Playful and with humor, and a very high level of interplay


AMSTERDAM - Jungle boldie
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Frank van Herk

Translation: Google Translate with corrections

Jungle Boldie is the latest incarnation of a triumvirate that already exists 22 years. Initially the trio was called the Maarten Ornstein Trio, the reed player of the group, then the Tony Overwater Trio, after the bassist. The current name Jungle Boldie was chosen, according to a witty introduction of Overwater, because the name of the third member, drummer Wim Kegel, can not be pronounced abroad.
The CD presentation concert, held at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam, not only showed that playfulness and humor plays an important role in the music of this trio, but also a very high level of interplay. The three musicians are completely equal and support each other while simultaneously engaging their own parts.
Ornstein is not only a gifted tenor saxophonist, flowing and expressive, but also an impressive bass clarinettist with a sonorous, almost classically pure tone. You never hear him squeeking notes like many other tenor players that play the clarinet on the side. Overwater plucks and bows on his bass singing and strumming patterns equally lyrical and melodic. And it is amazing what palette of sounds Wim Kegel produces on his elementary drum kit sounding like a one man drum orchestra.
The repertoire is varied. Spicy in four swing, modal exuberant outbursts, banging funk, the Arab theme of Beirut and even convincing old but updated blues and Dixieland like St. James Infirmary and Palestine. The themes are often performed in perfect unison and thereafterthe soloist creates his own path around it, looking for the finest notes, encouraged by the others. Also the dynamics shows great solidarity from soft whispering over sober basslines and gently rustling cymbals and bass to explosions and firy drums.