Last week I played a solo concert in Splendor Amsterdam. I was quite nervous. I decided I want to go something else with my music after a period of four years of being sick and recuperating.
I played contemporary music: a quarter tone piece by Sander Germanus. An absolutely genius piece. He wrote a saxophone quartet for my former quartet, the Amstel Quartet, which we all loved. Playing this piece is one of my warmest Amstel memories. He also wrote a solo piece, which is written in what he calls micro-modes. My extraordinary Raaf Hekkema recorded the piece and you can hear it here: https://open.spotify.com/track/1QXg8kcxYjFLFpa3MFgQlc?si=sA-U32eETdSwXcvWMfsErQ Sander himself says that you shouldn't do drugs, but listen to his music instead. And it is true. This music creates a sort of surreal atmosphere in which the listener experiences notes he knows on an instrument he knows, but with a completely different sound altogether. Combine that with the nifty tempo variations, that also upset the listener and you get a piece that sounds like no other music I have every heard. And I only need one saxophone to play it.
I also played with drummer Vinsent Planjer. He wrote a piece called "Boeventronie" for baritone saxophone and drums. Vinsent is one of the most creative improvisors I know. He is absolutely open to just about anything.
But the thing I was most nervous about was my own music, for electronics and a bit of saxophone. I used Squarepusher like beats and sampled Donald Trump. I loved making it, thinking about how to build up, what sounds to use... It was an adventure.
To close off I played with Ivo Bol, an electronic musician who doesn't know boundaries. He was the one who introduced me to electronic music as a performer.
And what is next?
Not sure. I will have some meetings with fellow musicians who appeal to me and whom I want to play with. To be continued!
