Berghuis / Schreurs

Cuimean

I was messing around on CD Baby and found an album by a Dutch guitarist named Harold Berghuis. Here's his web page:

http://www.haroldberghuis.nl/english/index.htm

There are a few song snippets on there. I was impressed; his approach (though not necessarily his sound) reminds me of Marc Atkinson.

I also recently read about a Belgian guitarist named Jokke Schreurs who seems to be doing some interesting things. Here's a short bio and a song sample:

http://www.jassepoes.be/promoJokkeSchreurs.html

There are more samples here:

http://www.cdroots.com/wbm-60.html

Does anyone know anything else about these guys? Anyone seen either of them live?

Cuimean

Just wanted to add a little update to my previous post:

I picked up "Force Majeure" by the Jokke Schreurs Trio, and it's really excellent. Schreurs' playing is very elegant, with some of Rodolphe Raffalli's classical leanings, Henri Crolla's light touch, and some really nice chord solo stuff. On this album, he's accompanied by Sam Stuyck on guitar and Ben Faes on bass. They're tight and unobtrusive, and Faes does some really nice arco stuff on one tune.

The tunes they picked are fantastic. There are four excellent Schreurs originals, along with versions of "Two Guitars," "Au clair de la lune," Astor Piazzolla's "Adios Nonino," John Coltrane's "Naima," and "Blumenwalzer" by Tchaikovsky. The album is very modern, but not really as concerned with dissonnance as a group like Cordacor. The only group I can think to compare it to is Kamlo Trio, but that's not completely accurate.

Those looking for hardcore, driving swing might be disappointed, but if you want to hear some really beautiful waltzes, well-composed originals, and interesting covers, you're in luck. I picked up my copy at www.cdroots.com. For those in Europe, you might want to get it directly from Wild Boar Music. The catalogue number is WBM 21060.

- Rod

Ando

Rod,

I totally agree about Jokke Schreurs Trio. *Really* interesting and fresh stuff. Sits right next to my discs by Waso Quartet and Les Ptits Belges.

Best,
Ando

Cuimean

Just a lil' update on this stuff:

I grabbed two more Jokke Schreurs Trio discs from www.proxis.be. They're mostly excellent. The first (self-titled) one is the closest to your average Hot Club-type CD, with tunes including "Stockholm," "Nuages," "Swing 39," and Jo Privat's "Papillons Noirs." "Stockholm" and "Papillons Noirs" are quite fun, but "Nuages" and "Swing 39" are a bit stiff. However, the group more than makes up for it with a great version of Duke Ellington's "Maunt Harissa" and some excellent Schreurs originals.

The second JST disc is called "Muziek Van Voor Den Oorlog," and it's really great and a little weird. The band is in top form with their renditions of "Porto Cabello" and "Manoir de Mes Rêves." The Schreurs originals are inventive and fascinating. The band really shines on the waltzes; they're elegant and impeccably played. Schreurs tends to avoid hammer-ons and pull-offs, giving his melodic lines a crisp, clearly articulated sound. He's also fond of scales and arpeggios played in such a way that the notes ring out and overlap. The weird bit comes in with a singer who joins them for a wonderfully bizarre take on Kurt Weill's "Cannon Song," an excerpt from Verdi's Tosca, and Jacques Brel's "Ne Me Quitte Pas." This is a band that's definitely finding its own unique sound.

I also grabbed "Voor Ada" by the Harold Berghuis New Hot Trio from CDBaby.com. It consists of ten originals and has a very interesting modern take on the Hot Club sound. Berghuis' playing reminds me a little of some of the Pigalle 44 stuff I've heard (esp. their version of Joseph Reinhardt's "Bric a Brac."). There's another element in Berghuis' playing that I'm still trying to put my finger on. It occasionally has almost a bluesy sound, like Wes Montgomery or Grant Green. It's not overdone at all and adds an interesting wrinkle to the band's sound. Berghuis' compositions are really wonderful as well. Most of it really swings, and he has a fondness for unexpected chord and rhythm changes. It's nothing jarring...just the result of a tight band challenging themselves. It's worth mentioning that the recording on "Voor Ada" is really beautiful. Berghuis' guitar has that characteristic Selmer-style honk, but with a warmth of tone one doesn't often hear.