A Handful Of Stories (CD)

As one of the leading Dutch trumpeters around these days, Verploegen is well within his rights to be focused on capturing an elusive live sound. And, with this album of originals, he achieves it. This previous collaborator with Metropole Orkest is in fine form as he adopts a quintet to celebrate his successful run on Just Listen Records – “Five is the number,” as he puts it. His bandmates are able to find common ground through their past experiences, whilst their leader offers them the freedom to move and a chance to express themselves through a cheery sense of shared musical feeling.

Filled with wonderful tunes, played my master musicians who work so synergistically with one another, this is an album to simply settle back to enjoy.

Verploegen is a very special musician in my book. When he picks up his flugelhorn, magic happens. He brings a subtlety of phrasing combined with a relaxed warm energy into which I can happily soak and be refreshed. When playing with fellow musicians, he never dominates the aural picture. He seems to encourage and facilitate the creative energies of those with whom he is collaborating.

The other thing that makes Verploegen's albums so special for me is the outstanding sonics captured on each by master recording engineer Jared Sacks. These are not airless studio recordings. They are recorded as the musicians would be performing in a live acoustic performance on stage before an audience. Not in isolation booths. Not isolated from each other with headphones in their own separate worlds. But live. Having to perform together and balance the sounds of their instruments live, dynamically, as they play together.

So, if you enjoy jazz of the highest caliber, performed by excellent musicians who collaborate and "get" one another, get this album! You won't be disappointed.