Trijntje
Oosterhuis
at North
Sea Jazz
Another name has been added to the program of the North Sea Jazz Festival today. On Friday July 8th Trijntje Oosterhuis will be special guest at the concert of Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra with John Pizzarelli. Last year, Trijntje Oosterhuis recorded her album Sundays in New York with the orchestra. This special collaboration will be repeated at the festival.
For Dutch singer Trijntje Oosterhuis, recording her album Sundays In New York was truly a dream come true. “I’d been wanting to make a record like this for a long time; soulful, bluesy songs recorded live with an actual big band”, she says. “The fact that I’ve managed to pull it off still astounds me, and makes me feel incredibly proud.”
“I have been a big fan of John Clayton’s for many years. Every time I checked the credits on my favorite albums, I saw his name and that of his orchestra. To say I was excited to work with them would be a huge understatement.”
The feeling was mutual, says Clayton. Although he had heard of her by name, he wasn’t too familiar with Trijntjes work. He is now. “This record is going to show off a side of Trijntje that most people don’t know about”, expects John Clayton. “They know she’s a marvellous singer, but here she is taking on songs from the real black repertoire, from church, from blues and jazz… I think it’s going to suprise people how flexible she is. This is a new side of Trijntje Oosterhuis that I’m really privileged to be a part of. I’ve recorded with many singers. Trijntje is the real deal. And”, he adds, “this is not just my feeling. All the musicians that have been involved with the recording, people like Tommy LiPuma, Al Schmitt, big names in music, were listening to her voice and going: wow. The material she’s chosen: wow. It’s just a ‘wow’-project!”
Recordings took place last summer, all songs being taped live. “It was real old school recording”, Trijntje remembers. “The whole band together in the studio, me singing there and then, just like they did it when Ella Fitzgerald was still around. John would count off and we played. Rehearse a song twice, third take on tape… done. It only took four days to finish all the songs. It is the perfect way to really capture a true performance, as replaying songs over and over will take all life out of them. The incredible craftmanship of the orchestra and the emotional release that music is, all can be heard on this album. That’s what makes it so very special.”