London hat ein schier unübersehbares (zehntägiges) Jazzfestival! War selbst in Rolle des Auftretenden wie des Beobachters. Orte des Geschehens an diesem Wochenende: Barbican Centre, Southbank Centre, Kings Place, Cafe OTO. Im Barbican durfte ich mich zu Szene(rie)n im Delta der Niederlande auslassen. In Kings Place gab es Norwegisches zu bewundern (NP Molvær als Artist in Residence, Sidsel Endresen mit Philip Jeck u.v.m.) und Café OTO ist der kahle Klub, wo die Musik der offenen Ränder ein Zuhause hat.
Hier gleich als erstes der musikalische Höhepunkt der paar Tage: der Dreier mit Cellist Ernst Reijseger, Pianist Harmen Fraanje und dem senegalesischen Vokalisten Mola Sylla. Die drei tauchten tief für ihre Perlen. In der Beschränkung zeigt sich der Meister und das gebirt dann wie hier ergreifende Musik von grosser Live-Intensität. Ihr letztes Album vermittelt allenfalls eine Ahnung dessen, was sie inzwischen live vor- und verzaubern! Grosse Musik mit Trance-Zügen.
Schluss und Applaus nach einem wunderbaren Konzert …
Reijseger/Fraanje/Sylla (taken from my article DUTCH SCENE(RIE)S – A SNAPSHOT)
The threesome of cellist Ernst Reijseger (1954), pianist Harmen Fraanje (1976) and vocalist Mola Sylla (1956) is a neat and powerful alliance of generations, continents, cultures and styles. Reijseger was part of the first generation improvisation movement of Dutch jazz. He participated in the ICP and together with drummer Han Bennink and reedist Michael Moore formed the legendary Clusone Trio, a liaison that lasted for 10 years (1988-1998). His regular and manifold musical partnerships are spread over a vast variety of regions: England, Scotland, Scandinavia, Germany, France, Italy, United States, Canada, West-Africa, Réunion in the Indian Ocean – impossible to mention all high profiled names.
Ernst Reijseger is by far the most profiled musician on the Dutch scene concerning engagement in a diversity of European folk-music and non-western music. He has a long collaboration with guitarist Franky Douglas originating from the Caribbeans, percussionist Alan Purves from Scotland, Sardinian vocal group Tenore e Concordu de Orosei and time ago started to work with the group Groove Lélé from the island La Réunion. And just recently he started to work in Mongolië with its horse-violins.
His long-time collaboration with singer Mola Sylla from Dakar, Senegal is another example. Sylla also has long standing collaboration with Cuban pianist/percussionist Omar Sosa and the Russian musicians Alexej Levin, Sergej Starostin and Vladimir Volkov. Sylla’ s spiritual and religious chants just fill the gap between known, washed out formats and chaos. The last few years Reijseger and Sylla also became the main composers and musicians for the movies and documentaries of German director Werner Herzog.
Harmen Fraanje coming from the south of the Netherlands is a musician of the younger generation. He went through an amazing development in his work with a variety of Dutch, French, Norwegian and American musicians and was ready for the trio with Reijseger and Sylla six years ago.
This trio is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the Dutch scene with a world-wide appeal. It is connecting cultures, it is really genre-defying and above all it is has firm and highly developed musical core and is very strong in its musical choices – a true and precious extension of the origins!
alle Photos © FoBo_HenningBolte