| 1 CD |
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| Label Magic Ball Jazz Records |
UPC 0608917460827 |
Catalogue number CD 74608 |
Release date 21 December 2018 |
"The surprise in the gipsy-jazz genre is not in the repertoire, which usually consists of Reinhardt compositions and known standards. The magic of the game of Beets and Rosenberg makes this recording extra special."
Jazzenzo, 10-2-2019There is true musical chemistry between these four artists, two leading figures from the world of gypsy jazz and two internationally recognized giants of mainstream jazz. The music on this album is the result of long-time friendships between all four of the players. It’s a fantastic encounter and amalgamation of two worlds, both characterized by improvisation, interaction, musical dedication, true feeling and pure joy!
As one of the most sought-after jazz artists of our time, PETER BEETS has attracted a devoted international audience, performing regularly at major jazz festivals and venues throughout Europe, the United States and Asia. He has shared the stage with jazz greats such as Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, Toots Thielemans and Benny Golson.
From birth, Peter was surrounded by music: classical from his mother who is a music pedagogue, and jazz from his father who instilled in his son his own great love of Oscar Peterson and Art Blakey. His brothers Marius and Alexander also became professional musicians, double bass and tenor saxophone respectively. Since 1985, the brothers have performed together as The Beets Brothers.
In 1988 Peter was awarded the prestigious Pall Mall Swing Award, and a year later the Princess Christina Award. In 1998 he completed his conservatory studies, winning the Prix Martial Solal in Paris. In the same year, he became the featured pianist with The Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw. The following year, he was also awarded the Concours de Solistes de Jazz in Monaco.
In 2001 the Criss Cross label invited Peter for a series of albums with his New York Trio, inviting artists like Willie Jones III, Larry Grenadier and Greg Hutchinson, earning him international acclaim.
In 2010 Peter was awarded an Edison (Dutch equivalent of the Grammy) for the album Blues for the Date, with his original compositions, accompanied by The Jazzorchestra of the Concertgebouw. In 2013, Peter recorded his long-awaited tribute album to one of his biggest idols, Oscar Peterson and in 2015 he made a recording out of a live performance of his Chopin arrangements.
His 2018 live recording of Django Reinhardt compositions with a gypsy jazz trio including Stochelo Rosenberg is seen by many as a historical performance. A year later world class record producer Ruud Jacobs brought about Peter’s new trio recording called ‘Our Love Is Here to Stay – Gershwin Reimagined’.
Besides his continuous work on playing in trio setting, Peter founded a big band with young professionals, called the New Jazz Orchestra. Peter writes new music for this orchestra, arrangements based on classical music. Legendary bass player John Clayton invited Peter to play at the San Diego jazzfestival in 2020, but Covid spoiled this momentum. Instead, John Clayton traveled to Europe in 2022 to meet and play together with Peter, as well as with his New Jazz Orchestra.
In 2021 Peter accepted an invitation to play Rhapsody in Blue, the finger busting piano concerto by George Gershwin, with a large symphony orchestra. Although Peter is not a classical pianist, he accepted the challenge to play this iconic piece, on the condition that he can interpretate it his own way. The recordings are on YouTube.
During his yearly visit to the East Coast of America, in 2023 Peter decided it was time to record again. This time his great love of classical music is again subject to his touch of jazz. This album, titled Tchaikovsky Rachmaninov and All That Jazz! features works by Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov and Prokofiev in addition to pieces by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. Beets signed for the arrangements.
Born in Belgium on January 23, 1910, Django Reinhardt learned guitar at an early age, adapting his technique to accommodate the loss of the use of two fingers burned in a caravan fire in 1928. Reinhardt toured the United States with Duke Ellington in 1946. He was one of the first important guitar soloists in jazz; his blend of swing and the Roma musical tradition, as well as his unconventional technique, made him a unique and legendary figure. Reinhardt died in France in 1953.
Born on January 23, 1910, in Liberchies, Belgium, Django Reinhardt became famous for his unique musical sound, which blended elements of American jazz with traditional European and Roma music. Reinhardt's father was a musician and entertainer and his mother was a dancer, according to some reports; they were Manouches, or French gypsies, and they eventually settled in a camp near Paris. Raised without any formal schooling, Reinhardt was practically illiterate.
In his youth, Reinhardt learned to play an interesting instrument—a hybrid of a guitar and a banjo. He was largely self-taught, never learning how to write or read music. Later on, Reinhardt had to depend on others to transcribe his compositions. He was already playing in clubs in Paris by his early teens. Reinhardt started out playing popular French music, but he became interested in American jazz in the mid-1920s. He especially liked the works of Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Joe Venuti. His promising career, however, was almost ended by a terrible accident in 1928.
In 1928, Reinhardt was injured in a fire in his caravan. A lit candle fell into some paper, or celluloid, flowers that his wife had made to sell, and the flames quickly spread throughout their home. Both Reinhardt and his wife made it out of the fire, but Reinhardt suffered bad burns to his right leg and left hand. Perhaps worst of all for this talented musician, he permanently lost the use of two fingers on his damaged hand. He would spend the next 18 months to two years recuperating.
During this time, Reinhardt taught himself how to play music again. It was a slow, painful process, but he devised an innovative style of guitar playing. With his two fingers and thumb, Reinhardt handled his instrument with remarkable speed and agility. He was back to dazzling audiences in the Paris nightclubs by 1930.
Famous Quintet
By the mid-1930s, Reinhardt had joined forces with violinist Stephane Grappelli to form the Quintet of the Hot Club of France (Quintette du Hot Club de France). Their group, which grew to include Reinhardt's brother Joseph and others, became the first major European jazz band. Some of the band's early recordings included covers of American songs like "Dinah" and "Lady Be Good," and these tracks helped win them a following on both sides of the Atlantic.
Reinhardt also produced original music, which fused his musical heritage with the latest jazz and swing sounds. Some of his most famous works with the quintet are "Djangology," "Bricktop" and "Swing 39." His style from this period has been called "gypsy swing" and "le jazz hot."
The surprise in the gipsy-jazz genre is not in the repertoire, which usually consists of Reinhardt compositions and known standards. The magic of the game of Beets and Rosenberg makes this recording extra special.
Jazzenzo, 10-2-2019
This Dutch quartet gives its own, beautiful performance that is extra striking because of the sublime recording.
De Nieuwe Muze, 31-1-2019
Gypsy jazz, Django music or the music of the Rosenberg Trio, it is all supposed to be known, always swinging and virtuoso.
Rootstime, 30-1-2019
Recorded live in the Ruïnekerk in Bergen {Noord-Holland} this CD is the best medicine against depression of any kind.
Jazzflits, 30-1-2019
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