History Han Bennink Trio

This is Han Bennink's first band, according to himself. Being born in 1942 (in Zaandam, Holland), it's about time. It has Bennink on drums, Simon Toldam on the piano and Joachim Badenhorst on clarinets.

Most free-form jazz is a lot less enganging on record than it is live. However, listening to Han Bennink on cd rather than watching him live has the obvious advantage that you are in no immediate danger of phsyical harm. His trio is a lot quieter and more structured than his solo live shows, although that isn't saying much. Improvisation plays an important part, but in the end they play actual songs - both their own and others, notably songs by Duke Ellington - and the whole package shouldn't scare off all that many people unaccustomed to modern jazz.

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