Van Bommel Quartet

Amsterdam-based pianist and composer Frank van Bommel has carved out a unique niche, planting himself where the boundaries between composed and improvised music become interestingly blurred. Equally attracted to tradition and the most contemporary of music-making, the classically trained van Bommel created an instant sensation with the release of his first CD, A Crutch for the Crab. Dedicated to the very few compositions of pianist Dick Twardzik (who toured with Chet Baker in the mid-fifties), it captured a delicate balance between harmonic sophistication and passionate expressivity, while staying true to van Bommel�s intense compositional vision, which owes a lot to Mal Waldron and Misha Mengelberg. His long-time quartet comprises some of Europe�s finest players: Arjen Gorter bass, Martin van Duynhoven drums, and Tobias Delius tenor saxophone. �Believe this: Frank van Bommel is for real, both as a composer and a pianist.� - Bill Shoemaker, Jazz Times