Christian Mendoza (piano), Ben Sluijs (alto saxophone & flute), Joachim Badenhorst (clarinet & tenor saxophone), Brice Soniano (bass), Teun Verbruggen (drums, toys, effects)
In recent years Christian Mendoza has developed into a remarkable pianist. TheChristian Mendoza Group gathers some of the best jazz musicians in our country.
Mendoza assembled this quintet for OdeGand 2008. With his band Bender Banjax he won the competition for Young Jazz Talent 2008. Christian Mendoza also plays with Lady Linn and her Magnificent Seven. Besides that, he likes unexpected encounters and adventure in his music.
For this group of five artists he wrote new music in which he examines the balance between composition and arrangements on the one hand and free improvisation and the space for solos on the other. He gets inspiration from the jazz tradition as well as from classical music, world music and rock, which makes the whole project surprising.
Alto saxophonist and flutist Ben Sluijs has been around for quite some time and has become one of the leading saxophone players. As a saxophonist, he polishes every note, but he can enrich them with additional sounds. Sluijs plays well-considered compositions however he does not avoid an unexpected turn. The base remains post bop, but he adds a great lyrical breath to it.
Joachim Badenhorst is a young and talented saxophone player and clarinettist. His ability was also noticed by the legendary drummer Han Bennink with whom he joins in the trio, Parks.
He is co-leader of the Rawfishboys, a duo with the French bassist Brice Soniano and plays in Red Rocket, a trio with the Irish guitarist Simon Jermyn and Irish drummer Sean Carpio. In addition, he performs in the Belgian-Icelandic quartet Mogil.
Drummer Teun Verbruggen we know from the Jef Neve Trio, but he also plays in the peculiar big band Flat Earth Society and alongside guitar player Mauro Pawlowski and keyboard wizard Jozef Dumoulin in the adventurous trio Othin Spake. He manages his own record label, Rat Records. His influences range from Joey Baron over Jim Black to Brian Blade and Jack DeJohnette.
The French bass player Brice Soniano came to the Low Countries to study with Hein van de Gein at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. At this moment he works with Harmen Fraanje’s Aneris, with Maurice Horsthuis’ string ensemble Jargon, and with After Dark, a piece by choreographer David Middendorp. With Joachim Badenhorst he forms the duo Rawfishboys. Their first recording has just been released. Brice often plays in Belgium with, among others, the Erik Vermeulen Trio and Lionel Beuvens and his Grass Monkeys.
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WEBSITE
www.myspace.com/christianmendozagroup
