Yuri Honing’s CD Goldbrun: Harmonious Political Statement

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The CD “Goldbrun” by Dutch Jazz saxophonist Yuri Honing is a political statement. He has made the album because he’s worried about the future of Europe. It is a great part of the world, but many simply do not realise that.

Yuri Honing has chosen Germany as a source of inspiration for Goldbrun. That country plays a leading role in Europe and can make the difference between failure and success. Two famous German composers are honoured in the seven parts of his composition. They are Richard Wagner (an innovator in his time) and his follower Richard Strauss. Both are among the favourites of Yuri Honing, who has had classical music training.

For nonlinear composing he has studied John Coltrane. Yuri Honing: “I compose from a core and work from there to the edges, as are harmonic structures that start in the middle and spreads out. It’s a spherical thing, Goldbrun.”

Yuri Honing blows beautiful melodic lines on his tenor saxophone and does so with great ease. There are also fine solos from pianist Wolfert Brederode and bassist Gulli Gudmundsson.  The Quartet has been playing together for quite a while and is a true unit. The music transports your thoughts, wander away to give room to the message that the composer has: peace and prosperity in Europe. This music is Yuri Honing’s contribution to hopefully reach that goal.

The album Goldbrun was presented in the famous BIM House in Amsterdam. That concert took about 75 minutes to complete and was well received. The CD provides 40 minutes of outstanding music. It is a pity the album is not a live recording.

In September 2018 there is a Goldbrun exhibition in the Museum of Funding in the Dutch city of Zwolle. That will be a combination of installations, music and oil paintings. Mariecke van der Linden has painted Yuri Honing painted on the cover of the CD. Next year the paintings can be admired in the museum in Zwolle.

Yuri Honing Acoustic Quartet: Yuri Honing, tenor saxophone;  Wolfert Brederode, piano; Gulli Gudmundsson, bass; Joost Lijbaart, drums.

More information: www.challengerecords.com

Text Peter Beije – Images: Yuri Honing and (c) info: all rights go to original recording artist/owner/photographer(s)

Last modified: April 10, 2019