- Eric Vloeimans
Trumpet player Eric Vloeimans (born on24 March 1963 inHuizen ) initially studied classical music at theRotterdam Academy of Music. He got interested injazz after meeting musicians from that department and switched - graduating with distinction in 1988 and continuing his studies inNew York , studying withDonald Byrd and gaining experience playing in thebig band s of Frank Foster andMercer Ellington . He practises classical studies to keep his technique up to scratch; enabling him to shape hisimprovisation al ideas; putting classical music at the service of jazz.However, "technique isn't everything", according to Vloeimans. Don Cherry is one of his favourite players, though technically limited. But, according to Vloeimans, he spills over with ideas; remembering seeing Cherry play with academy players in the front row; who came to see what Cherry would do wrong so they could get back to the bar. But after a few hours they were still listening breathlessly. To Vloeimans, this is much more important than a 'show-off' like
Maynard Ferguson , whom he says only plays high and hard. He rather hearsMiles Davis orBooker Little .Besides being active with major Dutch jazz figures (including pianist
Michiel Borstlap and cellistErnst Reijseger ) since 1989, Vloeimans has been involved in numerous international projects, most notably in his recording with USdrummer Joey Baron , bassistMarc Johnson and pianist John Taylor, resulting in an Edison award for the album "Bitches and Fairy Tales" in 1999. Other collaborations include those with French/Vietnameseguitar ist Nguyên Lê, German clarinetistTheo Jörgensmann , Swedish bassist/cellistLars Danielsson and Finnish drummer/percussionistMarkku Ounaskari , US bassistJimmy Haslip , as well as projects with Norwegiancomposer Erik Lars Gudim andnu jazz pioneerBugge Wesseltoft . In 2002 he received the most prestigious Dutch jazz award, theVPRO/Boy Edgar Award .According to JazzTimes magazine, "Vloeimans plays crisp and selfassured, embodying the articulate melodism of
Clifford Brown plus many shades of Miles, without being imitative".Discography
* "
No Realistics " (1992)
* "First Floor " (1994)
* "Bestiarium " (1996)
* "Bitches And Fairy Tales " (1998)
* "Umai" (2000)
* "Brutto Gusto " (2002)
* "VoizNoiz 3 "
* "Hidden History "
* "Boompetit " (2004)
* "Summersault" (2006)
* "Gatecrashin' " (2007)
* "Hyper" (2008)External links
* [http://www.ericvloeimans.com/ Personal web site]
* [http://www.challengerecrds.com/ Record Company] - (Challenge Records International)
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