Musicfrom 05-2012

(De Limburger, 05-06-2025)Translation:‘Funk and Fireworks’ with Susanne Alt at the Last Jazz aan de SjtasieAfter this coming weekend’s edition, Jazz aan de Sjtasie in Swalmen will come to an end. During the farewell weekend, among others, Susanne Alt will perform—saxophonist and DJ in one.SWALMENPAUL VAN DER STEENSaxophonist Susanne Alt (47) has been performing with DJs since the late 1990s. In 2015, a booker called her with the question whether she also DJed herself. As a joke, she answered “yes.” And if you say A, you must also say B… “I took a few lessons to learn how to DJ and then just put in the hours. It has enriched me. As a saxophonist, you’re more focused on your own solos. A DJ needs to have a much broader perspective. You have to sense the atmosphere. Then you decide what kind of music is needed. There’s also quite a bit of technical knowledge involved.”In 2016, she decided to combine playing saxophone and DJing for her tour with the funky album Saxify. That act grew into Venus Tunes Live, the formation with which she will play at Jazz aan de Sjtasie in Swalmen this coming weekend. “No matter what lineup we perform with, it’s always only women. That’s been a wish of mine for a long time. Because of the automatic way in which male bands are always booked again and again. You rarely see women even in supporting roles or only as singers.”HighlightsThe band’s lineup changes. “It also depends on the wishes of whoever books us and what else is on the program. Sometimes it’s me with one singer and one percussionist, with all three of us DJing as well, to two singers, a violinist, a percussionist, and myself on sax and as DJ. The music also varies, depending on the type of audience and the atmosphere: sometimes it stays fairly mellow, other times it’s all about funk and fireworks.”Alt, born in Germany but now living in the Netherlands longer than she ever lived in her homeland, wants performances to be more than one-way traffic. “They only become real highlights when there’s social interaction: between musicians and with the audience. You can move people with your playing, but also get them to sing and dance along.”TributeBesides Venus Tunes Live, Alt still tours with the material from her jazz album Royalty for Real, which was released early last year. The idea for that album arose during the pandemic. “With all the time to reflect, I concluded that it was time for a real jazz project and it became a hommage to trumpeter Roy Hargrove (1969–2018). I’ve always admired him. Because of his playing, with which he could say so much with so few notes. Especially his ballads have always stayed with me. Also I loved the way he approached jazz; he always was looking for jazz sessions where he could join and play, encourage other musicians.. I recorded Royalty for Real in New York with musicians Roy often played with.”Hargrove, along with Joshua Redman, was one of the musicians who first introduced the then-teenage Alt to jazz. “Both my parents worked in music. But they didn’t listen to jazz. I myself had classical saxophone lessons since I was twelve. In Bavaria, where I grew up, saxophone was mainly destined for concert bands. But I knew the saxophone was also a real jazz instrument.”VideotapesAlt went looking for the music herself. “I would record jazz concerts on videotapes that aired on TV at night. And I went to the library to read biographies of musicians and dive deeper into jazz history.”Hargrove and Redman were not only gifted instrumentalists, but also young and cool. Years later, she met them at jam sessions at festivals like North Sea Jazz.“I didn’t push myself forward there, but waited calmly for my moment. If you didn’t immediately play a five-minute solo, the famous Americans also liked getting to know the local musicians that way. I immediately had a good connection with Hargrove. A kind of friendship developed.”In the coming years, Alt wants to play many styles mixed together and provide entertainment. “For me, there’s only bad and good music. I like to contribute to good music. And in my case, it preferably has to groove.”Jazz aan de Sjtasie takes place 6th, 7th and 8th of june at the previous station in Swalmen. performing artists are a.o. Benjamin Herman, Han Bennink, Hans Dulfer, Philip Catherine, Mike Roelofs and Bart Oostindie. - Susanne Alt komt ditmaal met een warme funky jazz plaat. Waarbij enkele andere genres ook hun opwachting maken maar haar eigen bebop jazz stijl nimmer uit het oog gelaten wordt. Albumopener 'How To Kiss' heeft gelijk al een hoog funk gehalte mede door Thjs Cuppen op zijn Fender Rhodes en Thijs van Leer's Hammondspel. Een stuk groovier wordt het allemaal in de jamsessie van 'B. Jammin'' waar zowel Alt als haar band zich even lekker ontdoen van de dagelijkse sleur. De dame weet ons aardig omver te blazen met haar instrumentbeheersing. Een dosis blues wordt toegevoegd met 'Cold Sweat' oorspronkelijk geschreven door Alfred Pee Wee Ellis en uitgevoerd door James Brown. Zeker niet de minste en dus zeer gedurfd om daar aan te beginnen. Het tempo voor alle blazers wordt opgevoerd in 'Snokie' aangevuld met een paar vette riffs van Eran en de uitbundige (...) solo. Maar ons hart smelt pas echt bij 'What's Going On', het origineel is al prachtig maar deze vertolking geeft het nummer een extra warme gloed mee. De jaren dertig jazz standaard 'Willow Weep For Me' vindt ook een plekje op het album. Ook hier schittert het saxofoonspel van Alt in een weemoedig bluesgevoel. Dat de saxofoon zich ook goed leent voor wereldmuziek met een vleugje melancholie horen we in 'African Dream'. Alle regeltjes de deur uit met 'No Rules' waar er weer flink op los gebebopt wordt. Een dosis warme latin strijkt neer in het bossa nova-achtige 'Frida's Birds'. Waarna er nog een leuke kleine verrassing aan het einde van het album komt. Het instrumentarium krijgt namelijk een verrassende bijval van Susanne's zangstem in de cover van Ray Charles' 'Just A Little Lovin''. Hopelijk is dit niet de laatste keer dat ze een deuntje meezingt want het is een aangename aanvulling. Kortom: de twaalf tracks zijn een lekkere mix van sfeervolle ballads en pittige uptempo songs. Een fijne soundtrack voor een hopelijk evenzo zwoele en warme zomer.EnglishSusanne Alt is coming this time with a hot funky jazz album. Some other genres also make their appearance but her own bebop style of jazz is always on the lurk. Album opener 'How To Kiss' has a high funk content because of Thjs Cuppen's Fender Rhodes and Thijs van Leer's Hammond. In the jam session of B. Jammin'' it becomes even groovier where both Alt and her band are equally deliciously getting rid of the daily grind. The lady knows who to blow us away with her ??instrument control. A dose of blues is added with Cold Sweat originally written by Alfred Pee Wee Ellis and performed by James Brown. Certainly not the least, and therefore very daring. The tempo for all horn blowers is sppeding up in 'Snokie' supplemented by a couple of of chunky riffs and exuberant solo by Eran (...). But our heart really melts in 'What's Going On', the original is beautiful but this rendition gives the song an extra warm glow with it. The Thirties jazz standard Willow Weep For Me 'is also finds a spot on the album. Again Alt's saxophone playing shines in a melancholy blues feel. That the saxophone lends itself well for world music with a touch of melancholy as can be heard in 'African Dream'. Away with all rules and regulations with No Rules where there is some bebop action going on. A dose of hot latin alights in bossa nova-like 'Frida's Birds'. Then there is a nice little surprise at the end of the album. The instrumentarium receives an unexpected addition from Susanne's voice in the cover of Ray Charles' Just A Little Lovin''. Hopefully this is not the last time she sings a tune because it is pleasant. In short, the twelve tracks are a nice mix of atmospheric ballads and uptempo spicy songs. A fine soundtrack for a hopefully equally sultry and hot summer.