5
Mathias Eick: Lullaby. (ECM).
Mathias Eick has added another great album to his impressive discography this year. The eight compositions, in which the Norwegian trumpeter draws on his childhood, are reassuringly hopeful. The power of Eick’s music is revealed by the omission of superfluous frills. American trumpeter Wynton Marsalis may not believe in the existence of European jazz, Lullaby proves the opposite.
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4
Joshua Redman: Words Fall Short. (Blue Note).
After thirty years of playing music at the highest level, Joshua Redman is getting closer to what he really wants to say. For his second Blue Note album, the American saxophonist got some help from a bunch of young, eager musicians. Redman’s track record did not prevent saxophonist Melissa Aldana, trumpeter Skylar Tang, bassist Philip Norris, drummer Nazir Ebo and pianist Paul Cornish from putting up a musical fight. The bandleader’s mature compositions are served up with a zestful freshness. Fiery beauty and lyrical reflection go hand in hand on Words Fall Short.
3
Branford Marsalis Quartet: Belonging. (Blue Note).
With Belonging, the Branford Marsalis Quartet pays tribute to the album of the same name from 1974 by Keith Jarrett’s ‘European Quartet’. Saxophonist Marsalis, pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Justin Faulkner do not imitate their predecessors, but give Jarrett’s masterpiece a contemporary twist with their lived-in musicality and audible enjoyment of playing.
2
Bugge Wesseltoft: It’s Still Snowing On My Piano. (ACT)
On It’s Still Snowing On My Piano, Bugge Wesseltoft revisits his unexpectedly successful Christmas album It’s Snowing On My Piano from thirty years ago. The Norwegian keyboardist stays well away from cheerful jingle bells in his choice of repertoire. He concentrates on concise performances of traditional church songs, giving them a slightly bluesy undertone. Wesseltoft has made the classic Christmas canon his own, as evidenced on this live-recorded album. His tranquil piano music is like medicine that our drifting world could really use.
1
Erik Verwey Trio & Hermine Deurloo: Life Encounters. Sound Liaison.
Hermine Deurloo and pianist Erik Verwey bring out the best in each other. How fortunate that these two top musicians found each other. On Live Encounters, Deurloo definitively lifts her chromatic harmonica above the melancholy of a warm bowl of pea soup. Just like on their first joint album About A Home from 2023, the melodies written by Verwey are strong, the arrangements subtle, the harmonies rich and the interplay between the Erik Verwey Trio and Hermine Deurloo nothing short of astonishing.
The best concerts of 2025
5
After five years away, Ebba Åsman returned to her former home town of Rotterdam, where she studied. The Swedish trombonist showed her audience at jazz club Bird that she has broken new ground. She complemented her playing on her black instrument with her own vocals. Åsman’s music combined driving beats with electronic soundscapes that resonated with Scandinavian grandeur. At times, it seemed as if the heyday of jazz rock had been revived. 29 May, Bird, Rotterdam.
4
Susanne de Rooij paid musical tribute in Poeldijk to the American singer Eva Cassidy (1963–1996), who died young. Like her musical role model, De Rooij opted for a wide variety of styles. She skilfully switched between heart-rending blues, rousing gospel, steamy soul and sophisticated jazz. The Eva Cassidy Tribute Band accompanied the singer from The Hague surprisingly well in all these genres. 14 November, Bartholomeus church. Poeldijk.
3
The Loek van den Berg Quintet performed at Ahoy during North Sea Jazz. The musicians calmly built up their bandleader’s strong compositions and managed to carry their audience along as if in a warm ocean current. The group operated as a collective: solos were not intended to impress but to help each other along. 12 July, Ahoy, Rotterdam.
2
Pianist Joey Calderazzo divides his time between the Branford Marsalis Quartet and his own trio. On 29 March, Calderazzo’s group performed at LantarenVenster in Rotterdam, and the following day the musicians entered the stage at the Bim house in Amsterdam. The trio played movingly beautiful ballads, but also gave examples of breathtaking power play. One piece reached its climax twice. After Calderazzo theatrically threw away his glasses, the atmosphere exploded and the temperature rose to unprecedented heights. 29 March, LantarenVenster, Rotterdam.
1
Lakecia Benjamin was eager to begin half an hour before the start: ‘What are we waiting for?’ She gave it her all during her opening number ‘Trane’, followed by a passionate rendition of John Coltrane’s ‘My Favourite Things’. Pianist Oscar Perez followed the bandleader closely with inventive improvisations. The saxophonist emphatically involved the audience in her message of freedom, equality, faith, hope and love. The energetic performance by the Lakecia Benjamin Quartet was a more than worthy conclusion to North Sea Jazz 2025. 13 July. Ahoy. Rotterdam
Photography: Ron Beenen, Olga Beumer
