Jasper Van‘t Hof, Greetje Bijma, Hans Fickelscher – Abstract Uncertainty
Post-war musical history was written in Germany with the MPS-Label: noble music productions with many international greats come from the Black Forest. The label HGBSBlue releases old and new recordings with artists from the MPS history on high-quality vinyl.
Jasper van’t Hof is one of the greats of European jazz. Born in Enschede, Holland, in 1947, he has been present on the scene for more than 50 years. As early as 1971, he recorded his first record for the MPS label with the legendary group Assocation PC, making him one of the pioneers of jazzrock in Europe. 50 years later, he came back to the MPS-Studio in the Black Forest to make a very special recording here in 2021 with his many years of experience: Together with the Dutch singer Greetje Bijma and the German percussionist Hans Fickelscher, he played music in Villingen over two days that sticks firmly to jazz ground, but is nevertheless completely cross-border: jazz, folkloristic, classical and theatrical elements alternate here in a wonderful way without ever becoming boring. Far from routine, free, unforced and always full of surprises is the music between the pianist, the extraordinary singer – whose vocal range and timbre never cease to fascinate – and the sensitive percussionist. Musical high acrobatics are packaged in an entertaining way. Music that arouses curiosity and shows how complex and subtle sounds in abstract uncertainty can be, just as the title of this album suggests. Because: the trio’s music was completely improvised and analogue recorded on tape. “We experience a world theatre that the three of them perform in the studio – without a script, without a score, without a text”, writes Bert Noglik, the renowned German jazz journalist, in his liner notes. The veteran on the grand piano, the expressive vocalist, who constantly reinvents herself, and the sensitive drummer, who studied with Pierre Favre, improvise with an almost magical intensity that never ceases to amaze the listener. Virtuosic and full of surprises – a convincing example of contemporary jazz from Europe.
Tracklist:
Seite 1
- Do Tornados Improvise? (Bijma / Van‘t Hof / Fickelscher) 06:18
- Fremdsüchtig (Bijma / Van‘t Hof / Fickelscher) 08:07
- Landscapes In My Heart (Bijma / Van‘t Hof / Fickelscher) 06:57
Seite 2
- Colourful Leaves (Bijma / Van‘t Hof / Fickelscher) 05:00
- Funny Klein Varkentje Groove (Bijma / Van‘t Hof / Fickelscher) 02:19
- Go For A Walk Far Away (Bijma / Van‘t Hof / Fickelscher) 06:18
- Jazz To Go (Van´t Hof) 07:05
Total: 42:04 min.