v by Joep van Leeuwen

by Joep van Leeuwen | Het ORGEL | Year 106 | (2010) | Issue 5

Joep van Leeuwen Jazzguitar meets churchorgan
Het ORGEL 106 (2010), nr. 5, 4-11 [summary]

Is it possible to play jazz using jazz guitar and pipe organ? This is the central question in the project ‘Jazz Guitar meets Church Organ’, that started in 2009 in Maastricht (NL) and that was developed by the author of this article, a jazz guitarist. Gero Körner of Monschau (Germany) is involved in the project as keyboard player.
In order to carry out the project, various organizational obstacles had to be removed, including financial ones. There were also musical problems; for example it appeared that not all buildings, because of their generous acoustics, are suitable for the performance of jazz.
An important question, of course, was what jazz repertoire could be played. It became apparent in practice that existing jazz material wasn’t really usable, and that new music had to be written and concepts for improvisation had to be developed.

 


Picture by Lukasz Cwiklinki: Joep van Leeuwen & Gero Korner at the Cellebroederskapel, October 24th, 2009 during the Maastricht Jazz Festival, Jazz Promenade