Jasper Somsen Invites Paul van der Feen and Bert van den Brink

Jasper Somsen - Double Bass
Paul van der Feen - Alto Saxophone
Bert van den Brink - Piano/Fender Rhodes

In the fall of 2013, the cosy old bar of the grand café Loburg in my home town of Wageningen (The Netherlands) turned into a brand new, beautiful small venue, perfectly suited for an audience of a hundred people. In collaboration with LoburgLive, we started the concert series “Jasper Somsen Invites ...” as part of the international programme of Jazz in Wageningen, in January 2014. The concept of “Jasper Somsen Invites ...” is typical in the world of Jazz music. Back in the day, no one ever imagined that “Jasper Somsen Invites ...” was about to celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2024. In 10 years’ time we’ve had over 50 concerts, featuring more than 100 musicians, who have included the very best Dutch Jazz musicians. On 30 March 2023, I invited the Metropole Orchestra’s alto saxophone player Paul van der Feen and master pianist Bert van den Brink. We had so much fun during the sound-check that we decided to record the concert. The recordings turned out to be a lucky shot in the dark.  The music on this album perfectly reflects the same spontaneity as many other concerts at Loburg: live music, up-close and personal, for a wonderful audience. This time the concert was recorded in just one take, with no safety net. - Jasper Somsen

Release: October 6, 2023 (Challenge Records)

Concerts

Media

Something really special happened between these three musicians ... it's an album you listen to much more often, than you'd initially thought.
De Volkskrant, NL (Gijsbert Kamer) ... Read more >>

Refined interplay, witty and full of mutual allusions. It doesn't get any better than this.
Jazzism, NL (Coen de Jonge) ... Read more >>

Lots of fun for both the musicians and the audience ... a clear victory on points for the momentum, trust and spontaneity.
JazzThing, GER (Reinhard Köchl) ... Read more >>

Three is an art. Effortlessly surprising music, like a witty conversation and lots of fun.
Klassieke Zaken, NL (Mischa Andriessen) ... Read more >>

We have long been fans of Dutch bassist Jasper Somsen and here on a live album of standards he is heard in fine fettle once again. You might feel the standards are just too familiar, but in these hands they practically sing and seem as relevant as ever.
Marlbank, UK ... Read more >>

Full of surprises, fascinating and masterful. A beautiful and refreshing album!
Jazz & Mo, BE (Marc Van de Walle) ... Read more >>

This is a classic bop album, dynamically and inspired performed compositions ... the finest solos played by each trio member. A fresh sounding album. The kind of session that asks for more.
JazzMania, BE (Jean-Pierre Goffin/translated by Jos DeMol for Jazz'Halo) ... Read more >>

The vibe of this special night is clearly audible. Each time the music develops in different and unexpected directions, which proves that "listening is just as important as playing".
Jazzflits, NL (Jeroen de Valk) ... Read more >>

The album ends with “Footprints” by Wayne Shorter, a particularly beautiful version with a sonorous bass, a melancholic saxophone and dark chords on the vintage vibe piano. A nice ending to what I consider to be a very successful album, hopefully more will follow.
Rootstime, BE (Jan van Leersum) ... Read more >>

A beautiful and sparkling album, which clearly reflects the dynamics and interaction between the musicians and the audience.
Jazzradar, NL (Eddy Westveer) ... Read more >>

This is one of the most spectacular albums imaginable. Super realistic sound quality and phenominal music.
Music Emotion, NL (Ruud Jonker) ... Read more >>

A wonderful drumless trio featuring powerful members Paul van der Feen and Bert van den Brink which explodes in brilliant standards!
Diskunion, Japan

Interview Jasper Somsen Invites ... De Gelderlander (newspaper - NL) ... Read more >>

 


(c) photos by Robbert Kamphuis (l) and Henk de Jonge (r)

MEDIA INFO and TECHNICAL RIDER Jasper Somsen Invites Paul van der Feen and Bert van den Brink