Jazz In Motion

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Photo: J.C. van der Kolk

Joost Lijbaart Group of Friends

More information at www.joostlijbaart.com

Joost Lijbaart - drums
Yuri Honing - tenor saxophone
Benjamin Herman - alto saxophone
Mats Eilertsen - double bass

Group of Friends is a relatively new project, initiated by Joost Lijbaart, one of Holland’s finest drummers in the field of jazz and improvised music. Lijbaart makes his international appearance in 1993 when he wins the Europe Jazz Contest for ‘Best Drummer’. Since then he has broadened his horizons as a musician and as a composer, In 2002 Lijbaart is awarded ‘Best Soloist’ in the Dutch Jazz Competition at the North Sea Jazz Festival. But after having been a highly appreciated sideman with many great jazz artists, Lijbaart decides to form his own band, Group of Friends. In this group the two foremost Dutch saxophone players of today, Benjamin Herman and Yuri Honing, who used to play together with Lijbaart 10 years ago, are reunited. Mats Eilertsen, an absolute bass talent from Norway completes the rhythm section.

Selected discography:
Joost Lijbaart - Group of Friends Group of Friends	Joost Lijbaart - Group of Friends (DVD) Live at the North Sea Jazz Festival

Joost Lijbaart Group of Friends
Biography

With his Group of Friends (founded in 2002), drummer Joost Lijbaart goes back to his roots: the late sixties. In this period jazz music was treated with more and more freedom than ever before regarding rhythm and form, while the starting point switched to melody and harmony. This particular development has always been underexposed because many musicians at the time turned to pop- and jazz-rock. Lijbaart and his Friends go back to this musical moment in time and continue from there on. This results in a striking sound and various wonderful new compositions that show many ethnical influences as well. The repertoire also includes pieces by Wayne Shorter, Miles Davis, Dave Holland and Tony Williams.
In 2003 the debut CD entitled Group of Friends is released and many favorable reviews follow. In 2005 the DVD Live at the North Sea Jazz Festival is released which not only gives a good view at their wonderful concert at the festival in 2003 but it also has 5.1 DTS dolby surround sound.

Joost Lijbaart Group of Friends reviewed
Press quotes

Group of Friends stylishly rounds of the first season at the new Bimhuis
- Draai om je oren

Splendid debut CD
- NRC

Formidable musicians (....) a magnificent drummer, always putting the music first
- Parool

Splendid video and sound quality (….) four passionately playing musicians
- Nederlands Dagblad

Splendid live-registration of the North Sea Jazz Festival (....) a remarkable Dutch product
- Kindamuzik

A great deligation of musicians
- Jazzflits

Intense reunion of top saxophonists
- Volkskrant

Lijbaart turns out to be a modest leader who prefers to perform among the others
- Jazz

Absolutely fantastic
- Slagwerkkrant