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CONCERT JAZZ
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JuzzFlirtin - UK Tour  Spring 2009
Featuring Léah Kline on Vocals
Promotional Information for
Jazz Festivals, Jazz Clubs, Music Clubs & Theatres


Dirk Balthaus
-             Piano
Léah Kline -                  Vocals
Cord Heineking -           Bass
Sebastiaan Kaptein - Drums

JuzzFlirtin is an international band based in Amsterdam and the musical birth of Vocalist / Lyricist Léah Kline and Pianist / Composer Dirk Balthaus.
The band transforms a regular music concert into an explosion drawing from Jazz, Funk-grooves, Latin and Brazilian styles.
These passionate musicians play and compose music with the goal to "move and groove" an audience. Their engaging performance energy onstage, combined with the music's crossover sound, appeals to a wider and younger audience target group.

Dirk Balthaus  -Piano - plays and composes for his Trio and the band "JuzzFlirtin" with American vocalist Léah Kline. He is a permanent member of Joan Reinder's Millennium Jazz Orchestra.
On Saturday afternoons you can find him sometimes playing in the Cotton Club in Amsterdam.

After completing high school and civil service he moved the Netherlands to study jazz piano at the Conservatory in Hilversum. His teachers include Frans Elsen, Henk Elkerbout and Rob Madna.
After finishing conservatory in 1991, Dirk moved to Amsterdam where he immersed himself in a full-fledged jazz idiom: listening to and playing as much jazz as possible.
In 1994, with Bert Lochs (trumpet/flugelhorn), Sven Schuster (bass) and Steve Altenberg (drums) he formed a quartet and recorded his first CD 'Tales of the Frog'.  This was the first of many.  He has worked with
Lee Konitz, Frank Morgan, John Engels, Bud Shank, Deborah Brown, Lew Tabackin, Bob Mallach, Herb Geller and Red Mitchel
 

Léah Kline  - Vocals - is an accomplished stage performer. Equally at ease before an audience of 2,000 as with one of 30, she has entertained audiences in Europe, Asia, and the US. As a singer, Léah is noted for her personal delivery and phrasing of songs paying great respect to the meaning of the lyrics. Particularly well received for her vivacious stage presence and clear melodic tones, her phrasing and interpretation has earned favourable attention from jazz fans. She currently resides in Amsterdam, where she enjoys a full performing and teaching schedule.
Listening exclusively to Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, Frank Sinatra and Helen Merrill CDs, she committed to memoryn the Jazz standards.  Léah moved to Amsterdam, Netherlands in 2000 to "explore the European music scene" She was placed 4th in the Nederlands Jazz Vocalist Competition 2005, has been included in a book The Jazz Singers, by jazz critic Scott Yanow .   She further explores her musical expression as a soloist in free improvisation projects, with Big Bands. She now adds "lyricist" to her skills writing songs with jazz pianist Dirk Balthaus and their new groove band JuzzFlirtin. The current album is almost all original material and groovified New American Songbook.

 

Cord Heineking - started his career as a professional bass player at the age of 18 in Germany. Cord Heineking does a nice job of delivering modern mainstream bass lines into the bottom end of the groups sound, which are clearly discerned and much appreciated due to their superb tonal quality.
He played electric bass in various Rock and Pop groups. From 1991-1997 he studied upright bass at the Conservatories of Enschede and Amsterdam. 
More and more he moved towards Jazz.  He established himself quickly on the scene and won awards with  “Lines End" the Dordtse Jazz Prize,  with Bulgarian Pianist Dimitar Bodurov and German drummer Jens Düppe . In 2001 the soloists Leiden Jazz Award, and in the same year the Erasmus Jazz Prize. 
Besides playing many Concerts with various Band formations Composing has become more interesting to Cord. In 2002 he wrote the music for the film “Vis  en Vis”. 


Sebastiaan Kaptein Drums - Born on august 2, 1969 in Oegstgeest, The Netherlands. Grew up with classical music and played the Cello for two years. Studied drums at the Conservatory in Groningen and started to use the Djembé in combination with the drum set. Graduated Cum Laude in 1997 and studied in N.Y. Played/recorded/or toured with Toots Thielemans, Mike del Ferro, Michiel Borstlap, La Vida N.O. Jazzband, Jesse van Ruller, Toon Roos, Deborah Brown, Fleurine, Brad Mehldau, Francien van Tuinen, Deborah Carter, Thijs van Leer, Rick Margitza, Jan Akkerman, Ernest Ranglin, Tineke Postma, Jamesz e.o. in about 40 countries....and now living in Okinawa, Japan
 

for a Fuller Sound for the Big Occasion - Add

Yuchi Córdoba - Percussion - Musical education

Training courses on empowerment, teambuilding and management. Percussion course in Dakar, Senegal

Education in several African drum techniques by African musicians, such Mousse Drame and Ali Dyanne Ros in The Netherlands.

Summer percussion course at Berklee College in Boston, USA
Summer percussion course at Instituto de Conjunto Foklorico y Danza Nacional in Havana, Cuba
General musical education at Foundation Instituto de Musica at Curacao

Major European Events Booked -

July11 2008    North Sea Jazz       Rotterdam

Aug10 2008    Beatrixpark Festival    Amsterdaam

Dec13 2008    B-Flat    Berlin

Technical Requirements for Performance Venues - 
Concert Piano (Tuned Professionally)
Quality Electric Piano as Supplementary Instrument.
Drum set
PA for the band/singer with Quality Mics and Sound Engineer Supervision.

Private Functions and Corporate Events are also catered for!


JuzzFlirtin creates high expectations a German-American formation which cannot be pressed into a specific category. Dirk Balthaus, pianist and musical leader created and presents a voluminous music program. Its compositions flirted with the listeners and with the most diverse of styles and directions. included classical jazz numbers like "Orange Blossoms in Summertime" and "The Wizard".  The star in the footlights is the singer Léah Kline emitting radiance and perfection in her expression and voice.  She and Dirk Balthaus demonstrate blind trust and understanding not only in their presentation, but also in the creation of the music. Léah Kline is marvellously poetic and brazen in the creation of her charming lyrics, which tempted us again and again to fully concentrate and enjoy listening to the rhythm. Such high-quality international live music does not come knocking daily at your doorstep

JuzzFlirtin is the musical birth of composer Dirk Balthaus and lyricist Léah Kline. Their original compositions “flirt” with jazz, drama, funk, poetry, Latin and Brazilian styles. Major influences are the Pat Metheny Group, Kurt Elling’s poetry, the colours of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Nancy Wilson’s theatricality, Bill Evan’s lyricism, the intimacy and soul of Joni Mitchell, and any groove that makes you move. The result is a synergetic collaboration of 5 musicians whose aim is to sweep you up into their world of joyous, grooving, hand clapping, thought provoking, tender, theatrical compositions about life.

Established Venue Dates are as follows:
TBC

Interest has been shown by :-
TBC

On Line Video Performances -
Hey You
Dig It

Now that you have seen the Video's - Book JuzzFlirtin Now!

For Booking Enquiries
Contact: Email JuzzFlirtin - UK Tour or Phone 01844 353117


The CD
"Music that touches the Heart, triggers the Brain, and gets you Movin!" Lyrics by Leah Kline, Music by Dirk Balthaus. Original compositions and two lesser known covers with Jazz, Funk, Latin and Brazilian grooves underneath.

Reviews
"Juzz Flirtin" is the exceptionally listenable result of a rendezvous between vocalist Léah Kline and pianist/composer Dirk Balthaus. A meeting that caused musical sparks. Her lyrics inspired his music and vice versa. It's obvious to hear that the American Léah Kline, who lives in the Netherlands since 2000, has her roots in the theatre (singing, dancing and cabaret). Her narrating qualities are impressive and inviting. The playing of the band (Dirk Balthaus piano, Cord Heineking doublebass, Sebastiaan Kaptein drums and Yuchi Cordoba percussion) perfectly supports this. Even in the musical accompaniment the "story telling" is emphasized. Ingenious arrangements, intentionally intense intermezzos and playful solos give the numbers extra cachet and support the lyrics in an all round excellent manner. Kline is a vocalist of scale. Out of many examples, the vulnerably sung 'Minuano' (music Pat Metheny, lyrics Kurt Elling), is proof of this fact. She possesses a good diction, a beautiful alto timbre, feel for dynamics and timing plus an excellent technique. The CD consists of numbers in up-tempo and swing but also ballads and jazzy arranged, more or less theatrically coloured titles with funk and Latin influences.

Audio Samples

Click on a title for a sound sample

1.   Get Away
2.   Hey You
3.   Orange Blossoms In Summertime
4.   More Than Matter
5.   The Wizard
6.   Obsession
7.   Call Of The Muse
8.   Minuano
9.   Butterfly
10. Dig It!
11. The Voice

 


Jazz Workshops:

Dirk and Léah are also keen to impart their skills to Students of Jazz and can hold Workshop or Master Class Projects in Colleges, Theatres, Studios and other suitable venues.  These can be linked up as daytime assemblies at any of the evening Concert Venues.

Details:
Jazz Workshop provides a platform for seasoned professionals and total beginners alike can learn, grow and flourish together in a uniquely inspiring and supportive environment.
One day workshop lasting 3 hours, would consist of Presentation, Songwriting, Accompanying a Singer. Using a Duo or the full Band including a mini Concert, Lecture , Demonstrations and  Instrumental or Band Coaching on:-
·         up and medium tempo grooves
·         contemporary jazz styles
.         Improvisation

Bring some extra cash to the group gigs to buy your Memento CD's of these Stars and get them Autographed

Are you anticipating this Tour? Want to add your own pre-view or comment? Click here


Musicians and Deputies
The line-ups as listed are correct at the time of Publication and are those given to us by the leader of the group, and information is as accurate as we can make it. With the Music business being what it is, inevitable changes happen, and we amend the listings except for those that happen on the night. We have been very fortunate, as the substitutions made by the groups have often been surprise upgrades. Nevertheless, the situation is not one we can control due to the fallibility of the ever sensitive musicians.  Blessed as they are - they are not invulnerable.


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Last modified: 18/02/2012