The creative community centered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, can be seen as the modern-day equivalent of a city once known as New Amsterdam — a 17th-century Dutch settlement that would eventually become New York City.
Just as modern jazz flourished in mid-20th-century New York, some might argue that today’s hotbed of creative music resides in old Amsterdam. Evidence for this can be found in Old Adam on Turtle Island, a stunning musical creation by a multicultural quartet.
Led by American saxophonist John Dikeman, the quartet previously released Sunday at De Ruimte (2021) with Frank Rosaly on drums. In this new venture, Rosaly has been succeeded by Korean drummer Sun-Mi Hong.
Tag Archive: Marta Warelis
Freedom from, or freedom to, that is the question. When the word was first applied to jazz, it was mostly the former; free jazz rebelled against increasingly confining practices and expectations. But when Argentine sopranino and tenor saxophonist Ada Rave and Polish pianist Marta Warelis play together, it’s more a matter of the latter. Do they want to form a tune on the spot, or sink deep into a sonic texture? Rip it up, or wax reflective? The answer is yes. When they recorded this album in concert on June 3, 2024, the Amsterdam venue Splendor’s stage was a free zone where anything was permitted.
But these are players who sincerely reckon with the responsibility that accompanies such freedom. They have responsibilities to each other…