NEW BLUES FOR PIANO
A PROJECT IN PROGRESS BY MARCEL WORMS
NEW BLUES FOR PIANO
Marcel Worms has been classically trained but also has a strong interest in jazz. In 1996 year he asked nine well-known Dutch composers to write him a Blues. He was curious to know what the Blues, one of the roots of jazz music and still in important point of departure and point of reference for many jazzmusicians, meant for the contemporary composer either with a classical background or classically educated. He premiered these Blues in January 1997 in Amsterdam (as well as a Blues written for him by Michael Finnissy) in the BIMHUIS, Amsterdams foremost jazzstage. At the end of 1997 again 12 new Dutch and foreign Blues were ready and were premiered at the Icebreaker, Centre for Contemporary Music in Amsterdam and the third series had its first performance again at the BIMHUIS in November 1998. In 2000 new series of Blues have been premiered at the ‘Beurs van Berlage’ in Amsterdam and at the BIMHUIS again. Since then many other premieres took place.
Marcel Worms has laid contacts with composers in the countries where he will give or have allready given recitals recently. This has resulted in more than 200 new compositions until now originating from over 50 different countries from all of the 6 Continents.
The Blues proves to be a quite universal musical form where composers from different countries and different cultural backgrounds have their ideas about. The differences in cultural backgrounds of the different composers can be heard quite clearly in the different contributions to this project.
Most of the Blues on this program last between 3 and 5 minutes. Of course 12- or 16-bars schemes, blue notes or I-IV-V chord changes are absolutely not a prerequisite. The pianist is only interested in Blues as a ‘state of mind’ so to speak. As Michael Finnissy expressed it: ‘to be able to feel the Blues is necessary to survive in this world…..’.
Marcel Worms has played his Bluesprogram among others in the Netherlands, in almost all European countries, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China and the Far East, Israel and the Middle-East, Russia, many African countries and the U.S.A. In 1999 he has played it at the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Hague. In 2000 and 2001 concerts were given in South-Africa and Mozambique, in several European countries, in South America, China and the United States. In the fall of 2000 he toured the Balkan with his Blues program and has played in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia and Bosnia, performing new Blues from all of these countries.
In 2001 he played the program in Warsaw at the Warsaw Autumn Festival and toured (in combination with a Tango program) through Argentina and China. In 2002 he played it at the EU Jazz Festival in Mexico City, the Audio Art Festival in Krakow (Poland) and at the Festival ‘Nuovi Spazi Musicali’ in Rome. In 2004 this program was performed at the Festival De la Música Contemporanea in Bolivia, at the Forum Neuer Musik in Cologne, at the Festival of Aveiro (Portugal) and at the Fajr Festival in Iran. In 2005 Marcel Worms presented his blues project at the Festival Tblisi Autumn in Georgia and in 2008 at the International Pianofestival of Bucaramanga (Colombia).
Concerts take place in regular concert halls, in museums, at universities and in jazz venues as well.
The program has been recorded on 8 CD’s. Dutch publisher Donemus published 31 dutch blues in two albums in 2007, including a CD with a recording of all the pieces published in the albums. Peer Music (Hamburg) has published 3 albums in 2009 and 2010 with international contributions to the project,
including a CD as well. The CD “Spanning The Globe, Music from Six Continents – FutureClassics 061” is for sale HERE
REPERTORY LIST ‘NEW BLUES FOR PIANO’
Netherlands
Margriet Hoenderdos – Augustus 1996 (1996)
Willem van Manen – Request (1996)
David Dramm – Otis plays Arnold (1996)
Raaf Hekkema – Blauwe Maandag (Blue Monday) (1996)
Guus Janssen – Blauwbrug (Bluebridge) (1996 )
Martijn Padding – Laid Back (1996)
Chiel Meijering – Wildplakkers ; Chiel de la Tourette Syndrome (1996)
Maurice Horsthuis – Adieu Blues-version for piano solo- (1996)
Maarten Altena – Snapshot II (1997)
Sumire Nukina – Blues for Tera (1997)
Ig Henneman – Hiragana Blues (1997)
Huba de Graaff – Als je honger hebt en je neus is leeg (1997)_(If you are hungry and your nose is empty….
Paul Termos – Marcel’s Blues (1997)
Peter van Onna – ‘…says Keith Jarret’ (1997)
Theo Loevendie – The barpianist (1997) for piano and tape
Maarten van Norden – The Blues and the Abstract Truth (1997)
Willem Breuker – Ammehoela (1997)
Ron Ford – Lachrymae (1997)
Franky Douglas – Fast Bird – Open Air – Jive (version 1997)
Christina Oorebeek – Prismatic Blues: 1.Primary Blue 2.Indigo 3.The Prussian Boogie (1997)
Misha Mengelberg – Wat volgt (What’s next) (1997)
David Little – Out of the Clear Blue Sky (1998)
Michiel Braam – Worms is back! (1998)
Rudi Martinus van Dijk – A touch of the Blues (1998)
Dolf de Kinkelder – Gejaagd door de kwint (Drownsome Blues) (1998)
Otto Ketting – Palace Hotel (1998)
Jeff Hamburg – Uncle Mendel’s Ukranian Blues (1999)
Jacob ter Veldhuis – Honky Tonk Blues (1999)/Off and On situation Blues (1999)
Bob Zimmerman – A can of Blues (1999)
Alex Manassen – Superficial Blues (1999)
Sinta Wullur – Bali in Blue (1999)
Christian Blaha – Zzaj (1999)
Curtis Clark – Ashland (2000)
Vincent van Warmerdam – Cradlerockin’ Blues (2000)
Hanna Kulenty – Drive Blues (2000)
Cor Fuhler – Moncle (2000)
Daan Manneke – Blues for Marcel (2000)
Burton Greene – Buddy’s Bitonal Blues II (2000)
Ton de Kruyf – Ice-Blue Kiss (2000)
Douwe Eisenga – Growing worm, stabbing his back-part slowly into the blues (2001)
Vanessa Lann – Leaps of faith (2001)
Caroline Ansink – Scoring (2001)
René Samson – Blues? Hin DA mith! (2001)
Anton Goudsmit – I woke up this morning walking down the street (2001)
Ronald Snijders – Amor e Saudade (2001)
Jos van der Wulp – Basie Blues from Zwolle (2002)
Leo Samama – Some kind of Blues (2002)
Robert Nasveld – Frozen Blues (2002)
Arend Niks – Big Busy Building Blues (2002)
Loek Dikker – South Side Ground Zero Boogie Blues (2003)
Toek Numan – Hitch (2003)
Ronald Halier – Booze (2003)
Joost Kleppe – Fado irado (2003)
Hans Koolmees – Blues for Paul, in memoriam Paul Termos (2004)
Bart Spaan – Blank (2004)
Mayke Nas – New work (2005)
Martin Fondse – 11 blues for Marcel (2005)
Rozalie Hirs – Source of Blue (2005)
Matthieu Polak – Der Gasn Nigun (2006)
Astrid Kruisselbrink – Down (2006)
René Uijlenhoet – Halliburton Blues (2007)
Joey Roukens – Blues on a bright background (2007)
Monique Krüs – Saskia in Blue (2008)
Sylvia Maessen – Dancing through the desert (2008)
Holger de Bruin – Chromatic Blues (2009)
Geert Schoonbeek – Wad in Blaaeuwes (2009), www.geertschoonbeek.nl
Kees Arntzen – Keine falsche Bewegung (Kaffeehaus-boogie, 2009)
Roderik de Man – Blue Bait (2009)
Claudia Rumondor – “And maybe I seem a bit confused” Blues (2009)
Janco Verduin – Nieuwblauw (2010)
Bram Kortekaas – Mental Hospital Blues (2010)
Paul van Brugge – Again I Tried Everything I Possibly Could But I Still Can’t Get My Damn’ Car Started Blues (2010)
Morris Kliphuis – Plaint (2010)
Jacques Bank – Dutch King of Blues (2010)
Teodora Stepancic – Bluezer (2010)
Peter Harden – Purpley Blues (2010)
Wilbert Bulsink – Half a Blues (2010)
Berry van Berkum – Worms Blues (2011)
Andries van Rossem – Shadow Blues (2011)
Dirk Dekker – Blue Mantra (2011)
Mari-anne Hof – Something Blue? (2011)
Ed Wertwijn – Blues for Mike (2011)
Marlon Titre – Dreamlike Blue (2011)
Heleen Verleur – Capricious Blues (2011)
Albert van Veenendaal – Internally Blue for prepared piano (2011)
Huub de Vriend – Blues (2011)
Max Knigge – Out we jumped in the warm mad night
Corinne Moerbeek – Reflection 13 (2013)
Patrick van Deurzen – ‘Si Calpestando errava hor qua, hor là…’ (2014)
Remy Alexander – Twerk dBlaus (2013)
Anne-Maartje Lemereis – Lullablues (2013)
Rieteke Hölscher – Inside Out (2013)
Daan van den Hurk – Sonatina in Blue (2013)
Albania
Elvis Peçi – Obstinate Blues (2003)
Aleksander Peçi – Albanian Concertant Blues (2009)
Argentina
Alicia Terzian – Tango Blues (1999)
Diana Elena Rud – Fulgores y sombres (2001)
Juan Maria Solare – Red (2002)
Armenia
Mikhael Kokzhayev – Blues in the form of an apricot tree
Karen Ananyan – East Blues (2012)
Australia
Elena Chernin – Economy Class Blues (2004)
Bruce Crossman – After Resonance Blues (2005)
Ross Edwards – Kangaroo Valley Blues (2005)
Andrew Ford – Broadway Boogie -Woogie (2005)
Ian Munro- Dismal Blues (2004)
Austria
Christoph Cech – Neubau 16 (2000)
Christian Skokan – Blues x Wurzel Drei (2000)
Ulli Rennert – Nu Blu (2000)
Belgium
Stephane VandeGinste – On the road (1997)/“Rock’romatique” (2002)
Patrick de Clerck – Elegia (1997)
Raoul De Smet – Blues Fantasie (1998)
Jeroen D’Hoe – New Stairs Blues (2012)
Bolivia
Oscar Garcia – Instantes y Remates (2004)
Oldrich Halas – Jacha Flores Homenaje Blues (2004)
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Igor Karaca – Horizons and Limitations (2000)
Brazil
Jorge Antunes – Blues (2001)
Gilberto Mendes – Warum Blues (2001)
Aldo Brizzi – Blue (2001)
Dartiu Xavier da Silveira – Blue Bossa (2001)
Bulgaria
Ljubomir Denev – Caress (1997)
Gheorgi Arnaoudov – “A Husky Fifenote Blew…” (1998)
Burkina Faso
Alif Naaba – Poug-Ninre (2010)
Chile
Rafael Diaz – Blues para Jorge Teillier (1999)
China
Zou Hang – Distance of Jazz (1998)
Zhang Yang – Blues Wind (1999)
Gao Ping – Blue Mask(2002)
Croatia
Srdan Dedic – All that Blues(2000)
Mladen Tarbuk – Rebel’s Blues (2000)
Cuba
Roberto Valera – Van Gogh’s Blue Ear (2003)
Cyprus
Georgia Nicolaou – East Coast Drive (2013)
Czech Republic
Emil Viklicky – Fanósu (2000)
Vaclav Kucera -Cryptoblues (2000)
Martin Marek – Hi-castle Blue (2000)
Egypt
Ali Osman – Afro-Arab Blues (2005)
Riad-Abdel Gawad – Langa Nahawand (2004)
Mohamed Abdelhawad Abdelfatah – Drub (2014)
England
Michael Finnissy – Honky Blues (1996)
Joe Cutler – Buckley’s Hot Licks (2002)
John Lewis – Molybdene (2003)
Michael Zev Gordon – Still Time (2011)
Germany
Mauricio Kagel – Gedeelte uit ‘Westen’ (’93-’94,),versie voor pianosolo (’97) Shigaera Kan-no – Frageolett+Passcaglia=Blues??? (2001)
Pèter Köszeghy – Wrath (2001)
Valerio Sannicandro – Sacrae cantiones (2001)
Joanna Stepalska – Amsel Blues (2001)
Marcus Antonius Wesselmann- Solo 7:Moto-Blues (2001)
Moritz Eggert – Highway 61(2001)
Dimitri Terzakis – Dorian Blues(2001)
Yasuko Yamaguchi – Zwölf (2001)
Rochus Aust – Wormser Nibelungen Blues 2002)
Tobias Klaus Giesen – Blues(2001)
Christian Banasik – Spell out (2002)
Georg Hajdu – Blue Marble (2002)
Matthias Drude – Bluespressivo (2002)
Alexander Keuk – Luc & Theo having some drinks at the flamingo bar (2002)
Manfred Weiss – 2 Blues (2002)
Indonesia
Sapto Raharjo – Malioboro Blues (2003)
Iran
Reza Vali – Blue Johannes (2012)
Israel
Alon Nechushtan – Ancient City Blues (1999)
Ari Ben Shabatai- – Blues and White (2000)
Anat Fort – Marce Bars (2003)
Italy
Luca Macchi – Marinella’s Blues (1998)
Elvio Cippolone – Variazioni su un tema Blues (1998)
Stefano Giannotti – Blue (2001)
Japan
Kaori Okatani – Blue Blues(2002)
Shigaera Kan-no – Frageolett+Passcaglia=Blues??? (2001)
Yasuko Yamaguchi – Zwölf(2001) (2003)
Kosovo
Rafet Rudi – Pristhina Blues (2001)
Kuwait
Patil Zakaryan – Bluezjan (2014)
Lebanon
Setrak Setrakian – Flower (2005)
Abdala El-Masri – Jamali-Wali (2002)
Macedonia
Jana Andreevska – Scattered Blues (2000)
Malaysia
Valerie Ross – Jigsaw Blues (1999)
Marocco
Hakim Chanane – Dark Scent (2013)
Mexico
Ignancio Baca – Mexicakerouacblues (2002)
Arturo Villela – If only I had known (2002)
Alvaro Herrera – Babus (2002)
Montenegro
Miko Alekcis – Referendum Blues (2000)
Mozambique
Justino Chemane – Nganda Blues (2000)
New-Zealand
Jack Body – John Lee’s pluck/ Mary-Lou’s Dream (2004)
Chris Gendall – Where it hits (2006)
Nigeria
Ayo Oluranto – Omi (2012)
Seun Owoaje – Impressions in Blue on Water (2012)
Poland
Hanna Kulenty – Drive Blues (2000)
Portugal
Patricia Almeida – Fatum hominis (2004)
Daniel Schvetz – First-Bluff (2004)
Sara Carvalho – A distant mirror(2004)
Rumania
Irinel Anghel – Metablues (2000)
Dan Dediu – Ubu Blues (2000)
Russia
Victor Jekimorsky – Accordo fixe (1997)
Faradsch Karajew – Monsieur Bee Line-eccentric (1997)
Vladimir Nikolaev – Extreme Blues (1997)
Alexander Rosenblatt – Etude in Blue (2011)
Serbia
Ana Mihajlovic – A Sad Smile Blues(2000)
Tatjana Milosevic – Buzzle (2000)
Jasna Velickovic – Supersub (2000)
Slovenia
Larisa Vrhunc – To the last madrigal(2001)
Singapore
Bang Wenfu – The Golden Shoe (1998)
Slowakia
Iris Szeghy – Bolero Blues (2000)
South-Africa
Martin Scherzinger – When One Has the Feet of Wind (1999)
Jurgen Brauninger – Slogging with a zoll (2000)
Deepak Ram – Give five (2000)
Michael Blake – 38A Hill Street Blues (2000)
Spain
Riccardo Massari Spiritini – Blues Records (2003)
Sandre Pujols – Wluetz (2011)
Sudan
Kamal Yusif – Omdurman Blues (2009)
Sweden
Peter Schuback – It was once upon a blues (2001)
Jonathan Østlund – the afternoon of a blues (2008)
Switzerland
John Wolf Brennan – Silly Blooze (1999)
Syria
Kinan Azmeh – Waiting for Friday (2011)
Uganda
Lawrence Semanda – Scherzo Blues Worms (2009)
Ukraïne
Karmella Tsepkolenko – Out of the Blues (1997)
Uruguay
Elbio Rodriguez Barilari – Luna de Plata (1999)
USA
Joseph Landers – Rood en Wit Blues (1997)
Chet Mais – Special # 1 Revisited (2000)
Neely Bruce – Billings Blues (2001)/FairbanksPrelude (2001)
Robert Carl – Blues Box (2003)
Nick Sibicky – Zephyr Blues (2005)
David Macbride – Blue Worms (2007)
Frederic Glesser – Clear Blue (2011)
Henry Martin – The Early Bird (2014)
Other Blues, not composed within the framework of the bluesproject
The Netherlands
Louis Andriessen – Base (1994)
Maurice Horsthuis – Kamermuziek (1984)
Hein van de Geijn – Fridge Blues (1991)/Bass Blues (1987)
Burton Greene – Moldavian Blues (1994)/Skumpy (1985)
other countries
Gerald Barry – Triorchic Blues (1991)
Aaron Copland – 4 Piano Blues (1926-48)
Ljubomir Denev – On the road (1991)
W.C.Handy – Aunt Hagar’s Blues (1922)
(arr.Thomas ‘Fats’ Waller)
Joel Hoffman – Transcendental Blues (1987)
John Lewis – Manganese (1991)
Conlon Nancarrow – Blues (1935)
Charlie Parker – Blues for Alice (1951)
Frederic Rzewski – Blues uit ‘The road'(1996)
Erwin Schulhoff – Blues pour Paul Whiteman
Art Tatum – Wabash Blues
Jean Wiéner – Tempo di Blues ; Haarlem
Jimmy Yancey – East St.Louis Blues