Ben Van Gelder - Mokum in Hi-Fi (2019)

Guitarist Reinier Baas and saxophonist Ben van Gelder shared the stage over 200 times in the past years, but continue to challenge each other as performers and composers. They have developed a unique vocabulary that is rooted in the American jazz tradition, but is unmistakably European at the same time. Baas’ spirited approach to the guitar is contagious, drawing the listener in with unexpected rhythmical and dynamic turns. Critics and peers alike praise him for his diversity in texture and idiosyncratic harmonic inventions. Van Gelder is regarded internationally as an authority on the alto saxophone. He displays a remarkable amount of tranquility and overview and alternates transparent lyricism with explosive virtuosity.

In 2018 the duo released SMASH HITS, a live recording of their collaboration with the multiple Grammy Award-winning Metropole Orkest. Their latest album, Mokum in Hi-Fi is due for release in September of 2019. Baas and van Gelder also collaborate with the legendary drummer Han Bennink on a regular basis.

An active bandleader, Reinier Baas (1985) has toured with his quintet The More Socially Relevant Jazz Music Ensemble in Europe, Japan, New Zealand and Australia. His second album Mostly Improvised Instrumental Indie Music received the prestigious Edison Award in 2013. As a soloist, he has performed with the Metropole Orkest, Jazzorchestra of the Concertgebouw and the New Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra. In 2016, Baas released his fourth studio record Reinier Baas vs. Princess Discombobulatrix, a ‘mostly instrumental opera’. This collaboration with illustrator Typex and a line-up of 15 prominent improvisers and classical musicians received wide-spread critical acclaim - “Ravel, Prokofiev, Poulenc, Baas, truly!” - VILLA D'ARTE - and earned him a second Edison Award in 2017. Reinier has received composition assignments from the North Sea Jazz Festival, November Music Festival, Südtirol Jazzfestival and Pynarello. He has worked with Gregory Porter, Dave Douglas, and is currently a member of Benjamin Herman's Bughouse. Reinier is a teacher at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and Siena Jazz University.

A native of the Netherlands, Ben van Gelder moved to New York at age 17 and spent a decade collaborating and studying with some of the most progressive artists in the world. His teachers included Guillermo Klein, Jason Moran and Lee Konitz. He formed a quintet of forward thinking peers and recorded three critically acclaimed albums under his name. The ensemble toured extensively in Europe, Japan and the U.S. In NYC, Van Gelder established strong ties with the Jazz Gallery, a venue that fosters artistic excellence and is known as a springboard for talent. He received a much sought-after commission from the institution, which resulted in his latest outing, Among Verticals. The record, inspired by a painting of abstractionist Frantisek Kupka, received 5- star reviews in press publications word wide. Van Gelder won multiple awards such as the Deloitte Jazz Award and the Gold Award granted by the National Endowment for Advancement in the Arts. Most recently Ben van Gelder was commissioned by the BIM-huis and the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw. His compositions have been performed by the Metropole Orchestra, The Swiss Jazz Orchestra and the Keio Light Music Society. Van Gelder is currently based in Amsterdam where he is on faculty at the Conservatory.