Mudita - To The West (2022) Hi-Res

The art of sharing and growing. Whoever can selflessly enjoy the happiness of others feeds a source of boundless joy. A source that everyone has access to. Those who tap into it can take care of their own well-being. This principle of joy is part of Buddhist philosophy and is called Mudita.

A source from which the Dutch trio Mudita draws its musical ideas. The band consists of singer Sanne Rambags, pianist Sjoerd van Eijck and trumpeter Koen Smits. Young musicians who appreciate silence and enjoy the beauty of untouched nature. In their atmospheric chamber jazz, the three musicians juggle melodies and harmonies.

Since the band was founded at the Fontys Conservatory in Tilburg, their poetic thirst for research has met with great interest. For their debut album "Listen to the Sound of the Forest" (2018) the trio received the Edison Award in the category "Jazz/World, National Vocal Jazz". This is one of the most important music prizes in the Netherlands, comparable to the German record prize.

For their second album "Nature of the Netherlands" (2021), the band members let themselves be enchanted by their country's 21 national parks. These impressions resulted in 21 new compositions. “Nature is our most important source of inspiration. Processing the impressions and experiences from the 21 national parks in music was a great experience. It meant that we could experiment with new ideas and sounds,” the band concludes.

The trio had actually planned a series of concerts in several of the parks they visited to coincide with the release of the album. But the corona pandemic and the associated lockdowns thwarted this plan. Luckily, even bad times can make great things happen.