As a jazz musician, Dick de Graaf is a man for whom the moment counts … Also, for this record, the pursuit of perfection has been confirmed by reality.
(Jazznu)
Like the great baroque composers, De Graaf masters counterpoint down to the finest details. The result is impressive.
(Jazzenzo)
Always looking for a balance between the mainstream and the avant-garde.
(Jazzism)
After listening to this album, the question becomes more and more pressing, when will Dick de Graaf finally receive the Boy Edgar prize?
(Rootstime)
Please enjoy these seven original compositions and my arrangement of a famous Paul McCartney. I have written this music during the recent covid-19 restrictions imposed by the government on public life in the Netherlands. As a matter of fact, they turned out to be a fertile source for boundless creativity and musical deepening of my work.
In “Luca” (dedicated to my grandson), and in “The Night before the Morning After”, there is link with classical music. I loosely apply Olivier Messiaen’s fourth ‘mode of limited transposition’, both in the compositions and in my improvisations. “Festive” stands for the celebration of the moment, the magic of the moment that brings a composition to life, every time in a different way. In “Wetland”, the varying tempos reflect the capricious cultural policy in the Netherlands.
As a youngster, “Eleanor Rigby” rose my interest in polyphonic music. In my actual arrangement, I took McCartney’s piece apart and reassembled it with new chords. “Alla Prima” is a term from painting: wet-on-wet. This tune is distantly based on Thelonious Monk's composition "Bemsha Swing”. The melody of “Passeggiata anno Corona” came to mind spontaneously during one of my frequent lockdown walks. “Fly on the Wall” evocates a rhythmic groove that I used to hear and play a lot during my frequent journeys to West African countries Burkina Faso and Mali.
1. Luca 06:02
2. Festive 07:15
3. The Night Before the Morning After 06:31
4. Wetland 05:57
5. Eleanor Rigby 06:40
6. Alla Prima 03:57
7. Passeggiata anno Corona 05:35
8. Fly on the Wall 06:53
Dick de Graaf – tenor saxophone
Barry Green – piano
Jos Machtel – bass
Pascal Vermeer – drums
Recorded by Micha de Kanter at Wedgeview Studios, NL. September 11 and 12, 2020
Mixed by Micha de Kanter and Dick de Graaf
Mastered at Q Point digital Audio by Peter Brussee
Photography by Ruud van der Graaf
Cover design by Geert Hermkens, Löss Ontwerp
