THE  MORE  SOCIALLY  RELEVANT  JAZZ  MUSIC  ENSEMBLE  Not  your  average  jazz  music  ensemble.    

                 mark  schilders              ben  van  gelder              reinier  baas          maarten  hogenhuis            sean  fasciani  

                                 drums                                                  alto  sax                guitar/compositions                    alto  sax                    bass    ‘The  More  Socially  Relevant   Jazz  Music  Ensemble’   is   a   brand  new   ‘all-‐star’   quintet,  featuring   five   of   the  most   interesting   young  musicians   to   hail   from   the   upper   North-‐Western   corner   of   the   mainland   of   Europe.   Except   for   the   bass   player,   who   is   from  Massachusetts.      The  ‘Ensemble’,  the  brainchild  of  Amsterdam  based  guitarist  Reinier  Baas,  has  a  fresh,  distinctive,  raw  and  slightly  peculiar  sound.  With  influences  as  diverse  as  Ravel,  Lennie  Tristano,  Arctic  Monkeys,  Ornette  Coleman,   Flying  Lotus   and  Human  Feel,   their  music  ranges   from   the   intricate   and   sophisticated,   to   the  downright   danceable.   The  unusual,  full-‐stereo   line-‐up   (featuring   two   alto   saxophonists),   edgy   compositions   and   the  relentless   pulse   of   drummer   Mark   Schilders   and   bassist   Sean   Fasciani,   provide   the  context  for  experiment  and  improvisation.    

 

                                                                                             

Coming  up  in  the  spring  of  2011  is  the  release  of  their  debut   album  ‘Homunculus’,   recorded  at   Fattoria   Musica   studios  in   Osnabrück.  ‘Homunculus’   will   feature  an   eclectic   mix   of   Baas’  compositions,   an  arrangement   of   a   piece  by  Maurice   Ravel,   and  brutally   disfigured  adaptations  of  some  of  the  formerly   most   harmless  American   Songbook  repertoire.  

BIO  Reinier   Baas   (1985)   is   the   guitarist,  composer,  cook  and  spiritual  leader  of  the  ‘More   Socially   Relevant   Jazz   Music  Ensemble’.   Recently   graduated   from   the  Conservatory   of   Amsterdam   with   the  highest   honors   and   a   finalist   for   the  Deloitte   Jazz   Award   (2010),   he   is   fast  gaining   a   reputation   as   one   of   Holland’s  most   promising   young   players.   Other  recent   highlights   include   an   extensive  UK  tour  with  the  Ben  Bryden  quartet,  Belgium  tour   with   New   York-‐based   collective  ‘Bright   Noise’,   and   performances   with  Hein   van   de   Geyn,   Jasper   Blom   and   Dave  Douglas.   He   is   the   brand   new   guitarist   of  Stefan  Lievestro’s   renowned,   testosterone  fueled  powerhouse  ‘Mona  Lisa  Overdrive’.  

Ben   van   Gelder   (1988)   is   “the   biggest  young   Dutch   jazz   talent   of   this   moment”  (Amanda   Kuyper,   de   Volkskrant)   and  winner   of   the   prestigious   Deloitte   Jazz  Award   (2008).   Despite   his   age,   he   has  played  at  many   important   venues   in  New  York  and  Europe  alike  with  very  hip  cats,  such   as   David   Binney   and   Ambrose  Akinmusire,   and   performed   at   the  BIMhuis,   Concertgebouw   and   North   Sea  Jazz   Festival  with   his   own   groups.   Ben   is  currently   working   on   his   debut   album  featuring   Blue   Note   recording   pianist  Aaron  Parks.  He  adds  to  the  ‘Ensemble’  an  immense  musical   presence,  which   can   be  felt  even  when  he’s  not  playing  his  horn.  

Maarten   Hogenhuis   (1986)   is   one   of  Holland’s  most  in  demand  alto  players.  He  recently   appeared   with   more   or   less  everyone:   New   Cool   Collective,   Ruben  Hein,   Wicked   Jazz   Sounds   Band,   Pete  Philly   &   Perquisite,   Renske   Taminiau,  Jesse   van   Ruller,   Amsterdam   Jazz  

Orchestra,   Alain   Clark   and   Benjamin  Herman,   to   name   a   few.   His   stunningly  powerful   and   intuitive   playing   has   his  peers   shake   their   head   in   disbelief,   cry  with  joy  and  laugh  desperately  at  the  same  time,   and  has  been  a   crucial  part  of  Baas’  projects  over  the  past  years.  

Sean   Fasciani   (1979)   is   in   charge   of   the  lower   spectrum   of   the   ‘Ensemble’.   His  rock-‐solid   bass   playing   and   dapper  manner   have   also   led   him   to   share   the  stage  with  other  famous  people,  like  David  Berkman,   Jesse   van   Ruller,   Ferdinand  Povel.  In  2010,  he  toured  Europe  with  Will  Vinson  and  Lage  Lund.  As  a  member  of  the  Franz   von   Chossy   trio,   he   has   won   the  Dutch   Jazz   Competition   in   2005.   Mr.  Fasciani   has   played   everything   from   hip-‐hop  (Pete  Philly  &  Perquisite),  via  Turkish  folk   jazz   (Fidan)   to   comedian   Hans  Teeuwen’s   insanely   brilliant   impressions  of  the  Sinatra  repertoire.  

Mark   Schilders   (1988)   provides   the  highly   explosive,   freight   train-‐esque  grooves   that   are   the   fundament   of   the  ‘Ensemble’.   The   most   unlikely  phenomenon   to   come   out   of   Waalwijk  (North-‐Brabant)   since  world-‐champion   of  billiards   Rini   van   Bracht,   this   incredible,  young   drummer   has   a   style   all   his   own.  While   he   is   still   struggling   to   pass   his  music  theory  exams  at  the  conservatory  of  Rotterdam,   he   is   one   of   the   most   sought  after   drummers   on   the   Dutch   scene   and  appears   regularly   with   Stefan   Lievestro,  Harmen   Fraanje   and   Wouter   Hamel.   He  has  won  the  Prinses  Christina  Concours  in  2008  and,  as  a  member  of  the  Castell/van  Damme   quartet,   the   Dutch   Jazz  Competition  in  2010.  

 

AUDIO/VIDEO    Listen  to  material  from  our  upcoming  album  ‘Homunculus’:  http://www.reinierbaas.com/?page_id=294    Watch  live  footage  of  TMSRJME:  http://www.reinierbaas.com/?page_id=28      

CONTACT    

   Bookings  and  information:    

Reinier  Baas  +31  6  424  191  73  rtbaas@gmail.com    

http://www.reinierbaas.com