Bus Tour
– with 'tour leader' Sean Bergin delving into his store of anecdotes, songs and music to keep the bus wheels rolling.
Start 13:30 @ Kwikfiets > further details

2nd edition coming soon

On Sunday 22 April 2012, as part of dOeK #10 festival, the 2nd edition of the Amsterdam Real Book will take place.

First edition Real Book a success

The Amsterdam Real Book brought - 22-27 November 2011 - together established Amsterdam based improvisers and a new generation of improvising musicians from all over the world who have made this city their home. Performing in various constellations the 14 musicians shook up compositions that form the history and language of the Amsterdam impro scene. Over a period of 5 days the Real Book ensemble worked together in a different venue – Zaal 100, MLK, OT301, MuzyQ and Serah Artisan - presenting the results every evening in a concert.

Musicians and public agree that the first Amsterdam Real Book was a great success. The audience was taken on an exhilarating ride through 40 years (and more) of Amsterdam improvised music. The musicians learned a lot from and about each other and had fun tackling so many wonderful compositions from which sprung some equally wonderful improvisations. Featured composers included: Sean Bergin, Leo Cuypers, Ab Baars, Michael Moore, Theo Loevendie, Guus Jansen, Jack Bulterman, Misha Mengelberg, Paul Termos and The Ex. Quite a line up!

A big cheer for Oscar Jan Hoogland for devising and leading the Amsterdam Real Book. Thanks to Amsterdam Fonds voor de Kunst for helping to make this project possible.
 

Serah Artisan - Sunday 27 Nov 2011
The Amsterdam Real Book project ended in fine style in Zaandam's beautiful Serah Artisan. Eric Boeren, Michael Moore, John Dikeman, Yedo Gibson, Andrea Taeggi, Oscar Jan Hoogland, Mikael Szafirowski, Harald Austbø and Onno Govaert played their socks off and  presented a knockabout 'best-of' Real Book to a large and enthusiastic audience. The first set featured Caiada, Weary-Eyed, Murmurs, Beauty (Michael Moore), Igor's Bransle (Ab Baars) and Rondo (Guus Jansen). The second set's roller-coaster of composition and improvisation comprised Train Ride (Sean Bergin), Dag Schatteboutje (Jack Bulterman), State of Shock (the Ex), Guus Fiets is Stuk (Theo Loevendie), Hyperchristmastreefuzz, Driekusman Total Loss, Arm Wiel (Misha Mengelberg) and Bokkenrijder (Paul Termos). Afterwards we ate delicious Indonesian food and went off happily into the night.
 
 

@ MuzyQ - 25 Nov 2011
Friday's musicians - Eric Boeren, John Dikeman, Natalio Sued, Yedo Gibson, Michael Moore, Andrea Taeggi, Oscar Jan Hoogland, Harald Austbø, Jasper Stadhouders,  Mikael Szafirowski and Onno Govaert - were led by Michael Moore who took them on a journey through some of his myriad compositions. The evening's stellar performance included Fanfare, Murmurs, Another Day, Caiada, Grieving Mogul, Weary-Eyed and Beauty (all by Moore), plus pieces by Guus Jansen and Misha Mengelberg. Mila and Mirjana turned up for their third Real Book concert and so were the lucky winners of a Real Book t-shirt.
 
 

OT301 - Thursday 24 Nov
It was another interesting and entertaining concert last night at OT.  Compositions by Sean Bergin, including Monkey Woman, formed the backbone of the set. Blue Tango, Dag Schatteboutje and State of Shock were again on the menu, though generally receiving quite different treatments than at MLK. It was a joyous, exhilarating ride full of contrast, noise, melody, silliness and great music.

Unfortunately my camera's battery was empty, so no pictures from me. Can anyone help out with photos?
 

MLK - Wednesday 23 Nov 2011
It was a great concert at the MLK. The musicians -  John Dikeman, Wolter Wierbos, Yedo Gibson, Andrea Taeggi, Oscar Jan Hoogland, Jasper Stadhouders, Mikael Szafirowski and Onno Govaert - had dug deep into the NL Real Book during the day. The first set featured three pieces by Misha Mengelberg - Arm Wiel, Hypochristmastreefuzz and Driekusman Total Loss - plus Brokology (Joost Buis) and Blue Tango (Leo Cuypers). The last was a fantastic duo by Gibson and Szafirowski who transformed the piece into a soundscape around which Cuyper's composition hovered, only now and again finding explicit expression in snatches of tango.
In the second set the compositions segued into improvisations which segued into compositions. The pieces were Igor's Bransle (Ab Baars), a searing bolero version of The Ex' State of Shock and the oh so sweet Dag, Schatteboutje written in 1931 by Jack Bulterman. A comment from an audience member: 'It was so great and so typically Dutch.' Only 3 of the musicians actually are Dutch, the Instant Composing virus has apparently already infected all the others

See you tonight at OT301 - double bill (with New Yorkers Victoire) starting at 9pm.
 

Zaal 100 - Tuesday 22nov 2011
Tuesday 22 november saw the first Real Book performance in Zaal 100. Tristan Honsinger had worked with the ensemble - Andrea Taeggi, Eric Boeren, Gerri Jeager, Jasper Stadhouders, John Dikeman, Michael Moore, Mikael Szafirowski, Natalio Sued, Onno Govaert, Oscar Jan Hoogland, Wolter Wierbos, Yedo Gibson - for a good part of the day. Focus of the set-long piece was Instant Composing. There were verbal cues - "wishy-washy" was one - to bring in certain musical elements and small group pieces which had been composed that afternoon.  There was free improvisation and Tristan's Crocodile concept piece. Every now and again and a Real Book composition raised its head in the form of pieces by Paul Termos, Misha Mengelberg and Theo Loevendie. And then there was Tristan the dancing conductor. Everyone had fun and we look forward to going onward and upward this evening.
 

Free T-shirt
Visitors to three concerts or more receive an Amsterdam Real Book T-shirt or a NL Real Book free!
 

T-Shirt for sale!
Especially for Amsterdam Real Book we made this T-shirt, cost  10,= Euro

Sizes L, M and S, different colors. thanks to Arnold de Boer (design) and Loenatix Drukkerij

It's also possible to buy the  NL Real Book: 15,= Euro.  > More information about NL Real Book.