Eric Boeren

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stylistic range, usually from the 1960s, Dutch musicians treat classical, folk, or brass-band music, as well as the whole history of jazz, as a source for their creative palettes. When they are funny, it is often in a manner reminiscent of Dada, mixing Duke Ellington or Thelonious Monk with oom-pah marching drums, or filling out a short recording with the sounds of a pet parrot.

Eric Boeren plays trumpet and cornet now, but he started on euphonium and tuba in a local brass band. Once he fell in love with improvised music, he concentrated on the cornet and began his apprenticeship in the lively Amsterdam scene. He was soon performing with older musicians, and established himself as one of the top improvising brass players in the city. If one looks at the lineups of the great Dutch improvising ensembles, Boeren seems to be almost everywhere. One group that he has been associated with for many years is Available Jelly, one of the highlights of the 2003 edition of the local Edgefest.