Rolf Delfos: Saxophones | Arno Krijger: Hammond organ
and bass pedals | Pascal Vermeer: Drums |
Anton Goudsmit: Guitar

Omnipotent (Oh Thou Lewinsky): Almighty indeed!! But just how almighty is this Lewinsky Quartet? Just what kind of metamorphosis has it gone through? What happened? If their first CD was a mere pubescent “warming-up exercise”, a shy attempt of a bunch of guys with ambitions at getting it right, a trio in the making, then this most recent production is no doubt the work of a group “all grown-up”, professionally attired in suit and tie, polished and stylish; flaunting a charisma that wills you to listen … from a certain distance … docile yet aloof. How can a necessary being exist totally polluted with the possible? Or rather, is anything possible on a Hammond? Does Krijger work veritable miracles with his ten fingers, while feet lead a life of their own to the rhythm/swing of Vermeer and hands yield harmonies, exacted by Delfos?

The cooperation between (or symbiosis of) Krijger, Delfos and Vermeer lives on with unprecedented intensity, to which this newest work bears witness, some compositions featuring the sound of guitar virtuoso Anton Goudsmit. “Evil, all it’s sin is still alive”, a wild piece by Delfos (Red’s Follof) - is evil being evoked here? - with an (un)usually rough Goudsmit, is alternated with killer ballad “Omnipotent oh thou Lewinsky”, in which Krijger - the real warrior - launches a veritable war of registers and Delfos goes the extra mile and gives it all … to the last note. And what, for Heaven’s sake (Oh Thou), has happened to Vermeer? Such guts, such fire … could this possibly be “Beyond jazz?” Probably!! Without a doubt,the spectrum includes clearly recognizable elements from up-to-date jazz and Blue Note, yet pieces like “September” and “Prestonesque” feature entirely different influences. But the sound and the “live” interaction are still the “continuous thread” that keeps it all together for this trio (or is it really a quartet?).

Zen and the art of staying together and making music. It’s ok to change the music while you’ve got company. But as soon as they’re gone, get ready to surrender to this almighty trio. Together with Goudsmit as the bespectacled Apollo, the Lewinsky Quartet will whisk you away with it into the grottos of Improvisatis, where you will experience the true meaning of Omnipotent.

Wie het hoesje van het Lewinsky Quartet uitvoerig bestudeert komt tot de conclusie dat dit viertal slechts uit drie leden bestaat. Waarschijnlijk tellen zij de voeten van Arno Krijger, die de baspedalen van het Hammond orgel bespelen, mee als vierde lid. Aangevuld met drummer Pascal Vermeer (Michiel Borstlap, Dick de Graaf Quartet, Jeroen van Vliet Trio) en saxofonist Rolf Delfos (The Houdini’s, Cubop City Big Band, The Jazzinvaders, The Auratones) concentreert dit trio zich op een repertoire waarvan de oorsprong in de Blue Note jazz van de jaren vijftig en zestig ligt. Na hun goed ontvangen debuut No Clubs In Town (2004) is hun groepsgeluid aanzienlijk gegroeid. De basis van hun geluid komt uit de Hammond van Krijger die zich na All Stations (2004) met John Scofield en Billy Hart en Picknick At Bikini (2007) van Mona Lisa Overdrive steeds meer profileert als een van de toonaangevende Nederlandse Hammond spelers. Het rauwe geluid van gastgitarist Anton Goudsmit sluit naadloos aan op de energieke sound van het Lewinsky Quartet. (AD)