Music is the landscape of the soul

That's just why the Dumée & Dijkgraaf Quinteto is such a wonderful combination of musicians.

A formation brought together by the Dutch guitar player and composer Jan Dumée with whom I already played many times in Europe for the past 5 years.

Jan Dumée is that typical kind of composer and improviser who turns his daily life into highly personal, romantic music with a well balanced intellectuality. Both Jan and I are not so much interested in performing a specific jazz or brazilian style; we are seeking for the right notes to reflect the essence and basic idea of the composition we play.

The rhythm section of this group is Brazilian rooted so our music has that steady Brazilian pulse that associates with feminine sensuality but also has that strong male sense of drive that constantly pushes the music forward. What I like so much about this rhythm section is it's adventurous attitude; never locked into a specific brazilian rhythm nor style, they are always seeking for just the right way of supporting the melody and the soloist by creating landscape like atmospheres that are so typical for the music of Minas Gerais (Brasil).

This week I'll be finishing a solo and some editing of my harmonica tracks. Can't wait to travel to Holland to mix and master the album to make it available as soon as possible as a nice present for the rest of world ... ;-)

Will be continued soon.

Abraços,

Wim

Recording in Belo Horizonte was fantastic!!!

Belo Horizonte was fantastic. We recorded a great album for those who love Brazilian music, American jazz and European classical music. This is an amazing band and within a couple of days in the studio all of us became amazing friends.

The album is a wonderful mixture of Brazilian, American and European influences with that expressive "talking" bass of Paulo Russo, amazing comping and unique personal way of soloing by Kiko Continentino, the amazing Brazilian drive of Marcio Bahia's rhythms (also check out his playing with Hermeto Pascoal!), the wonderful impressionistic compositions by Jan Dumée all finished with an delicate and often "landscape like" harmonica sound of mine.

The album will be available by the end of March!!!!!!

Soon, I'll publish some demo tracks at http://www.reverbnation.com/wimdijkgraaf

Abraços,

Wim

Will be recording a new album this week.

This will be my home in Belo Horizonte - Brazil this week ...

http://www.acusticoestudio.com.br/

.. recording a new album with Jan Dumee, Kiko Continentino, Paulo Russo and Marcio Bahia. With only original compositions by Jan, it is a wonderful start in 2011.

Will keep you informed!


Abraços,

Wim Dijkgraaf
jazz harmonica & composition