Artvark Saxophone Quartet

After two years of preparation and hard solid work behind the scene, ARTVARK SQ shows itself in 2004 to the world at the Jazzfestival in Amersfoort (NL). Innovating own compositions, jazz-soloists with distinctive own styles and the adventurous groove of four saxophones. Rolf Delfos (alto/soprano), Bart Wirtz (alto), Mete Erker (tenor) and Peter Broekhuizen (baritone) produce with their different backgrounds an unanimous, creative and original sound: THE SOUND OF ARTVARK. After a flying start at Dutch Jazzfestivals and the overwhelming reactions to those concerts, the first CD, 'Artvark the Jazz Saxophone Quartet', was released in ‘05. The CD was very well received by the press, including a four star rating CD-review in the authoritative Dutch newspaper ‘De Volkskrant’.
Since then the quartet performed in the Netherlands, Belgium and France, both on bigger stages as in the intimacy of chamber music settings. Unique was the double bill with ZAPP STRING QUARTET, with special arrangements for the combination of the two quartets. A highlight in March ’09 was the collaboration of ARTVARK with Mr. PETER ERSKINE (USA, Steps Ahead/Weather Report) and Mr. DOUDOU n’DIAYE ROSE (Senegal, Miles Davis/Rolling Stones). Special music was written for this beautiful project by Martin Fondse (check YouTube).
Recently Artvark toured with the project ‘busy, busy, busy’, a joined venture with NEW NIKS, the quartet of dummer Arend Niks. Premiere of ‘bbb’ was in the famous jazz club the Bimhuis in Amsterdam, live recorded by VPRO radio. In October ‘09 the CD of ‘bbb’ was released in De Doelen in Rotterdam (NL). In November ’09 ASQ appeared with this project on Dutch television in ‘Vrije geluiden’, a very fine live music program for both classical and jazz performers.