March 1, 2014

Duke Ellington playing baseball

In class I studied Duke Ellington’s arrangements, visited his archive via Smithsonian, and discovered a video of Ellington playing baseball.

May 9, 2013

Breakfast with bebop

A personal song homage: Breakfast with Bebop is about my hamster Bebop, who “loved jazz” — a playful, heartfelt musical piece.

April 14, 2013

Jong jazz blog… Berklee recital

(Dutch Blog) My first Berklee recital: performing original songs with a seven-piece band and presenting a stop-motion video as part of the concert.

November 9, 2012

NYC – zingen in Somethings Jazzclub

(Dutch Blog) In NYC I joined Joe at Somethings Jazzclub: he on piano, I singing. I got to perform three songs — But Not for Me, Detour Ahead, Taking a Chance on Love — and later hung with the band until 4 AM.

October 13, 2012

NYC – Jazz for Obama

(Dutch Blog) I attended a jazz concert in NYC in support of Barack Obama — reflecting on how music and democracy intersect, the power of voice, and what it means to sing for change.

October 10, 2012

NYC in Oktober

(Dutch Blog) I hopped back to New York just weeks after Boston — caught Reuben Rogers & Ulysses Owens’ quartet at Dizzy’s, wandered Harlem & Central Park with Jeroen, dined jazz, spoke with Patience Higgins, and slept over at Joe’s again.

April 27, 2012

Top of the HUB

(Dutch Blog) Out for a night in Boston atop the Prudential Center, I ran into my ensemble teacher Ron Mahdi playing jazz — so of course I sang two songs with his trio. Didn’t expect to join the ‘big cats’!

April 22, 2012

Dap da dadada… New York…

(Dutch Blog) I crashed on Joe Cohn’s couch for a week, dodged worries about bedbugs, jumped straight into NYC jazz club nights — from Fatcat and Smalls to jam sessions at Smoke and the Allen Room sax battle with Joe Lovano.

January 1, 2012

Op naar Boston

(Dutch Blog) I’ve been in Boston for a week — jetlagged but settling in. I shopped for shoes, met my host family, cycled to Berklee, and started my introduction week, excited to begin classes.