Distrust All Rules

Millennium Jazz Orchestra plays the music of Henri Gerrits

Don’t let the album’s name mislead you: Henri Gerrits, the composer / arranger on Distrust All Rules, a superlative recording by the Netherlands’ world-class Millennium Jazz Orchestra, may disregard some precepts, but he follows enough of them to ensure that the voyage from Tracks 1-8 is not only pleasant but invariably melodic and normal in the best sense of the words. Gerrits, who also plays trombone in the ensemble, wrote six of the eight numbers and arranged all of them, and there isn’t a lemon in the lot.

The fast-paced opener, from which the album derives its name, is a well-knit groover with solos to match by baritone Job Helmers, trombonist Vincent Veneman and drummer Klaas van Donkersgoed. “Threepression,” which ensues, is, Gerrits writes, “a combination of two [ideas]: three-quarter time and depression.” The somber introduction leads to a randomly discordant climax, which is as far “out” as Gerrits ever strays. Gerrits wrote the freewheeling “Easy Job” as a showcase for Helmers’ baritone, and arranged Ray Noble’s engaging ballad “The Very Thought of You” to feature the excellent pianist Dirk Balthaus. Balthaus composed the saucy “B-Tango,” on which he solos with soprano saxophonist Volker Winck. The dynamic “Eleven-Seven” marks the date of Gerrits’ marriage, while “Starlight” is based on the well-known standard “Stella by Starlight.” Winck (tenor) solos with trumpeter Jan-Willem te Kiefte on “Eleven-Seven,” with van Donkersgoed on “Stella.” He’s splendid throughout, as are his colleagues. Gerrits and the orchestra wrap things up with the brassy and clever “Factory Reset” whose exuberant solos are by trombonist Veneman and alto Gerlo Hesselink.

Although none of the eight numbers runs for more than ten minutes, the first half-dozen come close. “The Very Thought of You” clocks in at 6:17, “Factory Reset” at 6:53, producing an over-all playing time bordering on sixty-eight minutes, almost none of which is unrewarding thanks to Gerrits’ seductive charts and a letter-perfect performance by the MJO under conductor Joan Reinders. There is nothing to “distrust” here aside from an ambiguous title that may dissuade anyone from assuming that Distrust All Rules embodies anything other than straightforward, swinging big-band jazz of the highest caliber.

Bezetting

Henri Gerrits
componist, arrangeur

Joan Reinders
dirigent

Rieten
Gerlo Hesselink (lead) alt- en sopraansaxofoon, fluit
Louis Gerrits altsaxofoon, klarinet
Volker Winck tenor- en sopraansaxofoon, klarinet
Martin van der Horst tenorsaxofoon, klarinet
Job Helmers baritonsaxofoon, basklarinet

Trompetten and flugelhorns
Rini Swinkels (lead)
Sander Zweerink
Bert Fransen
Herman Nijkamp
Jan-Willem te Kiefte

Trombones
Vincent Veneman (lead)
Bert Pfeiffer
Henri Gerrits
Juliane Gralle (bastrombone track 1, 2, 3, 6, 7)
Wolff Schenk (bastrombone track 4, 5, 8)

Ritmesectie
Dirk Balthaus piano
Joep Lumeij contrabas
Klaas van Donkersgoed drums

Credits 

Producer Henri Gerrits

Opgenomen in Fattoria Musica, Osnabrúck, 26 en 27 juli 2011

Technicus Chris Weeda

Mix  Chris Weeda, Henri Gerrits en Joan Reinders in Rapenburg Studio Amsterdam 25 en 26 september 2011

Ontwerp Mathijs te Kiefte