StoRMChaser in Nijmegen, a brief report

By Django Bates, May 2008

In 1995 I played at the Music Meetings festival in Holland with my nineteen-piece band Delightful Precipice. We were followed on stage by a great band from Caeroon, and listened on amazement as they nonchalantly flicked between different pulses without changing the upper patterns of the music. It was like experiencing an earth tremor: you could not be sure which way was 'up'.

At this time I had recorded three albums for JMT records; Summer Fruits (and unrest), Autumn Fires (and green shoots), and Winter Truce (and homes blaze), and I was pondering what form 'Spring' should take. The bass drum og the Cameroon band at Music Meeting convinced med that 'Spring' should be earthly, dancable grooves with a hidden complexity built on long Bass lines of long and unusual lengths. I began to formulate the material immediately, but hte album did not become a reality until 2008 when StoRMChaser's work at the RMC made it possible to record 'Spring Is Here (shall we dance)?'.

Two month ago, with no prompting from me, and at a very short notice, Music Meetings asked me to bring a band to this year's festival. They needed an answer immediately. Given that it seemed the happiest of coincidences that they should ask just as the album that was born there thirteen years ago was about to be released, and that the radio broadcast would spread the word in a new territory. I said yes without even checking the availability of the band. Mistake. StoRMChaser's regular drummer, bassist, percussionist, 1st Tenor, Clarinet, Tuba, and French Horn, were not available. I found substitutes but they could not make the rehearsals. It was too late to back out. Most of the rehearsing for this concert was done at home by six concerned substitutes staring at scores in apprehension!

The concert too was not without difficulties; in the second piece I knocked of a switch on my equipment, causing the computer to stop talking to the keyboard. The band played on. Whilst I was rebooting I looked up and saw ten of the horn players dancing in the middle of the stage, Michael Mondesir, Peter Bruun, Louise Petersen, and Christian Bluhme grinning and creating a rhythmic storm, and Jimmy Nyborg bent over the solo mic like a bear eating a toy trumpet. Due to time restraints we did not get to play my nemly distorted 'In The Mood' arrangement; the piece we had rehearsed the most.

After the concert I did several interviews describing StoRMChaser's working methods and discussing jazz and politics in Denmark and England. The Dutch with their special sense of humour focused on the fact that the band name speRMCount was once up for consideration!

The transportation was well organised despite several musicians travelling in from different countries, thanks Ellis. The live sound was excellent and driving my keyboards from England was economically vital, thanks Jeremy. The on-road band management was very effeicient, thanks Aske. The band vibe was excellent throughout, thank you everybody.