Iman Spaargaren (tenor saxophone) and Peter Bjørnild (double bass) will release a new one mic recording on Sound Liaison in 2025. They recorded a wide variety of jazz standards at the Heuvellaan Hilversum Studios with the great Frans de Rond as recording engineer. In a setting of clarinet, saxophone and double bass they explore the musical richness of these beautiful songs in an intimate setting. Iman and Peter know each other through the Amsterdam musicians scene and became devoted to each other's playing after their first joint concert. They find each other in their lyrical way of playing. In their musical interaction, Iman and Peter beautifully complete and challenge each other. The duo plays a multitude of well-known and lesser-known jazz standards where musical freedom and intense interplay are key elements.
Line up:
Iman Spaargaren (NL) tenor saxophone
Peter Bjørnild (DK) double bass
"Iman Spaargaren: a busy man, not deprived of outstanding musical qualities, as an instrumentalist as well as a composer" (Jacques Los, Draaiomjeoren)
"Spaargaren excels in strong melodies and lyricism" (Jan Jasper Tamboer, Jazzenzo)
"Iman Spaargaren is a saxophonist with a melodic approach. When digging deeper in his thematic material, Iman looks for a marriage between storytelling and exploring" (Hessel Fluitman, Jazzflits)
Iman is a multi-reed player, arranger and composer.
Iman has a distinctive way of playing and a very personal tone on his horn. During the past few years Iman has been busy with a wide variety of music groups such as Undercurrent Orchestra, Undercurrent Trio, Eyeman All Stars, StarkLinnemann Quartet, Captain Hook, o.a.
In 2022 he received a composition assignment to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the BIM workers union for jazz and improvised music. Over the past years Iman released numerous albums with different groups, such as 'Everything Seems Different' with Undercurrent Orchestra on Zennez Records (2022). He performed at major festivals (a.o. Dutch Jazz Competition and North Sea Jazz Festival) and at jazz clubs (a.o. BIMhuis) throughout Europe and the USA. With the Undercurrent Trio with Guillermo Celano and Marcos Baggiani he was on tour in Argentina in 2023 and Cuba in 2024.
Peter Bjørnild (Copenhagen 1963) has played and recorded with a wealth of musicians in a broad musical spectrum ranging from Classical with the Residentie Orchestra to Big Bands with Thad Jones and Tivoli Gardens Big Band to small groups with Carmen Gomes Inc., Phillip Harper, and John Engels, to stage shows with Jeroen Willems. Peter plays every Monday night in Jazz Cafe Alto in Amsterdam with the CoolSound 4. He is also active as a producer for the audiophile record label Sound Liaison.
