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Harmen Fraanje

Pianist Harmen Fraanje (Roosendaal, 1976) has already been showered with prizes, has worked with too many famous musicians to mention here, has performed in all of the most far-flung (jazz) corners of the world, leads nine of his own musical projects, and is also a sideman in various other groups. He is open to many different kinds of music, which he always irrepressibly translates into his own vocabulary. So it's for good reason that Fraanje is appearing at DJWM 2010 with his Avalonia Trio, because the pianist feels so comfortable with drummer Flin van Hemmen and bassist Clemens van der Feen. The result is a kind of group improvisation that is as magnificent as it is elegant and spatial. Consider as well the recently released album Avalonia (Challenge). Michael Moore often joins as a guest performer, and the group is currently touring with the American saxophone legend Tony Malaby. According to Harmen, ‘The Avalonia Trio is a huge playground for us, where we can romp and mess about, in ripped-up clothes, and where nothing can spoil the fun.’

www.harmenfraanje.nl

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12
Album Review

Mats Eilertsen Trio & Trio Mediaeval: Memorabilia

Read "Memorabilia" reviewed by Friedrich Kunzmann


Talk of an album sounding highly reminiscent of something that could be released on Manfred Eicher's ECM label is quite common. But it does not come as a surprise anymore that much of today's music shares similar melancholic and minimalist contemporary leanings with the aesthetic found on the pioneering Munich-based label. However, this debut date, led between bassist Mats Eilertsen, his trio and Trio Mediaeval, screams ECM. Not only have both Eilertsen and the vocal trio recorded extensively with ECM, ...

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97

Interview

Mizar5 Interview with Dutch jazzpianist Harmen Fraanje

Mizar5 Interview with Dutch jazzpianist Harmen Fraanje

Source: All About Jazz

The Nederlandse Jazzdienst and the North Sea Jazz Festival granted Dutch jazzpianist Harmen Fraanje the Composition Assignment of 2004. Harmen released his first CD, ‘Sonatala’ in 2003, with his quartet (Nelson Veras, Hein van de Geyn and Matthieu Chazarenc). Their second album is scheduled to be recorded and will feature Magic Malik on flute as special guest. Harmen’s music IS his essence and both his concerts as well as recordings are designed to surprise and please a growing league of ...

Toine Thys
saxophone, tenor

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Touch of Time

ECM Records
2024

buy

Memorabilia

NXN Recordings
2020

buy

1Rdr

Challenge Jazz
2006

buy

Avalonia

Challenge Jazz
0

buy

Touch of Time

From: The Touch of Time
By Harmen Fraanje

Six Weeks

From: Avalonia
By Harmen Fraanje

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