RECENSIES OVER FOLIES
“veel afwisseling en verassingen… Hoewel de composities heel toegankelijk zijn, zijn ze nooit banaal en getuigen ze van een zuivere esthetiek, transparant, eerlijk en een symbool voor het streven naar puurheid.” Jazzmozaïek juni 2018 België
“…mengen van stijlen heel smaakvol en subtiel gebeurt…de Mast en trompettist Leonard Evers spelen fluweelzacht” Klassieke zaken ” mei 2018
“Zeer kleurrijk en divers ….. Heerlijke cd” Lex Bohlmeijer (Radio 4- Passagio) mei 2018
‘Met een palet dat in werkelijk alle richtingen uitwaaiert, doet Windstreken haar naam wederom eer aan. Een knappe prestatie om ondanks de grote verscheidenheid een herkenbare koers te volgen, met avontuurlijke muziek die zowel uitdaagt als behaagt.’ Mixed World Music
‘Het zijn vooral de bijzondere, ingetogen en subtiele arrangementen die ook dit album van Windstreken weer bijzonder maken. Een album dat pas na een aantal draaibeurten al zijn geheimen prijsgeeft. Mooi.’ Moors Magazine
‘Het zijn dertien bijzondere stukken zoals het mooie Jumelles waarin De Mast’s interesse voor jazzstandards en Afrikaanse 12/8 ritmes samengaan.’ ***** Jazzism december 2017
‘Het veelkleurige muzikale palet van het collectief staat opnieuw garant voor een grenzenloze luisterervaring’. Heaven december 2017
‘Voor wie openstaat voor deze muzikale wereldreis, haalt met de cd ‘Folies’ van Windstreken een dik uur geweldige muziek in huis.’ Jazzflits
‘Harmonium, Fender, saxofoon, trompet, fluit, cello, ud, percussie en zang klinken in wisselende bezettingen uiterst harmonieus: een rijk boeket aan mooie klanken dat telkens nieuwe geuren verspreidt.’ Jazzenzo
‘Op ‘Folies’ (dwaasheden) staat weer een intrigerende mix van stijlelementen, die beter dan ooit in elkaar lijken te passen.’
Leidsch Dagblad
Op Writteninmusic.com staat een interview met Windstreken.
REVIEWS OF SHE
REVIEWS OF MUNDUM RENOVAVIT
“The Windstreken Ensemble makes musical combinations that on paper seem impossible, but together, are the most obvious fusions. Their music is the most adventurous that you can imagine. Their album, Mundum Renovavit was recorded live at the Herengrachtkerk in Leiden and that is amazing because if you hear it, you would never believe such perfect sounds could be created live.”
Moors Magazine
“The sound of this ensemble is astounding. The best is that bandleader, Pieter de Mast and arranger Leonard Evers don’t just stick different genres beside eachother, but they truly integrate them.”
Jazzenzo, October 2013
“Cross-over projects often have good intentions but often miss the mark, but here all of your concerns are erased after the first track…”
Klassieke Zaken, October 2013
“Mundum Renovavit is a unique and special project. Against a medieval background, we hear a feast of memories, developments, and surprises. The use of diverse instruments gives each composition an entirely new atmosphere, in which the listener is seized by exciting sound combinations. (…) Mundum Renovavit was recorded live in 2013 in Leiden and offers a creative landscape of essential listening for the adventurous music lover.”
Mattie Poels, July 2013
“…the combination of these ingredients leads, through the arrangements and compositions of the young Leonard Evers (1985) and the contribution of chamber choir Collegium Musicum, to a masterfully created CD…”
Magazine “Fluit” June 2013, Nederlands Fluit genootschap
“I thought the ensemble really played well together and in some interesting combinations. There’s plenty of improvising too – which is certainly my ‘cup of tea’. A diverse musical mix with some clever arrangements. Much to enjoy!”
John Taylor – pianist, December 22, 2012 UK
“A surprising CD by a young ensemble which – luckily in today’s climate – goes entirely its own way. CD stores will have to think twice about where to put it. Ensemble Windstreken follows a procedure that has been so productive over the centuries, taking the good things from a number of cultures to create something new. At the same time, the organists among us are reminded that their instrument has its origins neither in the West nor in the church.”
Stephen Taylor – organist, January 2013
“Windstreken perhaps deserves the label “The best kept secret of the Dutch Worldmusic” (…)”
***** Kay Krijnen, Written in Music, July 2013 (read the full article)
“This creation sounds incredebly exciting…”
Tim Sprangers, April 2013 (website jazzinternational Rotterdam) (read the full article)
“(…)a fascinating album(…)”
****1/2 Jazzism, September 2013
“The biggest surprise of the CD ‘Mundum Renovavit’ is that the combination of French music from the thirteenth century, Arab music, Balkan rhythms and jazz seems to be an excellent one for this ensemble.”
Tom Beetz, Jazzflits, May 2013 (read the full article)
“(…) One of the most enjoyable and wayward crossover ensembles in the Netherlands (…)”
**** Parool, June 6, 2013
“(…) celebrating the diversity in music (…)”
Popmagazine Heaven, July 2013 (rating 9 out of 10)
“…this is more than just music, this is an experience….a cross-pollination that will delight the true music enthusiast!”
**** stentor dagbladen, reviewing the concert at Kapel op ‘t Rijsselt, June 17, 2012
“…A night of surprising music… The musicians of this ensemble have a natural talent of performing together. This is heard in their refined timing, surprising changes in rhythm and color and a sublime build of dynamics and tension… The chamber choir Collegium Musicum matches flawlessly with the Windstreken ensemble.”
Leidsch Dagblad reviewing the concert at the Herengrachtkerk Leiden, July 6, 2012
REVIEWS of NOUZHA
‘…unique sound…magnificent melodies…One of the most remarkable groups from the Netherlands…’
***** Volkskrant, July 8, 2010
‘…a pleasant surprise on the Sfinks Mixed festival (Belgium), the dutch trio Windstreken with udplayer Kamal Hors…inspired and refined ensemble playing…’
**** Ton Maas, Volkskrant, August 2, 2011
‘…perfect musical symbiosis…timeless…’
****1/2 Jazz Magazine December, 2010
‘…very colourful sound…’
**** Jazzism magazine November, 2010
Positive words at http://www.orgelnieuws.nl
***** editor’s choice Orgelnieuws, October, 2010
‘…Impossible not to be impressed…’
Popmagazine Heaven sep/oct 2010
‘…High-class crossover !…’
Trouw, July 5 2010
‘…such great musicians, such unbridled daring and imagination…’
**** Parool August 18 2010
‘…This CD is sort of a musical jack-of-all-trades: a pleasure for the ‘Arabian ear’, the ‘organ ear’, the ‘jazz ear’ and the ‘classical ear’. Nouzha serves up many different moods that really fit together exquisitely…The result is a refreshing feel throughout…
This is truly border-crossing music that just can’t be categorized…
As a musician, I really enjoyed listening to this CD. I must even admit that I wish I had come up with the idea and played it myself…’
Eric Vloeimans
REVIEWS OF OFFSHORE
‘…Highly recommended for anyone open to unexpected sound combinations and surprising repertoire…’
‘De Orgelvriend, January 2009 www.opusklassiek.nl, about a concert in Amsterdam & cd offshore
‘…the thing that sets this cd apart is the constant search for narrative elements, the mysterious and the adventurous within the various genres…’
Oene Van Geel (linernotes Offshore)
‘…..great CD by great musicians…’
Orgelnieuws, July 2008 www.orgelnieuws.nl
‘…for the music lover who is not afraid to stray from the beaten track Offshore is a CD full of adventure extending miles off the shore’
Popmagazine Heaven, April 2008
‘…the sound of this worldly combination is an absolute eye-opener, even for the most persistent organ-hater! …’
Luister (Dutch magazine), April 2008
‘…much of the music is quite hushed, providing a noticeable and pleasing convergence of timbres of the saxophone and the organ… flute registers harmonize with a real flute…. Organs like these often produce a sound that is harsh and rigid, but the soft flute registers are capable of creating a highly poetic resonance….’
Nederlands Dagblad (Dutch daily) March 21, 2008
‘ … De Mast’s own compositions are accompanied by those of Jehan Alain, Frans Blanker and Huub de Vriend. The alto flute and the organ’s low registers combine in a tempting rendition of “Aki no Kaze”. Light and dark produce organic contrasts in “Traliewerk”…. The richly coloured sound of the wind instruments produces a solid combination of composition and improvisation…’
Trouw (Dutch daily) March 1, 2008
‘….logical, melodious lines and simply beautiful music. The ensemble is pleasing to the ear…the changeover from organ to flute is often nearly inaudible…..’
Fluit (journal of the Netherlands Flute Society) March 08
‘…The repertoire includes De Mast’s own compositions as well as standards from 1934 to 2007. This CD will really make jazz and classical music lovers prick up their ears. The church organ immediately evokes associations of hallowed spaces and slowly sung psalms. The surprise is that much more intense once the pipes produce a sweeping improvisation on the jazz standard On Green Dolphin Street….’
Parool (Amsterdam daily) February 26, 2008
‘….Jazz musician Pieter de Mast proves once again that the organ can be coaxed into producing subtle and lyrical musical figures. He has just launched a beautiful new CD, Offshore, in which he combines classical music with jazz, and his flute and soprano sax with the organ…..’
Volkskrant (Dutch daily) February 14, 2008
REVIEWS OF WINDSTREKEN
‘Not at North Sea, partly because there is no church organ at the Ahoy hall, but nevertheless exquisite. Jozef Dumoulin plays the organ without the exaggerated drama often associated with the instrument. He mainly plays transparent figures and veils of sound. It gets even more unusual, since the rhythmic patterns are laid down by Sandip Bhattacharya on tabla. The musician who devised this sound, Pieter de Mast, sounds breathtakingly beautiful on soprano sax and flute. In creating the music, he draws from medieval compositions, Messiaen’s Birds, India, Debussy’s impressionism and lots of poetic improvisation’.
Frank van Herk – De Volkskrant * * * *– July 13, 2006
“… In 2004, compositions and improvisations based on the works of De Mast, Rhau, Van Geel, Du Mosch and Blanker were recorded under the direction of Pieter de Mast in the Nicolai Church in Utrecht. The church organ in combination with other instruments proved to provide unusual, yet great possibilities. The result is remarkable: jazzy rhythms that are unfamiliar on an organ, such as 7/4 time (common in Indian music), bitonality, ostinato motives and passages. The combination of organ and tabla especially shook me out of an apparently deeply rooted opinion. Not just another crossover, but a special experience and a revelation.”
René Verwer – Luister, October 2006 (marks: 10 out of 10)
“(…) besides the combination with tabla, this CD is especially surprising because of the contribution of organ player Jozef Dumoulin. The stereotypical image that people have of the organ is broken immediately; a new sound enters the room through the speakers! Jazz or world music on an organ… is that possible? It apparently is. (…) The compositions have been written with room for improvisation and stylistic variations. Simply beautiful, sometimes alienating, uncomfortable at times, but all of them intriguing. (…) An extraordinary CD, which arouses your curiosity about the concerts. And that is always the best proof of quality.”
Wieke Karsten – Fluit (Dutch Flute Association)
“…calm, almost meditative sounds are coming from the speakers. The recording is beautiful and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes unusual repertoire…”
Theo Wubbolts – HTV March 2007
REVIEWS OF LIVE PERFORMANCES
‘…Highly recommended for anyone open to unexpected sound combinations and surprising repertoire…’
‘De Orgelvriend, January 2009 www.opusklassiek.nl, about a concert in Amsterdam & cd offshore
“Uninhibited blending of Trio Windstreken in Hartebrugkerk…beautifully merging the sound of his instrument with the room acoustics… …in which the switch from one stylistic reference to the other is effortlessly made… …by the time de Mast announces his last piece it is clear indeed that the uninhibited blending of all these musical styles is possible” Ken Vos, Leidsch Dagblad (Leiden daily) May 26, 2008
On the live concert on 22/7/07 in the Walburgiskerk church in Zutphen, the Netherlands: “..Yesterday afternoon’s concert was all about improvisation. Pieter de Mast and company once again demonstrated their mastery of the art. Fluid melodies, garish dissonance, and oriental sounds fused together in an orgy of music that brought the entire audience to attention. Completely unorthodox, but that is exactly what made the trio’s performance so special.”
Ton van Ingen Schenau, local daily Stentor 23 July 2007
“On Tuesday 13 June in the Laurens Church, Pieter de Mast, Sebastiaan van Delft and Sandip Battacharya proved that an unusual combination of instruments brought together at a special location can result in a big surprise! The sounds, timbres, rhythms and improvisations all came together in the fertile soil of the monumental space, evoking a spiritual and meditative atmosphere.”
Frank Migchielsen, programmer/director, Laurens Church Rotterdam
“De Mast achieves a spatiality and an openness which matches that of the Hooglandse Church through his phrasing alone, and the organ – almost prissy in the beginning – finds itself enticed by the searching saxophone. The result is the musical expression of pure light.”
Susanne Lammers – Leidsch Dagblad – Hooglandse Church Leiden, improvisation organ/sax 6 June 2006
“On the rich and refined foundation of the tabla, the gentle singing voice, the melancholic alto flute and the intense soprano sax evoke images of a vast, sultry landscape. De Mast and Bhattacharya speak the same language.”
Maarten Baanders – Leidsch Dagblad – Hooglandse Church Leiden, 11 June 2004
Ensemble Windstreken 