Tobias Delius - The Heron (ICP, 1977)

Tobias Delius, tenor sax
Tristan Honsinger, cello
Joe Williamson, bass
Han Bennink, drums

Recorded July 6, 1997

Polanentheater, Amsterdam

Engineer: Dick Lucas

Tobias Delius is a tenor sax player participating in Amsterdam's free jazz community. I found this group from reading the Penguin Guide and currently own 5 of their CDs recorded between 1997 and 2009. Delius's style on tenor sax is a complex mixture of raw, tender, free and lyrical expression. He definitely has his own voice and a good sense of humor. In 2004 Delius was awarded the Boy Edgar Prize, the Netherlands' most prestigious award in improvised music.

Although based in Amsterdam, the quartet includes only one native Dutchman, drummer Han Bennick. Delius was born in England, bassist Joe Williamson in Canada, and cellist Tristan Honsinger in the United States. Despite this geographical diversity, their musical identity is firmly tied to the thriving free jazz community in Amsterdam. That is to say, the group has an irreverent sense of humor, a disdain for tradition, and a lust for experimentation.

Having paid several visits to Amsterdam, I can appreciate why so many expatriate jazz artists from the U.S. and other countries chose their base in the Dutch capital. There is an active jazz club scene, a large community of like-minded jazz artists, and a generally liberal social attitude. Visitors like me are also treated very kindly in The Netherlands.

On The Heron, Bennink is his usual playful self, refuting any expectations that the drummer should "keep time." He and Delius provide most of the sparks throughout the 52:23-minute performance. Bennink also created the cover art for The Heron and numerous other ICP recordings.

I first encountered Bennink on Eric Dolphy's Last Date album (Limelight, 1964), recorded during Dolphy's fateful European tour. At last report, the 84-year-old Bennink remains active on multiple ICP projects.

Cellist Honsinger is a revelation, reminiscent of Ernst Reisinger whom we tagged previously for his work with the Gerry Hemingway quintet. Honsinger is a bit more disciplined than Reisinger but admirably fills the role that a piano might play in a more conventional quartet. He also composed 5 of the 13 sections in the 7 suites that comprise The Heron's program. Honsinger died in 2023 at age 73.

The Heron was recorded at Polanentheater, described on their website as "an intimate, privately owned venue in Amsterdam celebrated for its warm and welcoming atmosphere. It serves as a community hub for local theater productions, musicals, and performing arts rehearsals." The intimacy of the venue is appropriate for Delius' music and fans. It also has very good acoustics, so that the live recording is very realistic.

Jazz lovers unfamiliar with Delius's music should begin with an audition of The Heron, and move quickly to Toby's Mloby (1999), Pelikanismus (2001), and Luftlucht (2009). All are on the ICP label. They are all played by the same quartet, and are equally enjoyable to hear.