BIMHUIS 50 Productions

in the past fifty years our venue has been an axis an international network of musicians who prioritize freedom, improvisation and independence. oscar jan hoogland celebrates this with twelve international top players who epitomize the spirit of the bimhuis. in a variety of line-ups they celebrate the bimhuis-sound, such as misha mengelberg’s mischievous swing, senegalese vocals, the chicago scene, crackling electronics, sean bergin’s south african kwelas, free improvisation alongside challenging composition, the wayward the ex, sultry ethiopian melodies, latin grooves and jazz by grandmasters such as monk, ellington and sun ra. oscar jan hoogland is a leading figure in the amsterdam improv scene. as misha mengelberg’s last student, he has strong ties to the history that is related to fifty years of bimhuis. especially for this concert he formed a supergroup in which he plays piano and electric clavichord.

in the bimhuis productions series reflex we invite musicians to reflect on the world and society. the curator of this edition is pianist marta warelis. she formed a group with well-known improvising musicians from various cities including amsterdam and chicago. they depart from silence, elements of folk and deep grooves, towards freedom and transformation. in this new band, marta warelis places her piano and synthesizer opposite the clarinets of karen ng and ab baars and the trumpet of ben lamar gay, which appears as a singing voice. the fundament is laid by bassist ingebrigt håker flaten and drummer frank rosaly. marta warelis has a strong preference for improvisation and experiment in all kinds of styles. she continuously aims for instant composing on the basis of new sounds and influences. the polish-born improviser explores the timbral possibilities of the acoustic piano on the one hand, and the electronic synthesizer on the other. since 2019 she’s part of the amsterdam-based improv collective doek.

the fifth bimhuis composition assignment, during our 50th birthday, has been awarded to composer-conductor tijn wybenga.with his brainteaser method, band leader and sound wizard tijn wybenga invented a way to capture the new jazz generation in music. to celebrate fifty years of bimhuis he will present his renewed orchestra, plus special guests from the outer limits of music. expect recycled samples, electronics, orchestral grooves, wild improv and spacey soundscapes. as our nieuwe maker, tijn wybenga took the opportunity to seize the essence of the current bimhuis community. the brainteaser orchestra (formerly am.ok) reflects a new generation that defies categorization. the music has all been written with the brainteaser method: recording live improvisations of band members and guest soloists, cutting and pasting hundreds of samples from those recordings and restructuring them in new ways, into new compositions. while wybenga’s approach is unabashed and playful, the orchestra reveals a great promise for the future. ‘a compelling tapestry. tijn wybenga, an unapologetic bandleader, steers the ship with fervor through an odyssey that defies categorization. rejecting the constraints of rigid genre descriptions, the ensemble explores heavy grooves, mesmerizing ballads, and ethereal soundscapes. anything is conceivable as wybenga propels his crew towards the next horizon, embracing the freedom to traverse diverse musical landscapes’ (jazz in europe). ahead of the concert there will be an introductory talk about innovations in music, organised by vrijdenkersfestival. the talk starts at 7:30 pm. entrance is free.