(pagina in het Nederlands click hier)
A group of fine musicians getting together for a joyous jazz revival after having been leaders and sidemen in many important formations in the Dutch jazz scene for the last 20 years. The first time they played together in a loose setting, organized by drummer Dick Verbeeck in the (in)famous “Cotton Club” on Amsterdam’s Nieuwmarkt, they knew they had to form a steady group. They enjoy playing in an energetic, spontaneous style of jazz music, based on the tradition of modern jazz. Their music is based on originals and great jazz standards, featuring the virtuosic interplay of Paul and Axel, grounded on the strong foundation of one of Holland’s most prolific rhythm sections.
The sound of Paul van der Feen‘s alto-sax is a kaleidoscope and unique blend of the melodic mastery of Paul Desmond and the virtuosic power of John Coltrane. His playing is supported by the harmonic depth and flexibility of Axel Hagen, who would describe his playing being home somewhere between Jim Hall and the unsung hero of Jazz guitar Billy Bean, next to the strong influence of Axel’s most important teacher Wim Overgaauw.
Dick Verbeeck‘s feel and imagination as a drummer next to the powerful bass notes of Anton Drukker‘s addition to the group make the “New Market Quartet” a must have for any jazz venue. The list of internationally known musicians, the individual members of the group performed with, is long and impressive. Come hear them play at the Amsterdam’s Cotton Club, where they have become a household name, or check the groups agenda for a concert nearby you.
Through this page you can listen to demo’s on soundcloud and/or youtube, the group will record their first CD in 2016, more news on that will follow. More extended personal bio’s you can find at the end of this page.
bookings through: axel@axelhagen.com tel.:+31 6 15 69 29 03
demo (Live recording from 2015)
Axel Hagen (guitar, arrangement) was born in 1963 in Karlsruhe (Germany). Between 1985 and 1990 he studied at the Hilversum Conservatory with Peter Nieuwerf and Wim Overgaauw. Continued studies with master musicians like Barry Harris, Jimmy Raney and Frans Elsen helped develop his style. In 1990, Axel Hagen became a member of the rhythm section of the renowned “Metropole Orchestra” of the Dutch radio. With this orchestra under the direction of Rob Pronk, Bill Hollman and Chuck Israels, he can be heard on various CD- and radio recordings with internationally known jazz musicians like Tommy Flanagan, Lou Levy, Clark Terry, Lee Konitz, Claudio Roditi, Bill Perkins and Tom Harrell. Axel lead groups with Dutch musicians like Frans Elsen, Ferdinand Povel, Rob Langereis, Victor Kaihatu and Marco Kegel, performing on major jazz venues all over Europe. Besides this activity, he recorded 5 CD’s under his own name for the Dutch record label “Bluejackjazzrecords”. These CD’s are respectively with Marco Kegel, Jimmy Halperin, the “Gustav Klimt String–Quartet” featuring Lee Konitz (all arrangements by Axel) and Dutch jazz veterans Frans Elsen and Jacques Schols. His latest CD, is with bass legend Chuck Israels and renowned tenorsax and clarinetplayer John Ruocco. Axel can be heard as a sideman on CD’s with Rob Pronk, John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton, Rob van Kreeveld, Sanna van Vliet and Fay Claassen. With his trio he performed with Jesper Thilo, Scott Hamilton, Al Galodoro, Ack van Rooyen, Bart van Lier, Hod O’Brien and John Ruocco besides leading several projects with Chuck Israels, Paolo Birro and Alfred Kramer in Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. He was a soloist on two pieces on the spectacular CD “Klimt“, which featured Dutch Jazz Guitar Greats accompanied by the Gustav Klimt String-quartet. In 2013 Axel toured the Netherlands and France as a member of the Chuck Israels Trio with Hod O’Brien on piano. Axel is also a dedicated and renowned teacher of jazz-music, hosting workshops on Conservatories in Germany and the Netherlands. Since 2009 he teaches jazzguitar at the “Hochschule für Musik” in Würzburg/Germany. (www.axelhagen.com)
Paul van der Feen is regarded as one of Holland`s outstanding jazz saxophonists and an original voice within the Dutch musical landscape. He practically grew up playing with his brothers Mark, Matthew and Clemens with whom he formed the Feenbrothers Quartet featuring the eleven year old Paul on clarinet. At age 14 he picked up the alto sax soon whereafter he was accepted into the Amsterdam Conservatory from which he graduated in 2002, after spending time in New York. During the ensuing years Paul explored several musical styles like hiphop/funk, Classical and world music but was drawn (back) into Jazz by rediscovering John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter and eventually began to discard all forms of musical parochialism. In 2004 Paul was a prize winner at the world renowned White Foundation World Sax Competition in London and formed the Paul van der Feen Quartet which resulted in many collaborations with Dutch jazz legends like Han Bennink en John Engels and two Deloitte Jazz Award nominations. In 2005 Paul became an often featured member of the Metropole Orchestra and played in this role alongside John Scofield, Bob Brookmeyer, Herbie Hancock, Hank Jones, Al Jarreau, Maria Schneider, Robert Glasper, Joe Lovano and many others resulting in several acclaimed recordings and a feature role in the Grammy Award winning John Scofield song “Carlos” from the album called 54. Paul tours and plays in many groups and project bands like the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, Clazz Ensemble, The Radio 6 session band, Clemens van der Feen Band, DJ Maestro Blue Note Trip and in 2012 formed the group “Odyssee”, in which Paul plays piano, wurlitzer and saxes. This group consists of some of Europe’s leading jazz musicians like Anton Goudsmit, Clemens van der Feen and Roy Dackus. (www.paulvanderfeen.com)
Dick Verbeeck studied jazz drumming at the “Rotterdam Conservatory and improvisation with Manfred Bleffert. He created his own distinct sound through various musical projects and experiences in Jazz, Funk, African and South American musical styles. Dick is a sought after sideman on drums and played in this role with many Dutch and international jazz musicians like, Michiel Borstlap, Dale Barlow, Ferial Karamat-Ali, Leonardo Amuedo, Ed Verhoeff, Hein van de Geyn, Theo de Jong, Ruud Brink, Robert Rook and Ben vd Dungen. He has been a leader in numerous projects like “Hoobah” with Dutch musicians Dick de Graaf, Ilja Reijngoud and Tjitze Vogel. He is the steady drummer in the house band of Amsterdam’s oldest jazz café, “Cotton Club”, which accompanies various guest soloists from the Netherlands and abroad. He has been part of many international concert tours in for instance: Spain, Germany, Switzerland and Syria. A selection of his recordings is: with Robert Rook trio and quartet: “Dangerous Cats”(2006), “Hymn for Fall” (2006), “Dangerous Cats 2 Live in Bimhuis” (2007) and with The Cotton Club All Stars: “Amsterdam Jam” (2007)
Anton Drukker is since more than 25 years one of the most sought after bassplayers in the Netherlands. After his studies at the Rotterdam Conservatory, he started an extensive musical career including concert-tours that brought him to countries like West-Africa, Libanon, Egypt, Turky, China, France, Germany, Kroatia, Scotland, Spain, Paortugal, Norway, Denmark, Dubai and the USA. He recorded with the Ben van Dungen-Jarmo Hoogendijk Quintett, the Michiel Borstlap Trio and Sextett, Benjamin Herman, Gijs Hendriks, Jeroen Pek, Sylvie Lane, Francien van Tuinen and Wim Bronnenberg. Besides these groups he worked with many Dutch and internationally known jazz musicians like Woody Shaw, Herb Geller, David Liebman, John Engels, John Ruocco, Misha Mengelberg, Ferdinand Povel, Rob van Bavel, Dick de Graaf, Rob van Kreeveld, Toon Roos, Eric Vloeimans and Yuri Honing. He appeard on many famous Jazz Festivals like the North Sea Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz and Berlin Jazzfest a.o.