The Squid's Ear Magazine


Blue Lines Trio (Scheen / van der Weide / Hadow): Chance and Change (Casco Records)

The free swinging Dutch piano trio of Michiel Scheen on piano, Raoul van der Weide on contrabass, cracklebox & objects and George Hadow on drums, in a set of buoyant and ebullient improvisations, a mix of composed and collective works that bring together tradition and freedom, melody and abstraction, while clearly enjoying their playful approach to creative jazz.
 

Price: $13.95



Quantity:

In Stock

Quantity in Basket: None

Log In to use our Wish List
Shipping Weight: 2.00 units

Sample The Album:





product information:

Personnel:



Raoul van der Weide-contrabass, cracklebox, objects

George Hadow-drums

Michiel Scheen-piano


Click an artist name above to see in-stock items for that artist.




UPC: 8714835177876

Label: Casco Records
Catalog ID: 008
Squidco Product Code: 32386

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2022
Country: Netherlands
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold 3 Panels
Recorded at Atelier 5, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on June 6th and 7th, 2022, by Hayden Hook.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Free music: is it okay if it swings? Blue Lines Trio can answer that: Oh my, yes. It's true some progressive improvisers appear swing-averse, as if buoyant propulsive floating syncopated rhythm were passé: a line they wouldn't cross. We might trace this attitude back to the new assertive freedoms that drummers and bassists enjoyed in the 1960s, liberated at last from subservience to the beat. Back then, in the new and exciting field of European improvised music, rejecting swing had a political dimension: a pushback against American (rhythmic) hegemony. Little as the quietly cooperative English and machine-gunning German free schools had in common, they shared that aversion. The Dutch gave up swinging too-for about five minutes; they (cough Han and Misha) loved that buoyant beat too much. Dutch improvisers had their own aversion, to ruling anything out: for such free-thinkers free music means free to (do what you want), not free from (traditional musical values). The object is to broaden the possibilities, not narrow them.

BLT is hardly the only piano/bass/drums trio who swing, play tunes and play free-maybe you heard of Keith Jarrett/Gary Peacock/Jack DeJohnette. But it is rare for a band's free pieces to swing so hard and habitually: hear the back half of "Improvisation 2153" or "2154." Even scratchy "2158" goes there. Part of the trio's buoyancy stems from Raoul's plump woody sound, at a realistic acoustic volume, which reinforces his pliable beat and tuneful figurations. (There's sly humor in his lines, as in his talk.) Michiel Scheen's piano sound is equally distinctive. In the 1990s his diamond-hard attack at the ivories made him pianist of choice for (among others) leaders Paul Termos-Raoul's mate in a few bands, earlier still-and Maarten Altena. (At the same time Michiel had his own bands, projects, records and composer commissions to deal with.) Some percussive pianists sound heavy, overbearing. Michiel's sound is often bright and springy, as on Raoul's "Trace Materials": you can almost see hands as well as piano hammers bouncing clear of the keys, kinetic. He improvises long coherent sequences but doesn't forget to come up for air. (It's not just wind players who need breath pauses; listeners do too.) Drummer George Hadow keeps his mates surging ahead, propelling the action with every stick or brush stroke. As I've written elsewhere, Hadow's explicitly jazzy time-keeping isn't at-one-remove style-quoting: he loves that slippery pulsation.

When the open improvising is this strong, the program's composed pieces had better measure up. Michiel's "Diddleville" kicks Chance and Change off right. Fleet bass and drums (dig those brushes) spark an inspired piano flight, an essay on clarity and speed. The off-kilter "Clouds and sunny chunks" is also title track to Michiel's 2020 solo album (Filiaal 5), just as Raoul and George had recorded the bassist's "Culture Boy," with its echoes of a Nat King Cole evergreen, in 2018 for the Xavier Pamplona Septet's Dutch repertoire CD Play the (Casco 006). On the trio "Culture Boy," the melody is mostly in the bass, which mostly plays melody: a quixotic choice that works. There are many such choices here, like the typewriter rhythms Raoul and George tap into their duo "Improvisation 2155." (A large dried Gambian bean pod wedged between bass strings creates authentic West African rattling.)

The players hail from non-adjacent decades-Raoul was born in 1949, Michiel in '63. No longer a newcomer, George Hadow, b.1992, hails from Devon in the southwest UK, and began studying drums as a kid, in time drawing timely inspiration from among others Joey Baron, whom he saw live a few times, and Han Bennink, discovered via YouTube. That discovery led George to enroll at the Dutch Impro Academy in 2011. Within a year he was living in Amsterdam, where he soon crossed paths and instantly connected with Raoul. "I've played with him in many bands and many more ad hoc improvised settings-more than anyone anywhere," says George. When the bassist brought Michiel in to play a trio session in 2012, the drummer and pianist had the same kind of quick connection. Hear their telepathic conjunctions on the duo "2159" and the trio's "Improvisation 2153" in particular. BLT can make it all sound easy, but they work at it-try to play together every week (where, say, Jarrett and company only convened on stage).

George Hadow: "One of the strongest parts of the trio is, when we sit down to improvise, and create a piece of music with a nice structure. It's a cheeky trio in a way: Any of us can take any decision at any moment-to break things up, or reintroduce a previous section, or just go BLAM. I love those telepathic moments. And we do swing quite a bit. To me the trio sounds quite inspired by Dutch music-humorous, colorful, playful: musicians unafraid to take risks. We find our own strange way of playing jazz."

It's that freedom to not freedom from he's talking about. Lines, even blue ones, can divide: think of borderlines. But other lines connect, take the short route between isolated points, and in so doing join those points together in some maybe-more-than-symbolic way. Blue Lines Trio make it all too clear which side of that line they play on.

Blue Lines Trio's eponymous first album from 2014 (Casco 002) was a gem. Does Chance and Change advance their range? Oh my, yes."-Kevin Whitehead


Artist Biographies

"Raoul van der Weide (Fontenailles / Fr, 1949) played 6 years of classical violin in the Northern Netherlands Youth Orchestra. As a bassist he developed largely autodidactic but also studied classical double bass at John Clayton and Norma Brooks. Contrast point at Guus Janssen. Feel inspired by inspiration and improvisational practice in the free but unstructured views of various musicians like Paul Termos, Guus Janssen, Lennie Tristano, Misha Mengelberg, Jimmy Giuffre, Steve Lacy, Ornette Coleman, Derek Bailey, Charles Mingus and Munir Bashir.

As an improviser, the creative focus is on the development possibilities of open personal aesthetics in the broadest sense. The continued deepening of its own sound, intonation and power of expression - of the musical fingerprint - is considered important.Van Raoul van der Weide published the solo CD 'Passages' (GeestGronden # 24 / www.geestgronden.com) at the beginning of 2006, to which De Volkskrant and promising 4 stars discussion was dedicated.

Worked together in Bert Koppelaar's POINT OF ORCHESTURE, Paul Termos Trio, Guus Jansen Septet / Octet / Orchestra, Burton Greene Quartet / Trio Spazio Trio (with K. Bauer and Guenther Sommer), Luc Houtkamp Quartet, Ab Baars Sextet, Peter Zegveld projects ('Caspar Rapak' and 'Statua Tumultus'), The Gravitones (Winners Dordtse Jazz Prize 1995), Joost Buis & The Famous Astronotes, Sound-Lee! Quartet ('Plays the Music of Lee Konitz'), New Crosscurrents Sextet."

-Raoul van der Weide Website (Translated by Google) (http://www.raoulvanderweide.nl/)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"George Hadow represents the newest wave of improvisers to hit the Dutch scene. Like many of the active newcomers, George is an expat, hailing from Devon in the UK. George first came to the Netherlands in 2011 to take part in the Dutch Impro Academy, where he studied with Han Bennink and Michael Moore, among others. He has quickly developed into a mature musician, playing with acute sensitivity as well as unbridled power.

The list of regular groups with whom he performs is impressive for its scale and diversity: The Blue Lines Trio, Mulligan - Baker Project, Terrie Ex/Raoul van der Weide/George Hadow, Aya ba yaya, Almeida/Dikeman/Hadow, Molino, Galm Quartet. George has also collaborated with Andy Moor, Roy Paci, Anne-James Chaton and Joe Williamson, The Ex and Cactus Truck as well as countless ad hoc combinations."

-DOEK Festival Website (http://www.doek.org/festival-2017/groups/george-hadow-solo/)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"In 2012 pianist and composer Michiel Scheen (1963, Amsterdam) joined Raoul van der Weide (bass, cracklebox, sound objects) and George Hadow (drums) in the Blue Lines Trio, a initiative by Van der Weide.

In 2016 the trio invited Ada Rave (tenorsaxophone), Bart Maris (trumpets) and Wolter Wierbos (trombone) to form the Blue Lines Sextet.

Besides that, Scheen regularly plays a duo with saxophonist and clarinetist Tobias Delius and with the Jan Nijdam Quartet.

After a retreat from 2000 untill 2004, he formed a new quartet with Ab Baars, Han Bennink and Ernst Glerum. They recorded the well received CD "Dance, my dear?".From 1986 untill 1999 Scheen worked with many musicians, amongst others with Ab Baars, Conrad Bauer, Johannes Bauer, Han Bennink, Jaap Blonk, Anthony Braxton, Tobias Delius, Cor Fuhler, Hans Hasebos, Gerry Hemingway, Wiek Hijmans, Guus Janssen, George Lewis, Misha Mengelberg, Roscoe Mitchell, Butch Morris, Jacques Palinckx, Evan Parker, Hans Reichl, Vladimir Tolkachev, Tang Xu and John Zorn.

He also worked with the international ensemble Ohrkiste, led by Radu Malfatti (a.o. with Evan Parker), the Paul Termos Tentet and Dubbel Express, the electro-acoustic trio YPON (with Michael Barker and Wiek Hijmans), Structures, led by Peter van Bergen, Cardueles Cardueles (leader: Cor Fuhler), the Dickinson Projekt by Ig Henneman, Kenvermogen (with a.o. Wiek Hijmans and Hans Hasebos), the Maarten Altena Ensemble (collaborations with a.o. Remco Campert, Mark Terstroet, Anthony Braxton, Roscoe Mitchell, Lawrence Butch Morris, John Zorn and theatergroup Discordia; tours through Europe, USA, Canada and USSR), the theaterproduction "Elektra and Orestes" by director Erik-Ward Geerlings and composer Arthur Sauer (theatergroup FACT Rotterdam), Seafood (led by Alan Laurillard) and the Object Theatre Orchestra (a duo with Augusto Forti).

In 1991 Michiel Scheen was commisioned by NOS-radio and Jazzmarathon Groningen to compose a live-set, which resulted in the project "Rijs", with a.o. Jaap Blonk, Tristan Honsinger and Paul Koek. He initiated projects and ensembles (Filiaal, the Michiel Scheen Sextet and -Quartet and TRIKLINION), with a.o. Ab Baars, Jaap Blonk, Michael Vatcher, Frank van Berkel and Hans van der Meer. Since 1990 Scheen recieved commisions and stipendia for his work as a composer from the "Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst" (the Dutch fund for composers).

Scheen also joined the Dutch jazz-musicians union: the BIM (Beroepsvereniging van Improviserende Musici). During 1994-1996 he was a member of the board, and during 1996-1998 he was the chairman of this union. As a chairman Scheen engaged in contacts with the Ministery of Education, Culture and Science, several funds for artists and other unions. He also was involved in the "Stichting de Centrale", a service-unit for freelance musicians."

-Michiel Scheen Website (http://michielscheen.blogspot.com/search/label/Biography)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Diddleville 3:52

2. Improvisation 2153 6:39

3. Iggy Abdul 3:34

4. Improvisation 2155 3:27

5. Culture Boy 4:02

6. Improvisation 2154 4:03

7. Improvisation 2152 2:22

8. Traces 5:01

9. Improvisation 2156 3:35

10. Vacuumville 5:28

11. Improvisation 2158 1:30

12. Improvisation 2159 7:54

13. Clouds And Sunny Chunks 3:26

14. Improvisation 2161 & Home 7:17

15. Untitled 0:41

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
Piano Trio (Piano Bass Drums)
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms
Melodic and Lyrical Jazz
Staff Picks & Recommended Items
New in Improvised Music
Recent Releases and Best Sellers

Search for other titles on the label:
Casco Records.


Recommended & Related Releases:
Costa, Hugo / Raoul van der Weide / Onno Govaert
Land Over Water
(Creative Sources)
A collective trio in the free jazz idiom from Hugo Costa on alto saxophone, Raoul van der Weide on double bass & percussion objects and Onno Govaert on drums, recording in the studio in Rotterdam for two extended and two succinct improvisations, building their conversations from solo playing that gradually yields to group dialog of evolving intensity.
Other Recommended Releases:
Hadow, George / Dirk Serries
Chapel
(Creative Sources)
A duo of free and spaciously building exchanges between Dutch drummer George Hadow (Zwerv, The Blue Lines Trio) and Belgian guitarist Dirk Serries (A New Wave of Jazz), in an extended dialog of great technical skills and creative use of their instruments, performing live at the 2021 JazzBlast event held in the chapel Groels Kapel in Bocholt, Belgium.
New Rumours And Other Noises (Ada Rave / Nicolas Chentaroli / Raoul van der Weide)
The Moonlight Nightcall
(Casco Records)
The debut of the Amsterdam-based trio of Argentinian pianist Nicolas Chientaroli and saxophonist & clarinetist Ada Rave with Dutch bassist Raoul van der Weide, all three using preparations, objects and voice to extend their unique approach to instant composition, heard in eight succinct, animated and sometimes eccentric dialogs recorded at BIMHuis.
Campbell, Roy / John Dikeman / Raoul van der Weide / Peter Jacquemyn / Klaus Kugel
When The Time Is Right
(577 Records)
Performing at Bimhuis in 2013, the trans-Atlantic quintet of Roy Campbell on trumpet, flugelhorn & flute, John Dikeman on saxophone, Raoul van der Weide on cello & percussion, Peter Jacquemyn on bass & voice and Klaus Kugel on drums, perform an extended, energetic and dynamic set of free improvisation, with intricate melodies and beautifully rich transitions.
Strings5
Lost In Labyrinth
(Casco Records)
A chamber-oriented album of strings & piano improvisation released on cellist Raoul van der Weide's Casco label, in a quintet of Marta Warelis on piano, Jacob Plooij on violin, Raoul van der Weide on cello & percussion, Henk Zwerver on guitar, Jan Nijdam on double bass, recording in the studio for eight quick-witted, sophisticated and innately playful conversations.
Scrambled Harmonies
Stella Art
(Self Released)
The free improvising Amsterdam quintet of Andrius Dereviancenko (tenor saxophone), Henk Zwerver (guitar), Nico Chientaroli (piano and keyboards), Raoul van der Weide (bass, objects and squat box) and Onno Govaert (Tilburg, drums) are heard in this live recording at Zaal100 in 2020 for a quirky and first rate free jazz album of wry humor and impressive skill.
Zwerv (Taubenfeld / Vicente / Lucifero / Zwerver / Chientaroli / ven der Weide / Hadow)
Music From Any Moment
(Creative Sources)
Guitarist Henk Zwerver leads this collective free improvising band in their second release, now extended to a septet with the addition of Salvoandrea Lucifero on trombone, joining Zwerver: Ziv Taubenfeld on bass clarinet, Luis Vicente on trumpet, Nico Chientaroli on piano, Raoul ven der Weide on double bass, objects, and George Hadow on drums.
Bertch Quartet, The
For Oumuama
(Creative Sources)
Guitarist Henk Zwerver, bassist Raoul van der Weide and percussionist George Hadow, frequent collaborators in the Amsterdam free improv scene, join with Berlin saxophonist & clarinetist Edith Steyer to make up the Bertch Quartet, their debut album a great and embraceable example of subtle, collective free improvisations that merge traditional and non-idiomatic forms.
Zwerv (Raoul van der Weide / George Hadow / Henk Zwerver / Ziv Taubenfeld / Luis Vicente)
Live
(Creative Sources)



Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought:
Selva, The (Jacinto / Almeida / Morao)
Camarao-Girafa
(Clean Feed)
An absorbing album of electronic jazz and improvisation from the Portuguese string and percussion trio of Ricardo Jacinto on cello, electronics & harmonium, Goncalo Almeida on double bass & electronics and Nuno Morao on drums & percussion, exploring unique and innately lyrical intersections of chamber improv, ea-improv and compositional forms.
Gustafsson, Mats / Joachim Nordwall
Their Power Reached Across Space And Time-To Defy Them Was Death-Or Worse [JADE VINYL + DOWNLOAD]
(Thrill Jockey)
Jade Vinyl - Expanding on their decade-long collaboration with albums on Astral Spirits, Bocian and Confront (Ensemble Var), and both members of Fire! Orchestra, sound artist Joachim Nordwall on analog synth and tapes and reed & wind player Mats Gustafsson use extended approaches to their instruments through effects and close mic-ing to create powerful and hallucinatory sound worlds.
Gustafsson, Mats / Joachim Nordwall
Their Power Reached Across Space And Time-To Defy Them Was Death-Or Worse
(Thrill Jockey)
Expanding on their decade-long collaboration with albums on Astral Spirits, Bocian and Confront (Ensemble Var), and both members of Fire! Orchestra, sound artist Joachim Nordwall on analog synth and tapes and reed & wind player Mats Gustafsson use extended approaches to their instruments through effects and close mic-ing to create powerful and hallucinatory sound worlds.
Dunmall, Paul / Liam Noble / John Edwards / Mark Sanders
One Moment
(FMR)
Some of the finest London and Birmingham improvisers, the free improvising quartet of saxophonist Paul Dunmall with pianist Liam Noble, drummer Mark Sanders and bassist John Edwards, continue their work together with this exceptional live performance at the Eastside Jazz Club, Birmingham Conservatoire in an extended, far-ranging and engaging collective concert.
Schlippenbach, Alexander Von / Francois Carrier / John Edward / Michel Lambert
Unwalled
(Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
A first meeting between two incredible improvised pairings--Canadians Francois Carrier on alto saxophone and Michel Lambert on drums, and Euro/UK improvisers Alexander von Schlippenbach on piano and John Edwards on double bass-- recording live in the studio in Berlin for seven improvisations of profound creative intent and inventive conversation.
Cappozzo, Cecile Quintet (Cappozzo / Cappozzo / Bellanger / Grente / Ziemniak)
Hymne d'Automne
(Ayler)
The core trio of Cécile Cappozzo (piano), Patrice Grente (double bass) and Etienne Ziemniak (drums) release their second Ayler album, expanded to a quintet with Jean-Luc Cappozzo on trumpet and Guillaume Bellanger on saxophone, performing six works connected like a suite that flow beautifully through Cappozzo's warm compositions, including a piece dedicated to Carla Bley.
Bucher / Tan / Countryman
Sacred Fire Of The Free
(FMR)
The continuing collaboration from the collective free jazz trio of Philippines-based American alto saxophonist Rick Countryman, Philippines bassist Simon Tan and Swiss drummer Christian Bucher is heard in this studio session of eight lyrically inclined tracks of spontaneous interaction, a well-balanced mix of energetic grooves and contemplative group conversation.
Moten, Fred / Brandon Lopez / Gerald Cleaver
S/T
(Relative Pitch)
Fred Moten, prolific poet, theorist, critic, English Professor and 2020 MacArthur Fellow, provides the insightful and incisive text fueling the improvisation of New York drummer Gerald Cleaver and contrabass player Brandon Lopez, the synergy of Moten's words reminding of Gil Scott-Heron or Amiri Baraka; issued on LP by Reading Group, this CD edition adds two tracks.
Laubrock, Ingrid / Tom Rainey
Counterfeit Mars
(Relative Pitch)
Relentlessly playing through the pandemic, the husband & wife duo of tenor & soprano saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and drummer Tom Rainey honed their skills, developing this album of primarily composed pieces worked out through improvising; thirteen succinct, fascinating and sometimes quirky dialogs, displaying a depth that only two such close collaborators could achieve.
Hochstapler, Die
Within
(Umlaut Records)
Their group name Die Hochstapler translating to "The Impostors", the fifth exuberant free jazz album from the Berlin quartet of Pierre Borel on alto saxophone, cymbals & bird calls, Louis Laurain on trumpet & vocals, Antonio Borghini on double bass and Hannes Lingens on drums & vibraphone was recorded during their February 2022 residency at Au Topsi Pohl.
Mela, Francisco feat. Cooper-Moore / William Parker
Music Frees Our Souls, Vol. 2
(577 Records)
The second volume of Music Frees Our Souls, the trio of Francisco Mela on drums, Cooper-Moore on piano and William Parker on bass, recording in the studio in Brooklyn two extended, far reaching and powerful collective improvisations of music performed under the influence of Mela's work with, mentorship by and encouragement from pianist McCoy Tyner.
Schlippenbach, Alexander von
Globe Unity
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)
Wild, nearly unprecedented and an exhilarating direction in European Free Improvisation heard in the 1st recordings from 1966 of pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach's Globe Unity band, a 14-piece ensemble that included young saxophonists Peter Brötzmann, Gerd Dudek & Kris Wanders, bassist Peter Kowald, bass clarinetist Willem Breuker, trumpeter Manfred Schoof, &c.
Nakatani, Tatsuya / Kawabata Makoto
Reverse Fault
(Acid Mothers Temple)
Recording at percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani's studio Nakatani-Kobo in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico and at Acid Mother's Temple guitarist Kawabata Makoto's studio in Asuka, Nara, Japan, the duo continue their collaborations honed through live touring and various improv configurations, generating incredible seismic sonics through unusual use of their instruments.
Dreamstruck (Crispell / Fonda / Sorgen)
With Grace In Mind
(Fundacja Sluchaj!)
Officially taking their group name from the title of their first album, The Dreamstruck trio of Marilyn Crispell on piano, Joe Fonda on bass and Harvey Sorgen on drums are heard in this innately lyrical and masterfully controlled, concise set of studio recordings, with compositions from each performer and two collective improvisations, a remarkable example of the modern piano trio.
Brotzmann, Peter / Fred Van Hove / Han Bennink
Jazz in der Kammer Nr.71 [VINYL 2 LPs]
(Trost Records)
Recorded for radio for the series Jazz in der Kammer Nr 71, this 1974 concert was the first in East Germany for Peter Brötzmann, Fred Van Hove, and Han Bennink, bridging the divided German states through an energetic set of improvisations that extended traditional jazz with outrageous approaches to improv in an exciting, quirky and profoundly masterful set of European Free Jazz.
Taylor, Cecil
Respiration
(Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
An incredible solo concert from legendary New York pianist Cecil Taylor in October, 1968 at the Sala Kongresowa (Congress Hall, Palace of Culture and Science) in Warsaw during the Jazz Jamboree, recorded by Polski Radio and remastered in 2021, an excellent example of the nimble mind and quick technical skills of Taylor's personal take on improvisation; stunning!
Carter, Daniel / Matthew Shipp / William Parker / Gerald Cleaver
Welcome Adventure! Vol. 2
(577 Records)
The 2nd of two studio albums from the quartet of Daniel Carter on saxophone & flute, Matthew Shipp on piano, William Parker on bass and Gerald Cleaver on drums, recordings from the same sessions as the 1st volume with five shorter works, as the long-time collaborators and friends show their nearly telepathic rapport in adventurous and masterful modern jazz.



The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

© 2002-, Squidco LLC