“We had a narrow escape, but we are allowed to play for you this afternoon,” Benjamin Herman told the audience before starting his performance with the Quartet NL on Saturday afternoon, 10 July 2021. Normally, this would have been the North Sea Jazz weekend, but if anything has been subject to inflation this year, it must be the word normal. After one and a half years of almost complete abstinence, the audience yearning for live jazz in the Large Doelen Hall can finally enjoy the incomparable experience of improvising top musicians again. Benjamin Herman presents a wonderful group on stage. Han Bennink behind the drums, always in for disruptive moments but tight and driving if necessary, Ernst Glerum on the bass, hard swinging one moment and then again playing with finely-tuned subtlety, pianist Peter Beets’ accurate timing forms the musical cement in this line-up and Benjamin Herman himself who, thanks to his technical perfection, seems at home in any possible genre. The quartet opens with two lighthearted compositions by Misha Mengelberg.
To reduce the average age of the group a little, Benjamin Herman asks the up-and-coming talent Diana Dzhabba to join the stage. At first she plays a little tentatively, but between the notes a bright musical promise shimmers through. It’s nice that the experienced musicians allow her this stage experience; it must be hard to study at the conservatory in these weird times.
The next guest is Ronald Snijders. The Delft flute player makes the temperature in the pre heated Doelen rise a bit more. Snijders enriches jazz with Surinamese phrasing and rhythm and encourages the audience to participate by clapping hands and singing along with his musical phrases. As is customary in Surinam, Snijders himself has brought along his own guest, his niece Cherish Snijders, who carries a kavina, a mobile percussion instrument that adds an extra layer to the infectious rhythmics.
This mix of Latin American rhythms and jazz brings Sonny Rollins to mind and, as if it were meant to be, at that moment Hans Dulfer enters the stage, even before he has been announced. Dulfer recalls the legendary Rollins concert in Holland that was released in a perfect condition on an album last year. 51 years ago, Han Bennink was Rollins’ drummer during his Dutch tour. Dulfer tries to find the right form, but in the second piece, the holy fire really ignites. So much jazz history on one stage. That this thinned-out North Sea Jazz has to restrict itself to Dutch musicians is no problem at all.
Bennink bangs on his drums as if he wants to get rid of his frustrations about staying at home for a year and a half this very afternoon. The artists are clearly enjoying this performance as much as the audience. For the finale, Benjamin Herman calls Dulfer, Dzhabbar and Ronald and Cherish Snijders back on stage. Han Bennink picks up his djembe and takes his place next to Cherish. Really good percussionists don’t need more than just one single drum kit. Actually, there is no time left for an encore, but they do it anyway and play ‘Blues After Piet’, a warm tribute to the Rotterdam alto saxophonist Piet Noordijk, who died ten years ago.
Benjamin Herman did not exaggerate when he talked about a narrow escape. The scheduled performances in jazz club Dizzy have already been cancelled. Things will never be normal again.
‘Blues After Piet’