Peace

When guitarist Ed Verhoeff and trombonist Ilja Reijngoud reconnected over coffee at music conservatory Codarts in Rotterdam, they decided to take a step that had long been in the air: to start a project together. Both musicians had already built impressive careers — Ed as a versatile guitarist with a distinctive voice and collaborations with artists such as John Abercrombie, Philip Catherine, Izaline Calister, and the Metropole Orchestra; Ilja as an Edison Award–winning trombonist, composer, and educator, known for his work with The Houdini’s, the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, and the Cubop City Big Band, as well as for arranging for Branford Marsalis, Al Jarreau, and Randy Brecker.

Out of that renewed meeting came The Art of Two — a duo that places trombone and guitar at its heart, embracing the apparent limitations of a small ensemble and transforming them into strengths. Their music is about freedom, dialogue, and color, about creating a sound world that balances intimacy with expansiveness. With their earlier project The Dutch Real Book, Ed and Ilja had already shown that they could reinterpret existing traditions in fresh, contemporary ways.

With Peace, they chart a new path. This album is an anthology of their own compositions, enriched with two existing works, including Horace Silver’s timeless ballad Peace. The duo uses this piece as the album’s guiding light — not as a rigid concept, but as a tone and state of mind that flows through every track. For them, “peace” is not silence, but a space where contrast, tension, and resolution can coexist. It’s a musical and emotional landscape that invites both reflection and connection.

While the duo forms the foundation, Ed and Ilja often invite guests to expand their sonic palette and push their creative boundaries. On this album, saxophonist Tineke Postma and drummer Sun-Mi Hong contribute their distinctive voices, adding elegance, texture, and depth to the dialogue between guitar and trombone.

As The Art of Two, Ilja and Ed venture beyond genre, guided by interaction, freedom, and joy. Their debut album captures the adventurous interplay between their instruments — trombone and guitar weaving expressive, ever-evolving lines, occasionally enhanced by subtle electronic textures.

With Peace, Verhoeff and Reijngoud take a bold and personal step forward. No longer framed by existing repertoires or predefined themes, this music speaks in their own voice — contemporary, intimate, and deeply human. It reflects a shared longing for harmony, both in sound and in the world beyond it.

Ilja Reijngoud trombone
Ed Verhoeff guitars

feat.:
Tineke Postma soprano and alto saxophone (3, 6, 7)
Sun-Mi Hong drums (1, 2, 10)

Albumcover: Street art (graffiti) by Přemysl Beňa (Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife)
Recorded 10 February and 16 May 2025. “Peace” is the first project recorded at Banana Bread Studio, located at NativeDSD headquarters. (more info)
Recorded & produced and mixed by Jared Sacks
Ilja Reijngoud plays exclusively Kühnl&Hoyer trombones and JK mouthpieces