Legacy

to think outside the box: that has always been a motto to live by for saxophonist hans dulfer. musically, dulfer has always been at the forefront. he played psychedelic free jazz and created the first dutch world music. he was the first jazz musician to collaborate with house djs, and he achieved pop star status in japan with the unique blend of heavy guitars, beats and sax with the record big boy. he was also at the cradle of the dutch jazz scene, organising legendary concerts and co-founding our venue. in our anniversary month, a performance by this 'tough tenor' simply has to happen, 50 years after his first concert at the bimhuis. to this day, dulfer prefers to play live, at the most diverse venues and with relentless energy. as always, he brings a true all-star band including guitarist jerôme hol and drummer hans eijkenaar. dulfer has informed us that he likes to see a full house, so you know what to do.

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.

the famous icp orchestra returns to our stage once again. in 1967, together with pianist/composer misha mengelberg, han bennink stood at the foundations of this orchestra, which is currently known as one of the most creative groups in modern jazz. mengelberg passed away in 2017, but his compositions are kept alive by a basically steady line-up. mengelberg’s compositions are the starting point, but no icp concert is ever the same. the musicians of the icp orchestra have learned to deal with each other’s quirks, when it comes to timing and intonation. they know how to confuse each other, to bend or derail the music while performing. because of that, the music is full of surprises, unexpected turns, flexible grace and weird eruptions. “…the instant composers pool orchestra, from amsterdam, ….they are scholars and physical comedians, critics and joy-spreaders.” – the new york times

greetje bijma & oceanic it's a remarkable collaboration between leftfield techno dj and producer oceanic and jazz vocal artist greetje bijma; a sparkling hybrid at the intersection of improvisation and electronics. greetje bijma can rightfully be called a legend: in 1990, she was the first woman to win the buma boy edgar prize (the most prestigious dutch award for jazz and improvised music), and she has collaborated with the likes of jasper van ’t hof, willem breuker, and louis andriessen. since the 1980s, this free jazz singer has been an integral part of the dutch jazz scene. when pieter jansen of the record label yeyeh met bijma, he was instantly starstruck. he asked her if she would be interested in collaborating with a young electronic music producer, and her answer was an immediate and enthusiastic yes. enter oceanic. this rising star in the dutch electronic underground is known for his mechanical rhythms, minimalist melodies, and vibrant electronics. although they come from completely different generations, they had an instant musical connection. expect mind-expanding vocals, danceable rhythms, and breathtaking beats. luxe (live) this london dj brings a unique blend of classical music and cutting-edge electronic beats like you’ve never heard before. with her background in flute, piano, and vocals, she brings deep musicality to every set, giving her tracks a refreshing twist in the club scene. whether you see her shining at major festivals like waterworks and field day or elsewhere, luxe’s performances are always a journey through a fascinating world of sound. experience her energetic and boundary-pushing music live at amsterdam dance event at the bimhuis. ade opens with five arts & culture opening concerts with leading figures in art forms from all fields. this concert is selected to be one of the five opening concerts of ade 2024.  

like our venue, the willem breuker kollektief saw the light of day fifty years ago. the legendary orchestra, which was active until 2012, will now give its first performance in renewed form. most of today’s members have played under the leadership of the orchestra’s namesake and composer, who died in 2010. out of the ten musicians, three have been members from the start. the concert will be introduced by duos featuring musicians who have a special connection to breukers' music, alternated with a performance of “www.brandhout.nl” for a string octet consisting of members of the dudok kwartet and the mondriaan kwartet. during his life, willem breuker continued to invigorate dutch music life with new impulses. as a composer, saxophonist and clarinetist he united divergent styles in theatrical, cabaret-like performances for as wide an audience as possible. he traveled the globe for thirty-five years with his own ensemble, willem breuker kollektief; he ran a record company, bv haast; and for decades he organized the festival klap op de vuurpijl for jazz, improvised, and contemporary classical music. the willem breuker kollektief received global acclaim for its groundbreaking nature, uniting jazz and improvisation with european influences from theatre, film and classical music, among others. alongside willem breuker’s original compositions, the kollektief presented remarkable renditions of the music of kurt weill and george gershwin. many performances and albums were created with special guests, such as vera beths, gisela may, greetje kauffeld, loes luca, and freek de jonge.

as part of our legacy series, it is high time to put cellist and composer ernst reijseger in the spotlight. and that is not difficult with such a track record: reijseger provided music for 12 werner herzog films and recorded more than 200 albums with musicians from far-flung disciplines. the la times calls reijseger a genre bender. as an improvising cellist, he is a creative partner of actors, poets, dancers, painters, sculptors and photographers. with oscar isaac and keegan michael key, among others, he played and provided the music for shakespeare's hamlet in nyc in 2017. his connection to our venue is no small one; reijseger performed at the first bimhuis on the oudeschans back in its opening month in october 1974. since then, he has appeared on our stage more than 150 times with the likes of theo loevendie, icp, clusone trio, gerry hemingway and sean bergin. invariably, the music of this boy edgar prize winner remains unpredictable. so too this evening. he presents a twelve-member agile ensemble under the title picture this, a name that refers to the imagination and films for which reijseger composed and brought together musicians from all over the world. reijseger unites high-flying soloists who are at the same time great ensemble players.

the sun ra arkestra has been spreading its afro-futuristic jazz message for 66 years and keeps continuing the cosmic jazz heritage of the mythical pianist, composer and electronic music pioneer sun ra. the collective space is the place, named after sun ra’s work, brings the orchestra to amsterdam. the concert will be preceded by performances of likeminded musicians: the improv duo of bassist farida amadou and guitarist jasper stadhouders, followed by the revolutionary american poet moor mother in collaboration with multi-instrumentalist lukas koenig. dj collective fuuturejazz ends the evening at the café. 19:30-20:00 farida amadou & jasper stadhouders from noise punk to improv jazz: farida amadou has mastered it all. the bass guitarist has collaborated with the likes of linda sharrock, ken vandermark and thurston moore. now she forms a duo with jasper stadhouders, guitarist in band like cactus truck and spinifex, where he’s known for his unbridled and unconventional improvisations. 20:15-20:55 moor mother & lukas koenig through her work, vocalist and poet camae ayewa aka moor mother illuminates the principles of her multidisciplinary collaborative practice black quantum futurism, a theoretical framework informed by historical black ontologies. multi-instrumentalist lukas koenig, who plays drums in moor mother’s band, has previously collaborated with the likes of david murray, jamaaladeen tacuma and steven bernstein. 21:15-22:30 sun ra arkestra sun ra was known for his layered big band music full of african and eastern influences mixed with unusual sounds from his analogue keyboards. he was named after the egyptian sun god and was purported to have come from saturn, which he expressed in cosmic themes and titles such as space is the place and astro black. originally based in chicago, the arkestra toured the world in flamboyant pharaoh costumes. since sun ra’s ‘ascension’ in 1993, the arkestra continues his heritage. band leader marshall allen, saxophonist since the early days, recently celebrated his 100th birthday. he’s still part of the band in the us, but overseas he will hand over his duties to saxophonist knoel scott. the sun ra arkestra has made countless albums and is being recognized to this day as a spectacular live band. sun ra’s ‘afro-futurist’ jazz is as influential as ever, for example on the current generation of dj’s and producers. dj collective fuuturejazz - after the concert at the café. enter the sonic playground of fuuturejazz, an experimental electronic crew guided by the eternal spirit of jazz. jazz, not strictly in the sense of swung drums and elaborate horn solo's, but in it's broader essence of taking conventions, bending and breaking them, of improvisation and playfulnes, of coming together and building something new. about space is the place space is the place has been collaborating with bimhuis frequently since 2018 via their series of interplanetary and intergalactic nights. with the name being a direct ode to sun ra's cosmic jazz legacy, we are thrilled to have the arkestra in amsterdam at this special event. space is the place firmly believes in the unconditional, unrelenting, qualitative, and original archetype of the performing arts: improvisation. since 2015, amsterdam-based sitp has organized over 1000 progressive and adventurous concerts with a focus on improvised music, experimentation, and jazz. sitp forms a creative breeding ground that stimulates its local, internationally-oriented improv scene, always keen on crossing genres and disciplines as well as challenging artists to perform in new formations—both through sitproductions and by encouraging new concepts.