This is an important record for tenor saxophonist Sjoerd Dijkhuizen. As one of the most promising newcomers in jazz, he is, after a long apprenticeship, leader of a band for the first time. And what a band: trio van de Graaf already accompanied tenor greats such as Don Byas, Dexter Gordon, Griffin, Stitt, Mobley and many others, when Sjoerd was still in diapers. Hence Sjoerd's long apprenticeship
… at the conservatory in Hilversum and afterwards as a member of the Concertgebouw Jazz Orchestra. There Sjoerd already performed wonderfully well under the astonished eyes of Joe Lovano, Joe Henderson and Johnny Griffin. After Hours is a live recording of an exciting performance in jazz club De Pompoen in Amsterdam, where Sjoerd played with great feeling in the vein of his great examples Zoot Sims, Hank Mobley and Sonny Stitt. Indeed, The Netherlands has a very promising tenor. (RM)more
