jazzmusic at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. In 1997 Mete Erker was chosen as one of two Dutch students to attend a meeting of the International Association of Schools of Jazz in Sienna, Italy. There he met David Liebman, who invited him to do a concert with the David Liebman Group at the North Sea Jazz Festival of 1997. In 1999 he founded a new quartet : BLINK, with Gulli Gudmundson (Iceland) Thorsten Grau (Germany) and Harmen Fraanje.They won the first prize on the "Jazz-Festival Breda"(1999) and the “Dordtse Jazzprijs" (2000) and released their first CD in october 2000 for A-Records. BLINK was chosen as upcoming new group to be offered a tour through Holland in december 2000. Also in 1999 Mete Erker toured South Africa with the group Quadrant of Eric van der Westen. This was the start of an ongoing relation with the country and it’s music: CD’s with Quadrant: Naala (EWM1999) Rush Hour (EWM2001) and with the quintet of South Africa’s number one trumpetplayer Feya Faku: Hommage (A-records1999)

Jeroen van Vliet, born April 1965 in Rosmalen, the Netherlands, studied piano with Willem Kühne and Bert van den Brink. In 1991 he graduated cumlaude at the Conservatory of Utrecht. At 19, he won both, the first and the soloist price, at the Middelsee Jazztreffen Leeuwarden and three years later he did the same at the prestigious Meervaart Jazzconcours in Amsterdam. Van Vliet gained recognition by working in the groups of Paul van Kemenade and Eric van der Westen. During the years he worked with international artists as (a.o.) Bob Malach, Kenny Wheeler, John Zorn, Norma Winstone, Charly Mariano en Erkan Ogur. The last few years his cooperation with trumpeter Eric Vloeimans is very rewarding in the group Gatecrash that won an Edison Award in 2007. Here he uses the Fender Rhodes and additional electronica. Dick de Graaf's quartet is another group that is doing well, the album "Moving Target" is one result of that. Jeroen van Vliet composes for his groups, for modern dance, e.g. Hans Teurlings, Conny Janssen and for the internationally acclaimed Theatergroep Tuig. he has also been succesful with his enemble Sikeda, with whom he recorded his remarkable CD " Thin Air".

Composer/violist Oene van Geel (1973) is u true adventurer in music. Influenced by jazz, Indian music, chamber music and free improvisation, he has applied his virtuoso improvisation skills and his composition talents to a wide scope of musical activities. On viola is currently active with Zapp 4, Goudsmit, Erker, van Geel and van Vliet, Eric Vaarzon Morel, the Nordanians and the Oxymore quintet. He has won the Deloitte Jazz Award (2002), Dutch Jazz Competition (2001), Jur Naessens Music Prize (2000) and has received composition commissions from the Amsterdam Cello Biennale (2008), November Music (2006), the North Sea Jazz Festival (2005), SJU Jazz Festival (2002) and the Marathon Festival (2002). As a composer Oene works al lot in combination with theatre with artists such as Boukje Schweigman, Kenzo Kusuda, jeugdtheater Sonnevanck, Ted van Lieshout and Holland Opera.

Guitarist Anton Goudsmit is a much sought-after player who does amazing things with whatever music he is presented with or writes. In 2001 Anton formed the Ploctones to perform a series of his compositions commissioned by Dutch NPS Radio.
In 2004 a Goudsmit organized a live CD recording of the Ploctones at the Jazz op het Dak festival which was featured on VPRO television. Since then the Ploctones have emerged as a very creative and innovative group, capable of combining grooves and improvisation. Anton also performs internationally with the New Cool Collective as well as Eric Vloeimans’ Fugimundi trio (US tours in 2008 and 2010). Anton Goudsmit won the coveted Boy Edgar Prize in 2010 for his contribution and standing on the Dutch Jazz Scene.

Composer(s)

Press

Cunning, exuberance and rhythmic games are Van Geels trademark.
Volkskrant, 05-6-2013

According to the jury of the VPRO Boy Edgar Award, Oene van Geel distinguishes "with a superior swing, an enormous ability to improvise, a thorough knowledge of the history of jazz and a permanent curiosity to different genres, whereby he sets an example in the crossover world on an atypical manner.
NRC Handelsblad, 05-4-2013

Those present seemed to realize that we had witnessed a five-star concert with four star musicians without attitude! 
Artishock, 19-1-2012

No quote 
Kwadratuur, 01-9-2011

"Maddening, how everyone always comes up with new elements and it does never collapse for even a minute.
Nrc Next, 13-5-2011

An artisanal adventure where musicians and listeners do not get a chance to take things for granted 
Jazzenzo, 17-4-2011