Dion Nijland presents debut album DEON SOFT STEEL (Trytone, Toondist)
The press is talking…
‘A beautiful, adventurous album by a fresh new band that connects tradition with innovation.’ (October 2023, Volkskrant, Gijsbert Kamer)
‘Soft Steel is a quest for depth…’ Jazznu, Rinus van der Heijden (July 2023, read more – Dutch)
‘Tight, playful, cheerful and exciting. Superb cd.’ Moors Magazine, Holly Moors (May 2023, read more – Dutch)
‘…this is greedily tough and creative music that would fit any jazz festival scene in the world.’ Salt-peanuts, Jan Granlie (June 2023, read more)
‘And if this album isn’t varied enough, we also get a passionate tango under Nijland’s inspiring leadership with the title piece ‘Soft Steel’. Nieuwenoten, Ben Taffijn (September 2023, read more – Dutch)
‘The whole programme is hugely enterprising with melodies and harmonic accompaniments released in quantum packets of energy, each with so much imagination as to be both surprising and mysterious at the same time.’ Jazzdagama, Raul da Gama (September 2023, read more)
‘From end to end this is not repertoire aimed at making the listener relax. Here the motto is most definitely: None shall sleep…!’ Jazzdagama, Raul da Gama (September 2023, read more)
‘It swings vividly, and there is room for a free jazz feel where the musicians can excel with noticable pleasure.’ Jazz bulletin (August 2023)
‘Apparant contradictions are forged into a united sound.’ JazzFlits, Herman te Loo (May 2023, read more – Dutch)
‘Yes, there is a lot of spirit and adventour again in the Utrecht jazz scene!’ Jazzenzo, Cyriel Pluimakers (August 2023, read more – Dutch)
‘Marching kicks, counter-rhythms, spirited three-part music as robust jazz’n’roll and the joke of demonstrating Slagkracht with a vibraphone are just as typical of DEON as singing a ‘lullaby’ with a stuffed trumpet and an Eastern European clarinet feeling, and then drastically wake up the whole neighborhood with a melodious tenor sax.’ Bad Alchemy, Rigobert Dittman (April 2023, read more)
CONCERTS 2023/2024 SOFT STEEL
- October 27 De Tor, Enschede
- November 9, Brebl, Nijmegen
- November 17, U Jazz/DUMS, Utrecht
- December 28, Bimhuis, Amsterdam
- January 14, Plusetage, Baarle-Nassau
- March 9, TivoliVredenburg/Transition, Utrecht
…from notes on paper to human sound – crackling, intimate, sanding and moving…
DEON is Dion’s newest project. Making use of the many talents in the thriving scene of his hometown Utrecht the young and talented players Mees Siderius (drums) and Ruben Drenth (trumpet) bring their energetic and modern musical sound to the group, furthermore existsting of the warm blooded saxophone player Ad Colen and the intense clarinet player Steven Kamperman. DEON seeks the intimacy of a singable melody and has the urge to rock and jump up and down. The music is crackling, intimate, sanding and moving. Played at the cutting edge.
October 6th 2023 DEON has released the album SOFT STEEL (Trytone TT-559-097)
The album SOFT STEEL contains 12 compositions by Dion Nijland that combine the power, clarity and objectivity of musical structures with the emotional expression of the performers . Notes on paper slowly vanished and transformed into a lively and human sound. The structured compositions are shaped by the musicians, always potentially moving into another direction. An impression of a lifelong relationship with music and its different shapes.
Watch us moving…