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Ben van Gelder

“He is one of those rare young musicians who establishes his individuality in three or four notes." - Artsjournal (Doug Ramsey)

Despite his age, Ben van Gelder (22) is emerging as an important new voice on the New York jazz scene. Musicians and peers alike prize him for his unique sound, originality and artistic integrity. He performs all around the world in various settings and formations. When not performing Ben keeps himself busy writing, practicing and listening in search of a highly personal expression. His highly anticipated debut album, Frame of Reference, released in june 2011, features some of the most talented musicians from the New York jazz scene. The music he plays has a strong investment in the jazz tradition, but entertains an original approach, encompassing a multitude of contemporary influences. He often chooses for chord-less formations, seeking new harmonic explorations, making for music that is harmonically intricate, yet always striving to be lyrical.

A native of the Netherlands, Ben grew up in a family with a penchant for music. He decided to pursue music at a young age studying with many acclaimed musicians in the Netherlands. He was admitted to the Conservatory of Amsterdam where he studied under the tutelage of Ferdinand Povel and Dick Oatts. At this time Ben started performing regularly throughout the country with some of the Netherlands most prominent musicians at venues including the Bim-Huis and the North Sea Jazz Festival.

In 2006 Ben moved to New York to further his music and academic studies at the New School University. He received lessons from revered musicians such as Lee Konitz and George Garzone. During his three year stay in the city Ben has played or recorded with many prominent contemporary jazz musicians including David Binney, Ambrose Akinmusire, Nasheet Waits, Aaron Parks, John Escreet, Ben Street, Thomas Morgan and Rodney Green. As a leader and as a sideman Ben has performed at many important venues in the city.Over the past years Ben was the recipient of various national and international awards. NFAA nominated Ben for the Stan Getz/ Clifford Brown fellowship (2005). He received the highest honor for his achievements over the course of the program. Recently, Ben was the winner of the Deloitte Jazz Award (2008), which is considered to be the most prestigious jazz award in the Netherlands. The jury prized Ben for his musical integrity, choice of repertoire and highly personal sound.

Beside playing at some of New York’s major Jazz venues, Ben has performed at many important international venues and festivals in countries such as the UK, Canada, Bulgaria, Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Norway.

Awards

-Deloitte Jazz Award (2008) -NFAA Clifford Brown/ Stan Getz fellowship award (2004)


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Album Review

Marike van Dijk Nonet: stranded

Read "stranded" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Come è accaduto ad altri colleghi, la sassofonista e compositrice olandese Marike van Dijk ha fatto tesoro delle restrizioni di spostamento imposte durante la pandemia per concentrarsi sul lavoro musicale. Il risultato è questo quarto disco da leader, progettato mentre era isolata a Brisbane (Australia) per frequentare il dottorato di ricerca in tecniche di composizione astratta. Dopo aver debuttato in Olanda nel 2010 con Patches of Blue, evidenziando un suono luminoso e un fraseggio fluente da coolster, ...

Album Review

Alex Goodman: Impressions in Blue and Red

Read "Impressions in Blue and Red" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Con questo splendido doppio album, Alex Goodman esce dal limbo dei talentosi chitarristi emergenti per entrare a pieno titolo tra i solisti e compositori più interessanti del jazz contemporaneo. Era proprio ora. All'età di 34 anni, con sette dischi da leader e prestigiosi premi internazionali (tra cui la vittoria al Montreux International Jazz Guitar del 2014), il chitarrista e compositore canadese ottiene i meritati riconoscimenti della critica con un'opera particolarmente matura. Un concept album che vuol associare ...

3
Album Review

Antoine Pierre: Suspended (Live at Flagey)

Read "Suspended (Live at Flagey)" reviewed by Mario Calvitti


Although the Belgian music scene is rich and varied, it is much neglected outside its national borders, as evidenced by the case of Aka Moon, an extraordinary trio that has celebrated 25 years of activity, but is still practically ignored by the foreign media. Let's hope the same does not happen with this new young talent, the drummer Antoine Pierre, and his group Urbex, already among the main protagonists of the 2020 edition of the Brussels Jazz Festival.

Album Review

Antoine Pierre URBEX ELECTRIC: Suspended (Live at Flagey)

Read "Suspended (Live at Flagey)" reviewed by Mario Calvitti


Nonostante la scena musicale belga sia sempre eccezionalmente ricca e variegata, è ancora troppo colpevolmente trascurata al di fuori dei suoi confini nazionali, come dimostra il caso degli Aka Moon, uno straordinario trio che ha recentemente festeggiato i 25 anni di attività, ma è tuttora praticamente ignorato dai media stranieri. Speriamo non succeda lo stesso con questo nuovo giovane talento, il batterista Antoine Pierre, e il suo gruppo URBEX, già tra i principali protagonisti dell'ultima edizione del Festival Jazz di ...

1
Album Review

Tommaso Gambini: The Machine Stops

Read "The Machine Stops" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Trasferitosi a New York, dopo aver studiato al Berklee College, il 28enne chitarrista torinese Tommaso Gambini debutta con un album maturo e ricco di sottigliezze, ispirato dal racconto distopico di Edgar Morgan Foster “The Machine Stops," tradotto in italiano col titolo “La macchina si ferma." Pubblicato nel 1909, lo scritto anticipa alcuni temi approfonditi successivamente da George Orwell, Aldous Huxley e Philip K. Dick descrivendo un universo totalitario dove tutto è controllato da una “Macchina," adorata come divinità e adibita ...

8
Album Review

Alex Goodman: Impressions in Blue and Red

Read "Impressions in Blue and Red" reviewed by Friedrich Kunzmann


One thing's for sure: there's a whole lot of music to be heard on Alex Goodman's new double album Impressions in Blue and Red. At 27 tracks and a running time of over 100 minutes, the Canadian jazz guitarist has taken a stand when it comes to quantity on his newest album. Any concern that the quality could suffer as a result is extinguished after the first few bars into the opener. Divided over two different sets according to the ...

4
Album Review

Alex Goodman: Impressions in Blue and Red

Read "Impressions in Blue and Red" reviewed by Rob Shepherd


For most, there is a clear divide between musical and visual arts. But for individuals with chromesthesia, a condition where one sees colors when they hear a particular sound, the two can prove inseparable. Throughout history, many jazz musicians have exhibited chromesthesic symptoms, including Marian McPartland, James Francies, and drum legend Elvin Jones. Duke Ellington saw dark blue burlap when he played a D note and light blue satin for a G. Another, guitarist Alex Goodman, shares his experience on ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

stranded

Bjurecords
2023

buy

Mokum in HI-FI

Doyoumind?
2020

buy

Impressions in Blue...

Outside in Music
2020

buy

The Machine Stops

Workin' Label
2020

buy

Suspended (Live at...

OutNote Records
2020

buy

Reprise

Pirouet Records
2014

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If I Loved You

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

View in Perspective

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

View in Perspective (Intro)

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Sonata No. 12 Adagio

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Sonata No. 12 Adagio (Intro)

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

E.T.

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Like a Fire That Consumes All Before It

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Like a Fire That Consumes All Before It (Intro)

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Occam's Razor

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Toys

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

In Heaven Everything is Fine

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Impending

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Impending (Intro)

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Circles in a Circle

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Choose

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

I'll Never Be the Same

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Still Life With Skull

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Still Life with Skull (Intro)

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Cobalt Blue

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Zen

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Zen (Intro)

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Space Behind Eugene Boch

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Space Behind Eugene Boch (Intro)

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Moods

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Blue Shade

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Blue Shade (Intro)

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

No Man's Land

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

Kuno

From: The Machine Stops
By Ben van Gelder

No Man's Land

From: Impressions in Blue and Red
By Ben van Gelder

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