Yuri Honing
Encyclopedia
Yuri Honing is a Dutch
jazz saxophonist
.
Honing had his first major success in 1996 with his album Star Tracks, which comprised recordings of pop
songs as an alternative to the American Songbook. The album became a hit in the Netherlands
and Germany
, and gained significant notice in the UK
as well. The album contains songs by Abba and The Police among others. Honing uses their material as a basis for improvisation; he gladly points out that jazz musicians of previous generations were doing exactly the same. The album Sequel that Honing records in 1999 is in the same vein, using material by Björk, Blondie and others.
The CD Playing (1998) finds Honing performing alongside veteran pianist Misha Mengelberg in twelve freely improvised tracks. Two years later the project gets a sequel at the North Sea Jazz Festival, with cellist Ernst Reijseger as third improviser. The recordings find their way onto the CD Lively (2000).
In 2001, Honing met Paul Bley
and recorded the album Seven with Bley on piano
, Gary Peacock
on bass
and Paul Motian
on drum
s. This album garnered Honing the Dutch Edison Award in 2002. In The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (Eighth Edition) this CD was recognized with four (out of five) stars.
Memory Lane is recorded by Honing in 2002, together with members of the Amsterdam based Concertgebouw Orchestra. It is his first project with musicians from the world of classical music.
In addition to his activities in acoustic and classical music, in 2005 Honing starts a new electric band, Wired Paradise. It features Tony Overwater (on bass guitar) and Joost Lijbaart plus the German guitarist Frank Möbus, best known for his work with the trio Der Rote Bereich.
The saxophonist enters into a new classical collaboration with the Metropole Orchestra in 2006. With conductor Vince Mendoza at the rostrum he records the CD Symphonic with this orchestra. Just like he considers contemporary pop music to be the continuation of the Great American Songbook, Honing sees a parallel between that particular song form and Franz Schubert's lieder. He therefore decides to record a full instrumental version of Schubert's song cycle Winterreise, accompanied by the classical pianist Nora Mulder (2007). He also uses Winterreise as the title for a special concert evening with guests which the saxophonist organizes every year on December 29 at the Amsterdam Paradiso.
In 2009 Honing forms an acoustic band with a chordal instrument for the first time! In his Acoustic Quartet Wolfert Brederode is the pianist, Ruben Samama on double bass, and Joost Lijbaart once again the drummer. That same year Honing also invites dance producer Floris Klinkert for a collaboration, resulting in the CD Phase Five. On this album Floris makes use of samples from the saxophonist's entire discography to produce new compositions. The resulting songs are sung by pop singers like Leine, Sarah Bettens (known of the band K's Choice) and Lilian Vieira (of the band Zuco 103); in addition Honing himself is featured as a soloist.
. Yuri Honing is also active as an organizer: each year he organizes the Winterreise music evening in Paradiso (famous popvenue) in Amsterdam. For this occasion he invites musicians of various genres and different generations to co-create a beautifully blended evening. The first edition of Winterreise was in 2007 and started with an opening speech by Job Cohen, then mayor of Amsterdam.
Biography of Yuri Honing on the Dutch Music Encyclopedia
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
jazz saxophonist
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
.
Career
Yuri Honing starts his own Trio in 1990, with bassist Tony Overwater and drummer Joost Lijbaart. The absence of a chordal instrument in the band gives the threesome great harmonic freedom.Honing had his first major success in 1996 with his album Star Tracks, which comprised recordings of pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
songs as an alternative to the American Songbook. The album became a hit in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and gained significant notice in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as well. The album contains songs by Abba and The Police among others. Honing uses their material as a basis for improvisation; he gladly points out that jazz musicians of previous generations were doing exactly the same. The album Sequel that Honing records in 1999 is in the same vein, using material by Björk, Blondie and others.
The CD Playing (1998) finds Honing performing alongside veteran pianist Misha Mengelberg in twelve freely improvised tracks. Two years later the project gets a sequel at the North Sea Jazz Festival, with cellist Ernst Reijseger as third improviser. The recordings find their way onto the CD Lively (2000).
In 2001, Honing met Paul Bley
Paul Bley
Paul Bley, CM is a pianist known for his contributions to the free jazz movement of the 1960s as well as his innovations and influence on trio playing.-Biography:...
and recorded the album Seven with Bley on piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, Gary Peacock
Gary Peacock
Gary Peacock is an American jazz double-bassist.-Biography:After military service in Germany, in the early sixties he worked on the west coast with Barney Kessel, Bud Shank, Paul Bley and Art Pepper, then moved to New York. He worked there with Bley, the Bill Evans trio , and Albert Ayler's trio...
on bass
Bass (instrument)
Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
and Paul Motian
Paul Motian
Stephen Paul Motian was an American jazz drummer, percussionist and composer of Armenian extraction.He first came to prominence in the late 1950s in the piano trio of Bill Evans, and later led several groups...
on drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s. This album garnered Honing the Dutch Edison Award in 2002. In The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (Eighth Edition) this CD was recognized with four (out of five) stars.
Memory Lane is recorded by Honing in 2002, together with members of the Amsterdam based Concertgebouw Orchestra. It is his first project with musicians from the world of classical music.
In addition to his activities in acoustic and classical music, in 2005 Honing starts a new electric band, Wired Paradise. It features Tony Overwater (on bass guitar) and Joost Lijbaart plus the German guitarist Frank Möbus, best known for his work with the trio Der Rote Bereich.
The saxophonist enters into a new classical collaboration with the Metropole Orchestra in 2006. With conductor Vince Mendoza at the rostrum he records the CD Symphonic with this orchestra. Just like he considers contemporary pop music to be the continuation of the Great American Songbook, Honing sees a parallel between that particular song form and Franz Schubert's lieder. He therefore decides to record a full instrumental version of Schubert's song cycle Winterreise, accompanied by the classical pianist Nora Mulder (2007). He also uses Winterreise as the title for a special concert evening with guests which the saxophonist organizes every year on December 29 at the Amsterdam Paradiso.
In 2009 Honing forms an acoustic band with a chordal instrument for the first time! In his Acoustic Quartet Wolfert Brederode is the pianist, Ruben Samama on double bass, and Joost Lijbaart once again the drummer. That same year Honing also invites dance producer Floris Klinkert for a collaboration, resulting in the CD Phase Five. On this album Floris makes use of samples from the saxophonist's entire discography to produce new compositions. The resulting songs are sung by pop singers like Leine, Sarah Bettens (known of the band K's Choice) and Lilian Vieira (of the band Zuco 103); in addition Honing himself is featured as a soloist.
Other career highlights
- 2001 Honing toured with Bley and bassist Charlie HadenCharlie HadenCharles Edward Haden is an American jazz musician. He is a double bassist, probably best known for his long association with saxophonist Ornette Coleman...
. - 2003 He performed with guitarist Pat MethenyPat MethenyPatrick Bruce "Pat" Metheny is an American jazz guitarist and composer.One of the most successful and critically acclaimed jazz musicians to come to prominence in the 1970s and '80s, he is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works and other side projects...
and bassist Scott ColleyScott ColleyScott Colley is an American jazz bassist and Composer.Scott has performed extensively in bands led by: Herbie Hancock, Jim Hall, Andrew Hill, Michael Brecker, Chris Potter, Pat Metheny, Carmen McRae, Edward Simon, Adam Rogers, Brian Blade, David Binney, Antonio Sanchez, Kenny Werner...
. - 2006 He recorded Symphonic with arranger and composer Vince MendozaVince MendozaVince Mendoza is a music arranger and composer.Mendoza was born in Connecticut and studied guitar as a child, influenced by classical music, soul and jazz. He then took up the trumpet, which he continued to play throughout his time at Ohio State University, where he played in the Jazz Ensemble and...
.
Albums with Yuri Honing as co-leader and/or bandleader
| Year | Album | Label / productcode | Band | Line-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | A Matter Of Conviction | Art in Jazz; 991 002-2 | Yuri Honing Trio | Yuri Honing – tenor saxophone, Tony Overwater – double bass, Joost Lijbaart – drums |
| 1996 | Star Tracks | Jazz in Motion; JIM 75043 | Yuri Honing Trio | Yuri Honing – tenor saxophone,Tony Overwater – double bass, Joost Lijbaart – drums |
| 1998 | Playing | Jazz in Motion; JIM 75044 | Yuri Honing & Misha Mengelberg | Yuri Honing – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, Misha Mengelberg – piano |
| 1999 | Sequel | Jazz in Motion; JIM 75045 | Yuri Honing Trio | Yuri Honing – tenor saxophone, Tony Overwater – double bass, whistle, Joost Lijbaart – drums |
| 2000 | Lively | Buzz Records; ZZ 76015 | Yuri Honing/Misha Mengelberg/Ernst Reijseger | Yuri Honing – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, Misha Mengelberg – piano, Ernst Reijseger - cello |
| 2001 | Memory Lane | Turtle Records; TRSA 0010 | Yuri Honing | Yuri Honing – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, Maarten Ornstein – clarinet, bass clarinet, Emily Benyon – whistle, Jacob Slagter – horn, Keiko Iwate – violin, Fred Pot – cello, Achim Kaufmann – piano, Frans van der Hoeven – double bass, Joost Lijbaart – drums |
| 2001 | Seven | Jazz in Motion; JIM 75086 | Yuri Honing/Paul Bley/Gary Peacock/Paul Motian | Yuri Honing – tenor saxophone, Paul Bley – piano, Gary Peacock – double bass, Paul Motian – drums |
| 2002 | Orient Express | Jazz in Motion; JIM 75123 | Yuri Honing Trio & Rima Kheich, Basem Havar, Latif al Obaidi | Yuri Honing – tenor saxophone, Tony Overwater – double bass, whistle, Joost Lijbaart – drums, Rima Kheich – vocals, Basem Havar - djose, Latif al Obaidi – ud, darbuka, riq |
| 2004 | Alive | Jazz in Motion; JIM 75213 | Yuri Honing Trio | Yuri Honing – tenor saxophone, Tony Overwater – double bass, whistle, Joost Lijbaart – drums |
| 2006 | Symphonic | Jazz in Motion; JIM 75227 | Yuri Honing, Vince Mendoza & Metropole Orchestra | Yuri Honing – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, Vince Mendoza – dirigent, Metropole Orchestra. |
| 2006 | Temptation | 2 CD; Jazz in Motion; JIM 75228 | Yuri Honing Wired Paradise | Yuri Honing – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, Frank Möbus – guitar, Tony Overwater – bass, double bass, Joost Lijbaart – drums |
| 2007 | Winterreise | Jazz in Motion; JIM 75368 | Yuri Honing & Nora Mulder | Yuri Honing – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, Misha Mengelberg – piano |
| 2008 | Meet Your Demons | Jazz in Motion; JIM 75419 | Yuri Honing Wired Paradise | Yuri Honing – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, Frank Möbus – guitar, Paul Jan Bakker – guitar, Tony Overwater – bass, double bass, Joost Lijbaart – drums |
| 2009 | Phase Five | Verve; 270377-4 | Yuri Honing & Floris | Yuri Honing – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, Floris Klinkert – beats, programming, David Pinao – vocals, guitar, Leine – vocals, guitar, Janne Schra – vocals, Lilian Vieria – vocals, Sarah Bettens – vocals, Olger Star – scratches, Sietse van Gorkom – violin, Ro Krauss – viola, Stef van Es – guitar, Lucas Dols – double bass |
Personal
Honing lives in Amsterdam. Yuri is the younger brother of musicologist Henkjan HoningHenkjan Honing
Henkjan Honing is a Dutch researcher and musician. He is KNAW-Muller professor in music cognition and heads the Music Cognition Group , part of the Department of Musicology, the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation , Cognitive Science Center Amsterdam , and the University of Amsterdam ,...
. Yuri Honing is also active as an organizer: each year he organizes the Winterreise music evening in Paradiso (famous popvenue) in Amsterdam. For this occasion he invites musicians of various genres and different generations to co-create a beautifully blended evening. The first edition of Winterreise was in 2007 and started with an opening speech by Job Cohen, then mayor of Amsterdam.
External links
Biography of Yuri Honing on the Dutch Music Encyclopedia