The brand new EP “Let’s Sit” (Zennez Records) is out now!!
The new quartet of Jeroen Pek is very much linked with the Dutch jazz label, Zennez Records. Individually, the musicians are already on roster of this label for quite some time. Facilitated by Zennez, Pek was looking for artistic cross connections within the label. The invitation by the association Ujazz (Utrecht/NL) to put together a group who have never played together, was the catalyst for him to form this quartet. In line with Pek’s reputation it has resulted in a multinational line-up with solid individual track records and a mutual click for adventurous and energetic interplay. The EP ‘Lets Sit’ will be released in March 2019.
Internationally renowned for his joyful energetic power play, great pallet of dynamics and a personal sound, Jeroen Pek has been touring and recording for over three decades with a wide array of projects. Both with his own and as a sideman he toured in Europe, North Africa and the USA.
His most striking groups today are multi-national line ups, such as Jeroen Pek International Quartet feat. French jazz heroes Serge Lazarevitch (guitar) and Jean-Luc Lehr (bass), Flute Flight feat. Stefan Bracaval, Ewout Pierreux (NL/B), Pitch Plot 4 feat. Ahmad Jamal bass player James Cammack, Christian Pabst/Tony Roe, Onno Witte (NL/USA/D) and 6 Spoons-1 Kitchen with musicians from The Netherlands, Moldavia, Egypt, Tunesia and Brasil
Notable bands earlier are Jeroen Pek Band, Jeroen Pek Quartet and the jazz-rock format PitchWhiteStorm and PitchWhiteStorm Exchange. He played with the finest musicians of the International (jazz-)scene like Jasper van ‘t Hof, Rob van den Broeck, Pierre Courbois, Grammy Award winner Fathy Salama (EG), Nuevo Manteca, Afework Nigussie (ETH), Bohemian Groove Orchestra, Onno Witte’s Wild Card, Sandro Schneebelli (CH), Gerard Pansanel (F), Ramon Valle (CUB) and Giullia Valle (SP).
Jeroen was twice nominated for the composition contest of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz (Washington D.C./USA). He is the principal flute teacher at the jazz department of the ArtEZ conservatory in Arnhem (NL) and gave many master classes (f.i. the Liszt Conservatory in Budapest (H), Flute Festival in Gland (CH) and the Flute Convention in Milano (I).
Born in Munich (GER) pianist, composer and visual artist Christian Doepke, moved to Amsterdam (NL) in 2006 Amsterdam. Christian is known as an “elegant playing pianist with a strong, flexible and soulfull groove” (jazz magazine Draaiomjeoren). His compositions connect lyrical, impressionistic sounds with jazz to an homogeneous personal style in which the European- and American music cultures are blending. Over the past two decades Christian was working in a wide array of music styles and toured and recorded. with names such as Rick Margitza, Claudio Roditi, Rhiannon, Thaisa Olivia, Deborah Carter, Horacio Hernandez and William Galison. With his own projects he produced three CD’s. Recently he released the by the press very well received CD “Patience” –with American saxophonist Bob Sheppard- (Zennez Rec.).
Bass player Joris Teepe operates for years from Amsterdam and New York. He has built up a huge network of top musicians. He played –and still does with most of them- a.o. with Randy Brecker, Tom Harrell, Benny Golson, Billy Hart, Chris Potter and the last drummer of John Coltrane, Rachied Ali. With him Joris recorded 3 CD’s. In 2017 the magazine Down Beat called out the CD “Conversations” of the “Trio of Liberty” -which he runs together with saxophonist Don Braden for over 25 years- the best CD of the year. Recently together with John Weijers of Zennez Records he released book plus CD ‘In the spirit of Rashied Ali’ (Jazztribes/Zennez Rec.), a tribute to the drummer he has played many years. Joris wrote over 100 compositions for a wide array of ensembles. He runs his own big band in New York playing his repertoire exclusively. Furthermore he is producer and jazz educator (bass teacher and head of the jazz department of the Conservatorium in Groningen (NL) and gave many international master classes).
Born in Jacksonville, Florida (USA) drummer Owen Hart Jr. moved in 1997 to New York. At that time he was working as a percussionist with the Urban Dance Women Dance Company. This was the springboard for his international career. Soon after his arrival in New York he was playing with names such as Ravi Coltrane, Gregory Tardy, Benny Green, Rob Dixon en Vanessa Rubin. In those days he also met bass player Joris Teepe with whom he formed a solid and sustainable rhythm-tandem. In 2001 he moved to The Netherlands to teach drums at the Conservatory of Groningen. From that position he established his name international as educator (master classes in Europe, Asia and South America) and performer. Owen is known for his eclectic approach on drums and knows how to blend different musical style elements to a consistent personal voice. Based both in New York and Amsterdam, he played with an impressive list of musicians such as: Graig Handy, Don Braden, Conrad Herwig, Brian Lynch, Michael Moore, Timuçin Sahin, Ramon Valle and Ernst Reijseger.