Dutch drummer Eric Ineke has just released a tremendously exciting new album that is easily one of my favorites—The Eric Ineke JazzXpress Plays the Music of Cannonball Adderley (Timeless). It's a gorgeous tribute to the esteemed alto saxophonist, composer and bandleader.
Among Eric's many jazz accomplishments in the Netherlands was being a member of the Frans Elsen Septet. Born in 1934, Elsen was one of the first bebop pianists in Holland who was much in demand in the early 1950s, when he began playing professionally there with with American tenor saxophonist Don Byas. [Photo above of Eric Inike]
In the 1970s, Elsen also was the first in Holland to introduce jazz in classical music schools and conservatories, and he helped organize the jazz departments at the Netherlands' main conservatories. He taught piano, arranging and theory, and held ensemble classes at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague.
He also was an early European champion of the Fender Rhodes electric piano. His masterpiece was The Norwegian Cycle, performed and recorded with his septet—Elsen on Fender Rhodes, Piet Noordijk on alto saxophone, Eddie Engels on trumpet and flugelhorn, Wim Overgaauw on guitar, Rob Langereis on bass guitar, Eric Ineke on drums and Wim van der Beek on percussion.
But The Norwegian Cycle suite wasn't released in the early 1970s. It only surfaced in 2021 when exhumed by the Netherlands Jazz Archive and released as Norway. Eric's playing on there is sensitive and engaging.
Long a favoite pick-up drummer by touring American jazz legends, Eric delivers a fitting tribute to Cannonball Adderley. The arrangements of the songs recorded by the Cannonball Adderley Sextet are by Rob van Bavel, Marius Beets and Sjoerd Dijkhuizen. All are sophisticated, driving and true to the originals.
The band
Eric Ineke (d), Tineke Postma (as), Sjoerd Dijkhuizen (ts), Nico Schepers (tp), Rob van Bavel (p) and Marius Beets (b).
The tracks
- Azule Serape (Victor Feldman)/arr. Rob van Bavel
- Planet Earth (Yusef Lateef)/arr. Marius Beets
- P. Bouk (Yusef Lateef)/arr. Beets
- Jessica's Birthday (Quincy Jones)/arr. Beets
- Domination (Cannonball Adderley)/Beets
- Gemini (Jimmy Heath)/van Bavel
- Dizzy's Business (Quincy Jones)/van Bavel
- Work Song (Nat Adderley)/van Bavel
- The Chant (Victor Feldman)/Sjoerd Dijkhuizen
- Unit 7 (Sam Jones)/van Bavel
What makes this album special, in addition to the superb musicians and arrangements, are the high standards and intimacy of the music. The sextet is way inside the music and retains Adderley's soulful and cohesive qualities. Every track is tight and reflects Adderley's high standards and swinging charm.
As for Eric, he is one of the greats—always stirring up the music with just the right amount of energy and encouragement.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find The Eric Ineke JazzXpress Plays the Music of Cannonball Adderley (Timeless) here. If you want the album, just buy it. You won't be sorry.
If you want to give all of the tracks a full listen at YouTube, go here.
JazzWax clips: Here's Jessica's Birthday...
Here's Dizzy's Business...
Here's Azule Serape...
And here's Gemini...
Bonus: Here's the Eric Ineke JazzXpress performing a tribute to Dexter Gordon, with tenor saxophonists Gideon Tazelaa, left, and Sjoerd Dijkhuizen playing two songs at once—Gideon is playing Miles Davis's Half Nelson and Sjoerd is playing Tadd Dameron's Lady Bird. The former is based on the latter's chord changes...
And here's The Chase, originally a lengthy tenor saxophone battle between Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray...
