It has been said before, but the Jazz Orchestra Of The Concertgebouw can be regarded as the best big band made in the Netherlands. That becomes clear when listening to Riffs' n Rhythms. This CD, recorded live in Amsterdam's Bimhuis, is a great feast of blasting brass, fierce reeds and a fat swinging rhythm section, under the inspiring leadership of conductor Henk Meutgeert. The CD is actually entirely
… devoted to Meutgeert: all the compositions except two are from his hand and he signed all the arrangements. That means big band work in the tradition of Count Basie with a lot of variation between, but also within, the songs. But there are also other influences: for Espece, Meutgeert and trumpet player Ruud Breuls have clearly listened to the collaboration between Gil Evans and Miles Davis on Sketches Of Spain. All pieces of Riffs' n Rhythms are insulated by the top of Dutch jazz musicians, such as Jesse van Ruller, Peter Beets, Allard Buwalda and Jan van Duikeren. (HB)more
