Far East Revisited


Jungle Boldie (Tony Overwater Trio)
Maarten Ornstein , saxophone
Tony Overwater, double bass
Wim Kegel, drums

Calefax
Oliver Boekhoorn , oboe
Ivar Berix, clarinet
Raaf Hekkema , alto saxophone
Jelte Althuis , bass clarinet
Alban Wesly, bassoon

Calefax – a classical reed quintet – and the Tony Overwater Trio – a jazz ensemble – joined forces in 2006 to perform several suites that were written for the Duke Ellington orchestra. Following the huge successes of concerts in the Netherlands (both on classical music stages and in jazz venues such as the Bimhuis and North Sea Jazz) and the internationally acclaimed CD, they are planning a concert series in 2008/2009 through the Near, Middle and Far East. These were the countries that Duke Ellington toured with his orchestra in 1963, and that inspired him to write his famous Far East Suite: from Cyprus and Greece, through Lebanon and Iraq, to India and Japan.
The group will follow Ellington’s orchestra in its tracks, revisiting the countries and even the venues where the famous Duke Ellington and his Orchestra played, 45 years ago. They will not only take the Far East Suite with them: they will create a new suite, inspired by Ellington, with new music by composers from the Netherlands and elsewhere. Along the road, the Far East Revisited suite will be constantly renewed, with new music by new friends and new outlooks from new viewpoints. The musicians will collaborate in a constant dialogue with local musicians and composers in concerts, masterclasses and workshops, that will be underscored with discussions, films and other interactive presentations, centering around the question how music from different cultures can influence and interact, what musicians can do to stimulate this, and how one does this without losing sight of the characteristics of different cultures.
In the season 2009/2010, the Far East Revisited suite will be presented in a concert series in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe, where the highlights of the concert tour will be performed together with guest musicians from the “far east countries”.

For more information: www.fareastrevisited.com