“As a daily routine Monsieur Dubois, a retired ornithologist, would live his life looking up to the sky in search of something special. After doing so for years, his uneventful life brutally ended, when one day Dubois spotted six as of yet undiscovered species of all sorts. They were flying together most elegantly and did so in one tight formation! Overwhelmed by emotions, the fanatic birdwatcher produced a heartfelt primordial shout and instantly got into a state of shock, having just encountered such tremendous beauty. Breathing out his very last breath, the old man gave this particular group his name and died happily ever after…“
Starting out as a jamband back in 1999, Monsieur Dubois has developed into a tight unit performing a crossover best described as “Danceable Hardjazz”. Monsieur Dubois adds a particular twist to anything that grooves, with a sound defined by obstinate beats, furious solos, spacy Rhodes and pumping bass. A sound that easily finds its way to the public and has made Monsieur Dubois perform all over Europe over the past decade.
Monsieur Dubois newest album just got released and is called “Slow Bombastik”. Imagine being dragged from a dark sweaty discotheque to a crowded marketplace in Lagos, or suddenly finding yourself on the desolate Russian plains just after you watched a Blaxploitation movie in the centre of Amsterdam. Slow Bombastik feels just like this.
After the debut “Ruff” and successor “Soul Integration”, the Dutch band strikes again with a versatile album that sounds to the point and isn’t afraid of the simple or the empty. Monsieur Dubois has put a bag of fresh influences into the new sound, but hasn’t forgotten to feature its mean trademark: getting steamed up with stubborn grooves and furious solos…
On the first two albums “Ruff” and “Soul Integration”, Monsieur Dubois already showed a raw yet sophisticated character, featuring original grooves, tasty improvisation and tight interplay. After release these albums stayed in the jazz charts for many months, followed by an Edison nomination and the proclamation “Best Dutch jazz album of the decade”. The albums also received great response from the international press: “Furious debut” (Jazz Thing), “Brilliantly leaves behind many current hypes” (De Morgen), “Ready to conquer the rest of Europe” (JAZZISM).
“Slow Bombastik” offers some brutal funk, nasty floorfillers and steaming afrobeats, but also relaxed moments and some modest jazz. The album has been released on Flyin’ High Records, release dates: Benelux (25.03.11), iTunes (08.04.11), GSA (03.06.11). Further distribution TBA.
MONSIEUR DUBOIS IS:
Bart Wirtz (altosax, flute), Daniel Nösig (trumpet), Maarten Meddens (Fender Rhodes, keys), Kasper Kalf (bass), Rudi Sanders (drums), Chris Fehre (percussion).
BEFORE
After their last album in 2007 (“Soul Integration”), Monsieur Dubois got involved in several projects such as the “Dutch Rare Groove Project”, “GainsNord” (Dutch/Belgian versions of Serge Gainsbourg-songs) and the first joint Dutch Nu-Jazz issue called “What’s Nu?”.
In 2006 Monsieur Dubois hooked up with American tromboneplayer and vocalist Joseph Bowie, whose expressive sound offered Monsieur Dubois with a formidable extra weapon! They recorded an album together (Soul Integration) and during the period 2007-2008 toured The Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Belgium. Bowie, leader from the visionary punkfunk group Defunkt, can be considered the key inspiration for bands such as Living Colour and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. His unique, extravagant trombone-sound and his warm and raw vocals made “Soul Integration” turn into an extra versatile album. The press welcomed ”Soul Integration” as an adequate successor:
“…Sounds like truly urgent danceable hardjazz!” [Volkskrant - Koen Schouten]
“A strong and tight sounding unit [...] With Soul Integration Monsieur Dubois prooves to be ready to conquer the rest of Europe…” 4,5 stars review [JAZZ magazine - André Dadi]
“An album that leaves behind a lot of the current hypes in a brilliant way” [De Morgen - Didier Wijnants]
Monsieur Dubois made its début album in 2006 with “Ruff”. A very convincing entrée on the scene considering the warm welcome it received from the international press. After occupying a leading place in the Dutch Jazz-charts for several month, Ruff got a nomination for the Edison Award (the Dutch Grammy).
DUBOIS IN RUSSIA
More recently Monsieur Dubois was spotted in Kiev, in the middle of Ucraine, but already long before that the group has been receiving a growing popularity at the eastern side of Europe. After touring through the Baltic states and St Petersburg in 2004, Monsieur Dubois got invited to come back for more. Eventually in the summer of 2007 Monsieur Dubois toured straight through Russia, from St Petersburg to Moscow (where they did a show at the prestigious Union of Composers Club and set foot on the Red Square) and by way of the Ural (audience of 50.000 Russians on the city square of Magnitogorsk) into the classic Prokofiev Philharmonic of Chelyabinsk, just across the Asian borders.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
2009: Giel Beelen’s Nachtegiel with the Dutch Rare Groove Project
2008: European Jazz Expo in Cagliari (Sardegna – Italy)
2007: Pauw & Witteman, National TV show with Joseph Bowie
2006: Show at the North Sea Jazz Festival
2004: Legendary “Soulful Boulevard” session with DJ Soul Rabbi in Maastricht
2004-2007: Groove Soul Party with DJ Soul Rabbi at Cafe Dizzy
2002: Show at the North Sea Jazz Festival
2001: reaching the finals at the Dutch Jazz Competition
Clubnights in Rotterdam & Amsterdam hosted by Monsieur Dubois
2001: Jazzadelic at Mazzo and Panama together with DJ StevendePeven
2001: Supersonik at Off_Corso together with the MFP Collective
2000 – 2001: Blue Beatz-sessions at club Blauwe Vis (Rotterdam)
DUTCH NU-JAZZ MOVEMENT
In order to put extra force to nu-jazz in the “Lowlands”, Monsieur Dubois together with State Of Monc founded the Dutch Nu-Jazz Movement early 2006. Soon after that other bands started to join in, resulting this year in the strongest landmark so far: the joint album “What’s Nu?”, released on Unique Records / Social Beats. In earlier stage Dutch Nu-Jazz coöperated with WickedJazzsounds, Hollands most successful partyformat bringing jazz onto the dancefloor. Apart froom that the Dutch Nu-Jazz Movement has done dozens concertseries and sessions in The Netherlands as well as showcases abroad, furthermore Dutch Nu-Jazz attends international meetings such as the annual Jazzahead! in Bremen and the Dutch Jazz Meeting.
OTHERS ON MONSIEUR DUBOIS:
“One of my favourites at the festival!”[Jan Willem Luyken (director North Sea Jazz Festival]
“This concert gave a new format to our club, it was very fresh and new for us. Monsieur Dubois played incredibly good, in a well-done balance with each other. These are high professional musicians, and it would be great to have them again!” [Felix Naroditski / JFC Jazz Club, St Petersburg]
“The art of interpreting old jazz elements, as if it were the music of today, into a relevant contribution to nu-jazz, makes Monsieur Dubois a truly great live experience… Great!” [Weser Kurier / André Hesel, Germany]
“They all were killing!” [Nicholas Payton / trumpet, US]
REFERENCES
* The Netherlands:
North Sea Jazz, Dizzy, Rotown, Off_Corso (Rotterdam), Paradiso, Sugar Factory, Bitterzoet (Amsterdam), The Hague Jazz (The Hague), Supernatural/Tivoli, SJU-podium (Utrecht), Paradox (Tilburg), Oerol (Terschelling), Nachtegiel (3FM/NED3), Pauw & Witteman (NED2), Goeden Morgen Nederland (NED1)
* Germany:
Lovelite, A-Trane, Festsaal Kreuzberg (Berlin), Mojo Club, Jazzclub im Stellwerk (Hamburg), Unique Club (Düsseldorf), 45RPM (Wuppertal), Stadtgarten (Cologne), Blue Moon Bar (Bremen), Jakobshof (Aachen), Hot Jazz Club (Münster)
* Russia:
JFC Jazzclub, Jet Set, TV5 (St Petersburg), Union Of Composers Club (Moscow)
* Other:
Ancienne Belgique, Beursschouwburg (Brussels), European Jazz Expo (Cagliari/Sardegna-Italy), Jazzkaar (Tallinn/Estland), Soho (Kiev/Ucraine)
