For Dutch jazz pianist Marc van Roon, this album represents a dream come true, the culmination of almost five decades of exploring, playing, performing, contemplating, constructing, deconstructing, searching, researching, reflecting, engaging in conversations, jamming, travelling, instructing, sharing, dreaming and being. For a long time he wanted to allow himself full immersion in this genuine kind of improvisational exploration. Recording these pieces provided van Roon the opportunity to improvise on a tightrope, letting go of preconceived and trained artistic conceptualizations, a journey to the edge of technique and control. As an underlying framework he chose to use the printed keyboard scores of J.S. Bach as he connects the pre-composed orchestrations with improvised jazz.

The European Jazz Trio consists of pianist Marc van Roon, Frans deHoeven on bass, and drummer Roy Dackus who have been performing together since 1995. This most recent album celebrates the music from the West Village in various distinct arrangements from the members of this ensemble.

An audiophile release from Northstar Recording Services and Turtle Records, a sampler of some of their best work, jazz and classical, from over a dozen of their previously released albums.

When listening back to these recordings, I am surprised to discover how many ingredients of my own biographical narrative this album reveals. My fascination for the spirit of free improvisation is clearly present and I can hear many traces of the musical elements that touched me the most in the first decade of my life. In 1967, the year I was born, Miles Davis toured in Europe with his quartet.

"Drumwise" presents Wim Kegel and Marc van Roon revisiting the traditional combination of drums and piano in a contemporary fashion. The repertoire recorded contains a broad repertoire made up of originals, improvisations, two songs from the American Songbook, and two from the Duke Ellington band book. Van Roon's own Steinway grand and Kegel's extended Gretch drums and cymbals came together in the great acoustics of the Lutherse Kerk in Haarlem and were recorded by sound engineer Bert van der Wolf. Both musicians have played and recorded with David Liebman, Michael Brecker, Clark Terry, Bob and Chuck Findley and Ack van Rooyen.