Welcome to Stichting dOeK! Stichting dOeK is a non-profit organisation founded by five musicians representing various groups active in the improvised music world – apa ini, Available Jelly, Eric Boeren 4tet, Trio Fuhler/Bennink/deJoode, Tobias Delius 4tet, Wolter Wierbos solo and Wilbert de Joode solo. Our aim is to support new musical initiatives, and to present improvised jazz to as wide a public as possible with concerts, a yearly festival, workshops and educational activities, newsletters and articles, and a website.

Stichting dOeK is structurally supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. In the last two years we have also received extra funding from the Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, the Fonds voor Amateurkunst en Podiumkunsten, the ThuisKopie Fonds, the Muziek en Theater Netwerk and The British Council.

Carolyn Munz - co-ordinator

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dOeK Festival #6
December 21 and 22, 2007 in the Bimhuis.

dOeK Festival #6 programme

Leaving aside improvisation, there are two obvious themes running through this sixth edition of the dOeK Festival: piano and Berlin. Not that that was the intention - it's the result of purely artistic considerations on the part of the five dOeK founders when putting together their festival sets: where are things happening, who's interesting right now, with whom will I make music of the moment, who must the public hear?............We want to present music that's acute, central, clamorous, climatic, compelling, crucial, deciding, decisive, desperate, imperative, insistent, momentous, necessary, pivotal, pressing, searching, urgent, vital - essential music!

DOeK presents two evenings (and a Longest Night) when you can hear - new ideas - the familiar meeting the new - world premieres - unconventional combinations - unpredictable music - the fulfilment of long cherished wishes - unique, indispensable moments!

Tobias Delius has been living in Berlin for a while and returns with Mrs. Conception, whose improvisations draw inspiration from selected jazz standards and graphic notation. During his musical wanderings Wilbert de Joode heard the relatively unknown young saxophonist Christine Sehnaoui -he knew a trio with her and percussion master Lê Quan Ninh would make for an exciting combination. Fred van Hove, a founding father of free jazz in Europe, and more often heard in Japan and the US than in the Low Countries, plays in Eric Boeren's quintet, along with prepared piano whiz Philip Zoubek and bass clarinet phenomenon Rudi Mahall. Wolter Wierbos gets to the core of his music with a solo trombone set, and Cor Fuhler makes fragile soundscapes with Axel Dörner (who received a lot of attention for his reworking of Thelonious Monk tunes along with von Schlippenbach et al) and harpist Clare Cooper, one of the very few improvisers on this instrument. The sixth spot goes to a duo from - yes - Berlin: pianist Magda Mayas - “leading light of the next generation of improvisers” - and Tony Buck (who recently played so wonderfully in the Bimhuis with The Necks)

And we celebrate the Longest Night! Drummers Hamid Drake and Michael Zerang have been doing that for 17 years in Chicago. Here in Amsterdam we've invited Michael Vatcher to celebrate with you in the atrium of the Bimhuis/Muziekgebouw. There'll be masses of gongs to play, other festival musicians may join in - let's see what happens and where we end up........................!

PROGRAMME see Festival

New: Sunday afternoon concerts in Zaandam!
Stichting 't Lab and the venue Serah Artisan are joining forces to present a new concert series in Zaandam. The series gives groups the opportunity to play four times in a row, allowing the music to really 'grow'. And you can follow that development in a relaxed Sunday afternoon atmosphere......

The series kicks off on September 16 at 4 o'clock with a new quintet from Eric Boeren - HOI (Hot en Improvised) - with Eric Boeren, cornet; Franky Douglas, guitar; Paul Pallesen, guitar; Glenn Gaddum jr, electric bass; en Artis Orubs, drums.
Dates: 16 September (Mini HOI), 14 en 28 October.

And then it's Available Jelly new style!
Dates: 11, 25 November - 9, 23 December.

Serah Artisan: Dam 2, Zaandam (2nd floor) - www.serahartisan.nl

Upcoming concerts/tours

Eric Boeren 4tet - Eric Boeren: cornet - Michael Moore: sax, clarinet - Arjen Gorter: double bass (17 - 19 Oct) - Wilbert de Joode: double bass (12 - 16 dec) - Paul Lovens: drums

17 October Alkmaar Provadja
18 October Edam Mahogany Hall
19 October Zaandam Serah Artisan
12 December Amsterdam Bimhuis
14 December Wels Alte Schlachthof
15 December Nickelsdorf Jazzgalerie
16 December Zurich Rote Fabrik

Eric Boeren & Cor Fuhler team up with Chicago musicians Nate McBride and Mike Reed to play at the Umbrella Music Festival and the Euro Jazz Meets Chicago event. There are a few other concerts planned in the area - keep an eye on the concert list.

Volunteers

In the run-up to the festival there's a lot to do - actually there's always a lot to do! If you would like to help out in the office, whether regularly, or on a one-off basis, let us know. At the moment Carolyn could especially use some help with organizing and archiving publicity material. In return we can offer a 'gezellige' atmosphere, a modest financial reimbursement and ..........free tickets for the dOeK festival!

Impro residency

An opportunity for groups to work intensively with dOeK musicians to hone their improvisational skills - a weeklong residency in Amsterdam! The first residency is planned for 25 - 29 February 2008. Deadline for enrolments is 21 December 2007.
For more information and enrolment form, read on.

dOeK musicians have been playing and practising for years, working to develop their own unique voice. And they have succeeded - no two dOeK groups sound alike! Still they have something in common - a particular attitude to improvising. In their improvisations 'known' situations (composed pieces, a simple musical starting point, shared experiences) are developed into new forms. Striking feature is the blurred division between compositions and improvisations. The improvised elements thus take on the form of new, spontaneous compositions. New musical terrain is explored, musical risks are welcomed. This intensive form of music making requires constant alertness and is based on the assumption that every musician is busy with mastery of his/her instrument and the development of new musical ideas.

It's important to dOeK that this hard-won knowledge and experience is shared with others. That's why we are offering an intensive rehearsal week - an impro residency - twice per year. 'Led' by dOeK musicians, groups work intensively for a week to deepen their improvisational experience and develop their repertoire. The rehearsal weeks are organised together with the Bimhuis, who not only make their well-equipped rehearsal rooms available but also provide each guest musician with a free pass to the evening concerts in the Bimhuis!

The residency is aimed at existing ensembles with the drive and the daring to further develop their shared musical language. The groups work from Monday until Friday in 10 sessions (10 - 12.30 and 14.00 - 17.00) in the Bimhuis rehearsal rooms. The group's own repertoire will form the improvisational basis. The session leaders can also help with repertoire, from suggestions to compositions. If desired a performance can be organized at the end of the week. dOeK musicians - Eric Boeren, Wilbert de Joode or Wolter Wierbos for example - will lead the sessions.

Practical details
Dates: February and July 2008.
Applications: for February - 21 December, for July - 21 May
Travel participants organize travel themselves
Accommodation: participants can organize their own accommodation or dOeK can do that for them. There are various possibilities, from camping to apartments to hotels.
Fee: € 750 per week per group

Want to enrol? Fill out the enrolment form (click below) and send it to Stichting dOeK before 21 December 2007.

enrolment form Impro Residency

More information?

Artistic content: contact Eric Boeren - eb@xs4all.nl
Practical details: contact Carolyn Muntz at Stichting dOeK

dOeK newsletter: February 2007

What's going on in the first half of 2007? Read on........

doeK@OT

Together with the wonderful people at Overtoom 301, Stichting dOeK will be presenting a new concert series - dOeK @OT. The concerts will take place every two or three months and will be a showcase for music that we feel ought to be heard - old favourites, new developments, visiting musicians......The first two concerts are:

Thursday 22 february: apa ini

Tobias Delius - tenor saxophone and clarinet
Hilary Jeffery - trombone
Wilbert de Joode - contrabas
Serigne C.M. Gueye - bugarabu, calabas, djembe and sawrouba

+ special guest: Ralf Meinz - electronics

Thursday 8 March: Wollo's World

Wolter Wierbos - trombone
Jodi Gilbert - voice
Fred Lonberg-Holm - cello
Tristan Honsinger - cello
Wilbert de Joode - double bass

Watch out for more concerts through the year! Check the dOek website or http://squat.net/overtoom301/pages/home.html

New CD Cor Fuhler - Stengam

Cor Fuhler has released a new solo CD, Stengam. Stengam was recorded in Cor's very own Conundrum studio in August 2006 and features 8 tracks played on an acoustic grand piano, using ebows and super magnets. The CD is released through the French label Potlatch. For distribution see their website: www.potlatch.fr.

Review by Brian Olewnich - read more >>

Eric Boeren forms new group

Eric Boeren (cornet) has formed new group with Franky Douglas (guitar), Paul Pallesen (guitar), Glen Gaddum jr. (electric bass) and Artis Orubs (drums).
Last March Eric presented a guitar band project with local and North American musicians for whom he wrote a string of compositions and musical fragments as basis for improvisations. The differing improvising styles of local versus overseas musicians made for some interesting listening, and everyone was agreed on the quality of the compositions. Time to dust them off and try them out in a band that combines musicians of different generations, backgrounds and styles, who are all tuned in to the 'Dutch' style of improvising. Rehearsals begin in August, concerts to be announced.........

Upcoming concerts/tours
>> Available Jelly:
   23 February - Leeuwarden | de Harmonie
   24 February - Amsterdam |Bimhuis
   2 March - Tilburg |Paradox
   3 March - Baarle Nassau | Plusetage
>> Wilbert de Joode:
tour US, including concerts in Boston, Ann Arbor, New Orleans, Atlanta, Chicago and Rochester. From 6 - 22 april.
>> Corkestra:
four concerts in Canada - 15 May, Toronto; 16 May, Halifax; 17 May, Victoriaville (Festival International de Musique Actuelle) and 18 May, Jonquière (Festival des Musique de Création)

dOeK visits Bremen

Bremen plays host to a jazz fair from 8 until 11 March. There will be a big Dutch presence under the auspices of the Dutch Jazz Connection. dOek (in the form of Carolyn Muntz) will be there to talk the talk, so if you're in the neighbourhood, come by and say hello.

dOeK # 5 1/2 - a fantastic minifestival!

We can't let a year go by without at least one dOeK event, and here it is - an evening with four sets of improvised music, ranging from Cor's curiosity cabinet to Eric Boeren's first ever solo performance! click >>> here <<< to see more

Stichting dOeK! newsletter: June 2006

dOeK Festival #6: Unfortunately the festival will not take place as planned in December 2006. Watch this space for new dates.

Boat concerts in July: Trombonist Wolter Wierbos lives with Fieke in a converted barge on the Amstel river. To celebrate the boat's hundredth birthday and to make sure jazz lovers don't get withdrawal symptoms over the summer, Wolter has decided to give a series of boat concerts on four Sundays in July. The programme is as follows:

Sunday 2: Wolter Wierbos & Ab Baars
Sunday 9: Wolter Wierbos & Wilbert de Joode
Sunday 16: Wolter Wierbos, Mary Oliver & Han Bennink
Sunday 23: Wolter Wierbos & Franky Douglas

Time: 15.00
Tickets: 10 euro
Drinks and snacks available - a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!
For more information contact Wolter: 020 6269324

New CDs: Available Jelly released a new CD, Bilbao Song late last year. Glowing reviews are appearing all over: for an overview go to reviews.
o Wilbert de Joode will be releasing a new solo CD
o Cor Fuhler will be recording a solo piano CD this summer.

Up-coming performances
o While overwintering in Australia Cor Fuhler wrote a whole new programme for Corkestra, so watch out for their performances in December at the Bimhuis (Amsterdam) and Café Wilhelmina in Eindhoven.

o Corkestra: Jazz Em Agosto (Lisbon): Sunday 6 August
o Tobias Delius, Cor Fuhler & Paul Lytton Saturday 26 August
ZomerJazzFietsTour (Groningen)
o Trio San Francisco will be giving concerts in North Holland in November:
- 18 nov: Provadja, Alkmaar
- 19 nov: Mahogany Hall, Edam
- 20 nov: de Kade, Zaandam
- 21 nov: Hoorn
- 22 nov: Bimhuis, Amsterdam

Exchange project
dOeK is currently working on an exciting exchange project with improvisers in other European cities. The idea is that dOeK musicians will travel to the partner city for collaborations, concerts and workshops, with a return visit to Amsterdam from the partner city musicians. Plans are already underway for collaborations with improvisers from Glasgow, Stockholm and Palermo.

dOeK Down Under
As part of the Dutch Dare cultural programme celebrating 400 years of relations between the Netherlands and Australia, a large contingent of musicians is travelling to Australia and Asia in October/November this year. Eric Boeren, Wilbert de Joode and Michael Vatcher will give concerts and workshops at the De La Salle College in Singapore, before travelling to New Zealand for concerts and workshops in Auckland and Wellington, including an appearance a t the Wellington Jazz Festival. Then they will go onto Melbourne to meet up with the ICPOrchestra. The whole group - now 15 strong - will then go to Wangaratta Jazz Festival where they will form the main focus of the festival, with concerts by ICP, Available Jelly, Eric Boeren 4tet, Tobias Delius 4tet (with Australian bassist Lloyd Swanton), and a sextet combining Boeren, De Joode and Vatcher with the trio of Australian saxophonist Tim O'Dwyer (a guest at dOeK Festival #3!). Double concerts featuring Available Jelly and ICP will follow in Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney.