Michiel Stekelenburg – Catharsis

music is the answer. that is the message that joris teepe wants to communicate with his new album the american dream today. the dutch bassist, who has been active in new york for over thirty years, wrote compositions that deal with topics such as fake news, polarization and the wealth of the one percent. the music merges different cultures and vibes into cool sounds and swinging grooves. for this concert, joris teepe will bring along his six-piece american band. arriving in new york in 1992 with just his bass and a suitcase, joris teepe dove into the jazz scene. he played with hundreds of musicians and collaborated extensively with major players such as benny golson, rashied ali and sonny fortune. as a band leader he has released 22 albums under his own name. in his current band he plays with trumpeter ian cleaver, who has been an active member of the dutch scene before he moved to new york a couple of years ago. pianist danny grissett played on our stage earlier this year as part of black art jazz collective. the band is completed by saxophonist don braden, trombonist luis bonilla and drummer gene jackson. this concert is dedicated to jim rotondi, the former trumpeter in the band who passed away earlier this year. joris teepe posted the following statement: ‘the sudden passing of jim is so sad, it’s hard to face reality. he was such a warm person and great musician, jim and i knew each other since 1992. life is short and has many ups and downs… we cannot wait to see you all and celebrate making beautiful music in dedication to jim rotondi.’