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Peter Van Huffel

Canadian saxophonist Peter Van Huffel currently makes his home in Brooklyn, New York and has quickly established a reputation as one of the most exciting, unique, new voices on the New York improvised music scene. His quintet, which according to All About Jazz “features some of the most outstanding, original and innovative musicians in New York’s new talent pool,” performs regularly at such New York staples as the 55 Bar, and at a number of important venues in the rapidly growing Brooklyn music scene like Barbes and the Tea Lounge. Peter is an apprentice of David Liebman and Pat LaBarbera, and has toured extensively throughout Canada, Europe and the United States as a leader and a sideman. Since his move to New York in 2002, Peter has performed alongside such world-renowned musicians as Chris Potter, Clarence Penn and Donny McCaslin, and has obtained his Master's in music from the Manhattan School of Music.

Peter’s newest CD, “Silvester Battlefield”, (which features his New York based quintet who can also be heard on their 2004 live EP “On Common Ground”), will be available this May on the Fresh Sound/New Talent record label. Peter's first CD, “Mind Over Matter,” was recorded in Canada in the summer of 2003 with his former Toronto band and features a collection of Peter’s earlier compositions. In addition to the PVH Quintet, which continues to perform regularly in NYC and has plans for upcoming tours around the United States and Europe, Peter is currently working on a new duo project with Canadian pianist Greg de Denus, and a collaborative New-York based project called “Animal Forum”. Peter can also be heard regularly around New York and abroad with a variety of different ensembles including “Kenosha Kid” led by guitarist Dan Nettles from Athens, Georgia; Sherisse Rogers’ “Project Uprising”; Lily Maase’s “theSuiteUnravelling” and a soon to be premiered Berlin-based ensemble featuring bassist Roland Fidezius and saxophonist Gebhard Ullmann.

Peter Van Huffel - Alex Maksymiw: Kronix

Read "Kronix" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
March 27, 2016

Hailing from Canada, but now calling Berlin home base, saxophonist Peter Van Huffel and guitarist Alex Maksymiw (Marcus Strickland) are radiant stars in the progressive jazz universe. As a solo artist, Van Huffel's Gorilla Mask band and similar undertakings have been wowing jazz audiences with a high-impact and kinetic modus operandi. And Maksymiw's Without a Word (Double Moon, 2015) features formidable saxophonist Marcus Strickland and is a program devised on the guitarist's perceptive compositional approach, tasteful riffs, strong soloing and ...

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Album Review

Peter Van Huffel: Like the Rusted Key

Read "Like the Rusted Key" reviewed by Stuart Broomer

by Stuart Broomer
May 9, 2010

Peter Van Huffel is a Canadian-born alto saxophonist who recently settled in Berlin after a six-year period in New York. His new quartet reflects all of those geographic connections, bringing together New York pianist Jesse Stacken, a mainstay of Van Huffel's New York quintet, Canadian bassist Miles Perkin, and the Swiss-born, Berlin-resident drummer Samuel Rohrer. To call Van Huffel a composer, in the casual parlance of jazz, is almost a misnomer. He really composes; almost every piece ...

278

Album Review

Peter van Huffel Quartet: Like The Rusted Key

Read "Like The Rusted Key" reviewed by Raul d'Gama Rose

by Raul d'Gama Rose
March 29, 2010

The Berlin-based Canadian alto saxophonist, Peter van Huffel may be one of the most intense performers on this instrument. He creates sharp images with his playing, is exceedingly energetic--in sections of music that demand quieter moments his calmness is most elastic and taut--and although he has a tendency to play with broad glissandi almost throughout Like The Rusted Key, he has an inventive sense of rhythm. In this respect he is like Eric Dolphy, who played with a pulse that ...

242

Album Review

Peter Van Huffel: Silvester Battlefield

Read "Silvester Battlefield" reviewed by Elliott Simon

by Elliott Simon
February 8, 2008

New York City continues to be a nexus for jazz musicians from all quarters. Unmatched conservatory performance curriculum combined with world-class working venues and an audience open to creativity continues to make NYC the most vibrant jazz scene in the world. Silvester Battlefield, from Canadian saxophonist Peter Van Huffel's quintet, is illustrative of the kind of synergy that results when musicians get together and play in this fertile breeding ground. These original compositions employ an array of ...

255

Album Review

Peter Van Huffel: Silvester Battlefield

Read "Silvester Battlefield" reviewed by Budd Kopman

by Budd Kopman
August 24, 2007

Armed with a sharp tone and attack, keen rhythmic sense and a wry compositional attitude, saxophonist Peter Van Huffel makes one sit up and listen on Silvester Battlefield. The album is brimming with ideas that manage to sound abstract in their tonality and phrasing while, at that same time, being extremely logical. Hardly a newcomer to the New York jazz scene, the adaptive Van Huffel can also be heard in Lily Maase's band theSuiteUnraveling and Dan Nettle's ...

Performance / Tour

John McNeil/Bill McHenry Quartet (Fri-Sat) Peter Van Huffel Quintet (Sun) This Weekend at Cornelia Street Cafe

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services
November 23, 2007

CORNELIA STREET CAFE 29 Cornelia Street, NYC, New York 212-989-9319 between West 4th and Bleecker Sts, Greenwich Village 1 Subway to Sheridan Square; A, C, E, B, D, V, F to West 4th St. This Weekend At Cornelia Street Cafe Fri Nov 23, 9:00PM & 10:30PM JOHN MCNEIL/BILL MCHENRY QUARTET John McNeil, trumpet;Bill McHenry, saxophone;Ben Street, bass;Jochen Rueckert, drums Sat Nov 24 9:00PM & 10:30PM JOHN ...
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Event

Peter Van Huffel Quintet Celebrates the Release of "Silvester Battlefield" in Toronto and Montreal!

Source: All About Jazz
June 11, 2007

The Peter Van Huffel Quintet will be releasing their first CD for the renowned jazz label, Fresh Sound / New Talent in Canada this week. This New York based ensemble has spent the past three years performing around NYC and abroad, and has built a sound as an ensemble that is constantly exiting and unpredictable. The group has one past recording available, a live EP from a concert in NYC in 2005, however this new FSNT release entitled “Silvester Battlefield" ...
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Performance / Tour

Peter Van Huffel Quintet - Brooklyn CD Release Thursday, May 31st

Source: All About Jazz
May 30, 2007

The Peter Van Huffel Quintet just celebrated the release of their new disc for Fresh Sound New Talent Records this past Sunday night at the 55 Bar in Greenwich Village. The official release of Silvester Battlefield was a huge success, as the band performed pieces from the new recording to a sold out crowd. The PVH Quintet will be performing once more in celebration of their new disc this Thursday in Park Slope, Brooklyn at the Tea Lounge on Union ...
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Performance / Tour

Peter Van Huffel Quintet CD Release Show Sunday, May 27th at the 55 Bar

Source: All About Jazz
May 24, 2007

The Peter Van Huffel Quintet will be releasing their first CD for the renowned jazz label Fresh Sound New Talent this month. This group has spent the past three years performing around NYC and abroad, and has built a sound as an ensemble that is constantly exiting and unpredictable. While the group has one past recording available--a live EP from a concert in NYC in 2005--this new FSNT release, Silvester Battlefield, will be the quintet's first official release. The CD ...
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Event

Peter Van Huffel Quintet at the 55 Bar, Sunday, October 29th!

Source: All About Jazz
October 27, 2006

Canadian saxophonist Peter Van Huffel has been a New York resident since 2002, and has quickly established a reputation as one of the most exciting, unique, new voices on the New York improvised music scene. After two years of regular performances in NY and abroad, Peter's Quintet has developed a truly unique sound that is constantly exciting and unpredictable. Peter's group features some of New York's most brilliant emerging musicians who are truly masters at improvisational music. They mix interactive ...
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Performance / Tour

Peter Van Huffel "New York Quintet": Return Tour to Canada

Source: All About Jazz
March 22, 2006

Tuesday, March 28th to Saturday, April 1st, 2006

Last April, Kingston born saxophonist Peter Van Huffel, now a New York City resident and an active voice on the New York jazz scene, came up to Canada for a seven day tour with his exciting New York based quintet. The band performed seven amazing concerts in Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto and Guelph including a handful of high school workshops along the way. Their energetic and free flowing musical concepts were received ...
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202

Performance / Tour

Peter Van Huffel Quintet - CD Release at the 55 Bar and Canadian Tour in April!

Source: All About Jazz
March 24, 2005

Canadian saxophonist Peter Van Huffel has been based out of New York City since the fall of 2002. His quintet has been working actively now for the last year in many of the city’s top jazz venues including the 55 Bar, the Cornelia St. Café and Niagara. They will be releasing their debut CD “On Common Ground" on April 5th, 2005 at the 55 Bar in New York. The show will run from 7pm to 9pm, there is no cover ...
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Most recent press on “Silvester Battlefield”:

Peter Van Huffel CD RELEASE �" by Jim MacNie (Village Voice)

“The Canadian Brooklynite has just dropped Silvester Battlefield, one of the more memorable Fresh Sounds discs in a while. In it the saxophonist proffers the kind of graceful turbulence that sidesteps melody yet delivers a compelling tunefulness. It’s all about the exploratory, and its inner structures keep you on the edge of your seat.”