Behind the Dikes – Saturday 5 October 20:00 CET.
First Brass consists of four wind players, including Erik van Lier. Their unique brass sound achieved gold status. In 1965, Van Lier was part of a big band led by Oliver Nelson, with vocalist Rita Reys. For 35 years he was also part of the ‘big brass’ of the Skymasters.
In the programme you will hear him in these three musical environments.
The idea for First Brass originated with producer Marion Kaempfert – daughter of arranger/bandleader Bert Kaempfert. Her aversion to electronics in contemporary music, combined with her love for brass instruments, gave her an idea: brass music with the swing qualities of jazz, but without a rhythm section. She developed the idea together with the Danish composer and trumpeter Allan Botschinsky. This resulted in a quartet, consisting of Botschinsky, Derek Watkins, Bart van Lier and Erik van Lier. Erik on trombone, bass trombone and tuba.
First Brass appeared in 1993.
Dizzy Gillespie: “When you speak of lead trumpets, Derek is ‘Mr. Lead’ (…) and I especially like what those Dutchmen, the Van Liers, can do on the trombone.”
Quincy Jones: “Magnificent!”
The four tracks in the programme start with Interlude no. 4. This is a ‘big band’ composition that develops within a standard form: unison beginning, gradual development, solos, suddenly strong tutti passages, various colour changes, walking bass, and…are we missing a chord instrument? Percussion?
The ballad The Lady in Blue starts with a non-metric intro. Low bass against a high, pearly range of colours. Lyrical solos with a soft chord accompaniment dominate.
The following track is a spicy and dynamic Chops à la Salsa and provides lots of variety.
The closing track, the bluesy Kubismus 502, features solos from the high brass.
That beautiful, round bass sound from Erik van Lier…
(But with this thought we are doing the other wind players a disservice.)
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In 1965, twenty-year-old Erik van Lier is in a big band, led by the American tenorist/composer/arranger Oliver Nelson. Well-known names in the line-up: the trio Pim Jacobs, Art Farmer and Cees Smal (trumpet), Lee Konitz and Piet Noordijk (alto sax), Herman Schoonderwalt (tenor sax). The soloist is Europe’s First Lady of Jazz: Rita Reys. These recordings of a series of standards were spread over a few days. The resulting record is titled Rita Reys Meets Oliver Nelson.
In the programme you can listen to The Second Time Around, The Very Thought of You and Ill Wind. Reys seems to be enjoying herself and sings with nuanced expression. Irritating reverb. Several decades later, looking back on this recording, she says: “It was beautifully arranged and the playing was very disciplined, but I just don’t fit in well with a big band and they were really loud. So I actually hated it. (…) I didn’t get a kick out of it, I didn’t get the feeling of: ooh nice.” *)
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The third and final block of the programme features four tracks by the Skymasters.
The complete playlist can be found here.
Behind the Dikes – Hajé Nordbeck
*) Rita Reys – Lady Jazz, Rita Reys and Bert Vuijsje (Thomas Rap 2004)
