Eric Boeren recently celebrated his 60th birthday, but old age still seems a long way away. And the same applies to his fellow travellers: the Dutch musician has been teamed up with Han Bennink (drums), Michael Moore (sax and clarinet) and Wilbert de Joode (double bass) for more than twenty years.
Eric Boeren – trumpet
Michael Moore – sax and clarinet
Wilbert de Joode – double bass
Han Bennink – drums
Ornette Coleman
It all began in 1997 with Ornette Coleman’s early music for quartets. Slowly Boeren’s own compositions began to creep into their repertoire. So it is no surprise that the line-up is comparable to that of Coleman’s quartet in the early sixties. But what is the big difference? The way they treat their material. Whereas Coleman - indisputably one of the main founders of free jazz - had his soloists alternate, the Eric Boeren 4tet divides up the space for improvisation equally.
Eyes on the ball
In other words, it is a collective vision in which musicians give each other the space to further develop musical forms. The existing material suggests the personality and direction of the improvisations. What connects Boeren’s compositions to those of his legendary predecessor are their deep roots in jazz and the blues. Think strong, often jumpy melodies and unusual accents that keep the improvisers’ eyes on the ball.
"...Never mind the heady intellectual nature of jazz today, this quartet favors a relaxed swing fueled by Bennink and the ongoing conversation between players. Their playing calls to mind rapid fire comedians who barely pause to allow their audience to catch the last joke.” – All About Jazz
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