Esmée Olthuis

• Tetzepi
• Olthuis & van Veenendaal
• Rosie Wooff
• Esmée Olthuis 4
• Other groups

Olthuis & van Veenendaal

Esmée Olthuis: alto saxophone/blockofone/
C-melody
Albert van Veenendaal: (prepared) piano
For more info: www.albertvanveenendaal.nl

Two renowned and distinctive Dutch musicians bring years of experience and a talent for improvisation together in playing their own contemporary work, defined by powerful melody, subtlety, stirring grooves, improvisation and loads of energy. A small band with a big sound. The duo explores the possibilities of tone and joint play without resorting to clichés. Their first CD, This is to Say, got rave reviews from the press and the public.

“Clear-cut musical creations with plenty of room for intuition and improvisation.”

Its second CD, Stripes & Spikes & Strikes, is a rock-solid album that enabled the band to stake out its own turf in the jazz, improv, and contemporary composed music scene. A passionate statement in an era of superficiality, but of course taking risks is an essential ingredient in the blend that makes convincing music.

What the press is saying about Stripes & Spikes & Strikes

"Esmée Olthuis obviously feels at home in this musical twosome. Her sound-technique– is excellent, her technical skills know no boundaries and her improvisations, supported by Van Veenendaal are very musical, passionate and relevant. It’s a pleasure to listen to this CD packed with ornate compositions and superb joint play.”
(Jacques Los / Draai om je oren)

"The musicians skillfully maneuver between the improvised and the composed parts of the music. Music of such a high quality that it would not appear out of place in a ‘classical saxophonist’s’ repertoire.”
(Ton Ouwehand / De Twentsche Courant)

“The duets have a certain urgency to them. Seventeen short — or very short — pieces form a fluid and exemplary spectrum of composition and improvisation.”
(Rudie Kagie / Vrij Nederland)

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