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Mike Clark (drummer with Herbie Hancock & the Headhunters):
My tribute today February 24, 2023 is to the great artist, bassist Joris Teepe. Joris is the real thing! A real jazz musician who always swings and writes great tunes with very different arrangements that are challenging, sometimes humorous and brings out the best in the cats playing with him. His bass playing real swings hard NY style I call it, is down and dirty yet brilliant at the same time, He has been there and back. I posted one of his gigs below this post that features his arrangements and great bass playing. Joris and Don Braden remind me of me and Paul Jackson in the aspect that they keep coming up with really cool ideas of tunes that they sci fi as far as arranging, always a twist and they read each other musically like Brothers. Joris is ready for anything as he played for years with the great Rashied Ali among many others and his music reflects a deep understanding of history and a deep feeling of swing and the streets. Always a pleasure playing with Joris a truly great jazz artist with vision.
Downbeat Magazine - January 2019 - Joris Teepe Extends Rashied Ali's Legacy
"Bassist Joris Teepe and drummer John Betsch are the perfect example of a well maintained engine moving through musical adventures, although rooted in the blues."
Review Parool (Amsterdam Newspaper) November 3rd 2018, by Erik Voermans
Contrabassist Joris Teepe, who lives most of the year in New York, has played for nine years with Rashied Ali. With his robust tone and clear pulse he provided a solid frame for the revolutionary drummer to build on. “In the spirit of Rashied Ali" is a beautiful production and forms an excellent hommage to one of the biggest drummers in free jazz.
Review Jazzenzo Magazine October 2018, by Cyriel Pluimakers
"Teepe lived up to his American dream and delivers an iconic album".
Jazzflits Magazine on 'In the Spirit of Rashied Ali’, Roland Huguenin, October 2018
Teepe has fashioned music to demonstrate just how hip playing inside the architecture of a brilliant piece can be.
All About Jazz review (October 2018) on new release by Joris Teepe with a.o. Freddie Bryant and Wayne Escoffery
JORIS TEEPE – “IN THE SPIRIT OF RASHIED ALI”
Album / book release Summer 2018;
Tour in Fall/Winter 2018/2019
In 1992 bassist Joris Teepe, at that time 29 years old, left his homeland – the Netherlands – to chase his dream, being a jazz musician in New York.
He moved into a $300-per-month room in Manhattan. The room was so small that in the daytime the double bass occupied his bed, so he would store it in the shower at night.
Joris took lessons with Ron Carter, and a year later he recorded his first CD with a band co-led by tenor saxophonist Don Braden.
The next 6 or 7 years he found himself working with ‘heavy cats’ such as Benny Golson, Sonny Fortune, Billy Hart and Randy Brecker.
In the year 2000 he met with the legendary free jazz drummer Rashied Ali, and this triggered a major change in his vision on life and music. Ali is well known for his groundbreaking work with John Coltrane (their duo album Interstellar Space is considered a ‘Classic’).
Being a member of the Rashied Ali Quintet for 9 years was clearly a major influence on his playing and writing. He toured the world with this group which came to an ending on August 12, 2009 with the sudden death of Rashied Ali.
Teepe can be heard on three released Rashied Ali CD’s on his label Survival Records: “Judgement Day volume 1 & 2” and “Live in Europe”. In addition, Mr. Ali is a featured guest on the CD “We Take No Prisoners” (Challenge Records), by the Joris Teepe Big Band. After many years of playing together they became very close on a personal level and as a musical drums-bass unit. Rashied Ali was a father figure to Joris and their style as a rhythm section became unique.
Tracks on the album include an extensive Suite of 5 compositions by Rashied Ali, and compositions by Joris Teepe, Thelonious Monk, Frank Lowe (member of the Rashied Ali Quintet), Don Cherry and Ornette Coleman.
“In the Spirit of Rashied Ali” is not only an album but also a book, written by John Weijers – founder of JazzTribes.
In December 2017, John and Joris visited New York City and spoke to Rashied’s widow Patricia and his brother Muhamed. In addition they met with alto legend Sonny Fortune, and former band members like trumpeter Jumanee Smith and pianist Greg Murphy.
They all, in their own manner, reflected on Rashied Ali, the man and the musician who played an important role in their lives. Their stories are a relevant part of the Rashied Ali legacy that Joris Teepe is keeping alive and passing on with his new release “In the spirit of Rashied Ali”.
Joris Teepe and his band will be touring Fall 2018/Winter 2019 to promote this release.
