Presenting: Saxify musicians - Glenn Gaddum jr.

2 more days until the premiere of Dark Horse live at Bimhuis!Meet the band, consisting of Matthijs Geerts, ike van Bergen, Thomas Pol, Helene Jank and Yoràn Vroom. After the concert DJ Maestro will spin some jazzy and funky vinyl.....Matthijs Geerts (piano/keys) has been one of the Netherlands go-to session players for a number of years now. Graduated from and teaching at Codarts, you may have seen him perform with GreyHeads, Marutyri and DESH. With the release of his own project Lost In Reverse he steps proudly into the spotlights. In his bio he describes the idea behind his music as “a new template to connect the acoustic and electronic worlds”, which helps him to create contemporary jazz in its most hybrid form.Ike van Bergen (piano/keys) graduated from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam only two years ago and has since been making a remarkable impact on the Dutch music scene. With his band ParHasard, he explores fresh and adventurous sounds, while also building a diverse career as a freelance pianist and keyboard player. Beyond his work on stage, Ike is active behind the scenes as well, contributing to projects at the Grachtenfestival and Studio LOOS in The Hague, where he continues to develop his artistic voice and collaborate with a wide range of musicians and creators.Thomas Pol is a Rotterdam-based bass player who is active on both the Dutch and international scene. His spontaneous, powerful and grooving style is a defining characteristic of his playing. He began his studies at Codarts Conservatory in Rotterdam, after which he joined an exchange program in New Orleans, further shaping his musical identity. Several scholarships enabled him to deepen his studies, and upon returning to the Netherlands he quickly became a highly sought-after bass player. In addition to his jazz activities, he completed a classical double bass master’s degree at Fontys in Tilburg, which led to more engagements in the classical music scene alongside his jazz work. He regularly performs with Benjamin Herman, Pynarello and many others.Yoràn Vroom (drums) began his musical journey at a young age. He credits a significant part of his artistic development to studying drums with the renowned Surinamese-Dutch drum master Eddy Veldman and immersing himself in West African percussion under Master Ponda O’Bryan. A graduate - and now teacher - of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Yoràn has become one of the most sought-after drummers in the Netherlands and beyond, collaborating with celebrated artists such as Frank McComb, Ed Motta, Cory Henry, and Kinga Głyk. Also, he often performs with his own Group of Friends.Helene Jank is a percussionist and composer. She studied percussion at Codarts University of the Arts in Rotterdam and holds a Master’s degree in Improvised Music for Vocals from Bruckner University in Linz. With her band Zulemax, Helene performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland, 2014) and recorded the album Zulemax llegó (2012), featuring original compositions arranged by Cuban Grammy Award winner Joaquín Betancourt. In addition to her musical work, Helene studied theatre and dance at the Amsterdam University of the Arts (AHK), the PSA in Paris, and with renowned artists such as Cédric Charron (Jan Fabre), Arthur Rosenfeld (Pina Bausch), and Tal Sofer. For over fifteen years, she has been active in the European dance and theatre scene—creating performative works, touring internationally, and composing music for various productions, often in collaboration with other international artists.DJ Maestro became well-known for his albums for famous jazz label Blue Note Records, leading to the creation of the platina awarded compilation series Blue Note Trip. He is celebrated for his vast and eclective record collection. His music captivates global audiences with a jazzy, soulful mix that sets the standard in musical storytelling, often performing live with jazz musicians for that extra live interaction and experience. - Glenn Gaddum jr. plays bass on “Open Up”, You And Me”, “Angeldelic” and “Throwback”.Glenn and I met during our time at Conservatory of Amsterdam many years ago.He can make the singer/soloist sound good, but also can solo on an odd meter/uptempo tune and make it sound effortless. He truly lets his bass speak. He never “wastes” notes on his bass and always goes for the essential ones. His musical frame of reference is huge, having grown up in a musical household with a lot of jazz/funk/latin music. He’s quite perfect actually. Well, maybe one thing: I am not the only one who likes him so he’s a busy man, always working with great bands or often jamming at NeL alongside drummers Yoran Vroom or Jamie Peet. I am happy to have caught this fantastic musician on “Saxify” and hope to play with him more often in the future.More about him:Glenn Gaddum jr. was born in Alkmaar and raised in Amsterdam, Holland.He came from a music-loving family and was influenced early on by his father, who was a piano player (jazz) and the owner of a recording studio, as well as his musical artistic extended family.He displayed an early affinity for jazz music. By the age of fifteen he was already proficient on the bass guitar and piano and had begun composing music.The electric bass, however, was his greatest love and by the age of sixteen, he was working regularly with various bands. Soon thereafter, he was playing bass and writing music for various artists.Glenn also spent a few years as a studio musician. He has appeared as a bassist on all kinds of records.He was a member of a successful group called the Mindmenders in which his sister Patt Riley (Patty Gaddum) was the lead singer.In 1999, they won the 'Popprijs Amsterdam' award and the Grote prijs van Nederland' award.As the bassplayer of the Sanne van Hek Trio, he won the Dortse Jazz Price in 2003.He playes and has played with:N'dambi, Ferial Karamat Ali, Jose James, Postman, Patt Riley, Anouk, Frank Mc Comb, Anne Guus Teerhuis, Rebekka Ling, Boris, Sven Hammond Soul, Sanne van Hek, Rose, Raymzter, Dazzled KId, Waylon and so on……Visit his websiteFrank McComb New Morning 2015