Photography by Alina Timmerbeil (2023)
About
Fee Aaij (19) is a Dutch jazzpianist and composer.
If the world was up to Fee, art would be its centerpiece.
Her shows aim to trigger critical thinking and inspire pursuing
your most expressive self.
As a wise man once said: “Art is what seperates us from the animals.”
Music is the only abstract art form.
The projects of Fee try to embrace this quality by using conceptualism and
strong visual aesthetics.
Nevertheless, in the end it always comes down to a good song
and a good song comes from a passionate heart.
Fee’s compositions are a reflection of her rebellious spirit:
strong, dramatic and authentic.
No wonder the young pianist is up for breaking down walls between musicgenres.
The influences in her playing and writing go from modal jazz and hardbop
to baroque and classicism to new wave and punk:
David Bowie, Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner, Bobby Timmons, The Velvet Underground, Radiohead, W.A. Mozart, Brad Mehldau, Talking Heads, Igor Stravinsky,
Paul Bley, Siouxsie and The Banshees, J.S. Bach, John and Alice Coltrane.
Music was introduced into Fee’s life by the church organ.
However, in her teenage years the tables turned towards rock and later towards jazz. Taught by her dear teacher and mentor Hans Kwakkernaat,
Fee started studying jazz piano at the ArtEZ Conservatory in Arnhem
being only 15 years old.
She gets taught by inspiring musicians such as Jeroen van Vliet, Robert-Jan Vermeulen, Angelo Verploegen, Dion Nijland, Michiel Braam and André Groen.
In september 2024 Fee will start studying art history at the Univeristy of Utrecht.
Besides music Fee loves art history.
In 2021 she wrote a book about French Impressionism called ‘De Blik’ and
won the grand prize of the Junior Fellowship competition at the
Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam:
I am The Joker - Fee Aaij 4tet
Say hello to JOKERJAZZ, a combiniation of modal jazz, baroque and punk.
'I am The Joker' is a conceptual album of improvised music by Fee Aaij and her 4tet,
to be released in 2024.
Imagine:
A big and abandoned medieval castle where Radiohead, J.S. Bach, Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner and David Bowie suddenly run into each other. It's the middle of a dark dark night and the only object in the scary ruin is a long table with six chairs. They decide to sit down.
Trying to kill the time the men start telling each other stories. Yet something feels off. Everyone's tale mysteriously concludes the same thing; a figure, a presence, they all know, although never have met.
Watching them from afar The Joker laughs silently, it's time...
The band features:
Fee Aaij (piano, compositions en concept)
Pauline Timmerbeil (bassguitar)
Daniel Louis (drums)
Huub Schoolkate (electricguitar)
The band of Fee Aaij came about in the winter of 2022 with the specific goal to record and present 'I am The Joker'.
Meanwhile the Joker has shown its face on stage. The audience was beyond excited about our shows in October at theatre De Roode Bioscoop Amsterdam and in November for Doesburg Jazz Festival. In the last weekend of November we were finally able to record the album at studio Fattoria Musica in Osnabrück. The project is extensively supported by Stroomversneller (Cultuur Academy), Music Support Gelderland (Poppunt Gelderland) and X Amarte.
Photography by Alina Timmerbeil (2023)
The Starpeople
We are The Starpeople.
Beings from another universe.
We have landed on planet Earth to share our belief:
“Everyone is equal, but still an individual”.
What we present can be found in the mysterious space between modal jazz
and experimental sounds, distinguished by a spiritual energy.
“In order to become The Starpeople they surrender their worldly desires and let
go of their ego’s. They have no purpose beyond sharing their message. For this,
the medium they choose is music. However, they also have a weakness for
theatrics and drama. Be prepared for anything…”
The Starpeople is an initiative by Fee Aaij and Elias Luijten.
On the 29th of September The Starpeople released their first EP called: 'Happening #1'.
The small album opens with ‘Exposition’, a three-part horn harmony composed by Elias Luijten to specifically play with Mete Erker on bass clarinet and Jeroen Pek on flute.
‘Exposition’ transitions into ‘Starstruck’, the first piece, also composed by Elias Luijten. The concept for ‘Starstruck’ is to make the horns, as melody instruments, play the chords that are usually played by harmony instruments such as piano or guitar.
The third song is called ‘Bayou Fever’ and was originally composed by Jack DeJohnette and featured on the album ‘Together’ by McCoy Tyner. We have been playing ‘Bayou Fever’ since we’ve started this group and wanted to record it to pay tribute to the spiritual masters.
Albumdesign by Fee Aaij (2023)
Media
Interview with Jazz in Arnhem (2023)
Agenda
Previous
8/3/2023 JIGSAW, Brebl jamsession International Womens Day
28/5/2023 The Starpeople, Thiemeloods Nijmegen
28/09/2023 MonkeyJam, Café Bosch Arnhem: https://cafebosch.nl/
17/10/2023 The Starpeople jamsession, Paradox Tilburg: https://paradoxtilburg.nl/programma/jazzsessie-45/
28/10/2023 I am The Joker (Fee Aaij), Amarte Studio Concert x De Roode Bioscoop: https://www.roodebioscoop.nl/roode-bioscoop-sessies-6-0-fee-aaij-qwartet
5/11/2023 I am The Joker (Fee Aaij), Doesburg Jazz Festival: https://doesburgjazz.nl/evenementen/fee-aaij-qwartet-exclusieve-try-out/
28/12/2023 MonkeyJam, Café Bosch Arnhem: https://cafebosch.nl/
26/1/2024 Fee Aaij piano solo concert, CAPS LOCK Arnhem Uitnacht 2024: https://www.uitnacht.com/capslock
5/2/2024 Norman Samuels Trio, Science Café Nijmegen
22/2/2024 MonkeyJam, Café Bosch Arnhem: https://cafebosch.nl/
5/3/2024 I am The Joker live at De Roode Bioscoop Amsterdam video-release by X Amarte
8/3/2024 JIGSAW International Womens Day concert, ArtEZ University of The Arts Arnhem (CANCELED)
27/3/2024 JIGSAW Coaching Band Festival, ArtEZ University of The Arts Arnhem (CANCELED)
28/3/2024Norman Samuels Trio, De Basis Nijmegen
29/3/2024 Fee Aaij piano solo concert International Piano Day, Libertas Arnhem
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Upcoming
25/4/2024 MonkeyJam, Café Bosch Arnhem: https://cafebosch.nl/
8/5/2024 Norman Samuels Trio Jazzbites Jamsession, Brebl Nijmegen
25/5/2024 I am The Joker (Fee Aaij 4tet) x AVA Trio double-albumrelease show, Brebl Nijmegen: https://www.brebl.nl/event/2024/05/fee-aaij-4tet-i-am-the-joker-and-ava-trio
1/6/2024 I am The Joker (Fee Aaij 4tet) at Vlooienbeet Festival 2024, Kultuurwerkplaats Oosterbeek
12/6/2024 I am The Joker (Fee Aaij 4tet) pre-release concert and punkjazz collaboration with Esat Ekincioglu (double bass), Café Bosch Arnhem