Jasper Somsen – Double Bass
Paul van der Feen – Alto Saxophone
Bert van den Brink – Piano/Fender Rhodes
In the fall of 2013, the cosy old bar of the grand café Loburg in my home town of Wageningen (The Netherlands) turned into a brand new, beautiful small venue, perfectly suited for an audience of a hundred people. In collaboration with LoburgLive, we started the concert series “Jasper Somsen Invites …” as part of the international programme of Jazz in Wageningen, in January 2014. The concept of “Jasper Somsen Invites …” is typical in the world of Jazz music. Back in the day, no one ever imagined that “Jasper Somsen Invites …” was about to celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2024. In 10 years’ time we’ve had over 50 concerts, featuring more than 100 musicians, who have included the very best Dutch Jazz musicians. On 30 March 2023, I invited the Metropole Orchestra’s alto saxophone player Paul van der Feen and master pianist Bert van den Brink. We had so much fun during the sound-check that we decided to record the concert. The recordings turned out to be a lucky shot in the dark. The music on this album perfectly reflects the same spontaneity as many other concerts at Loburg: live music, up-close and personal, for a wonderful audience. This time the concert was recorded in just one take, with no safety net. – Jasper Somsen