02-10-2012
Well, it's a good thing I don't keep a blog. Well, good news! Dark Raven & The Grandmasters of Deception have been in the studio last week ad recorded six songs for their upcoming album 'Previously Unreleased Tracks'. As soon as the tracks are finished we will spill them all over the internet (including here, offcourse) and burn a little bootleg wich we will sell at our concerts (wich we are certain of there will be many to come). Also, last Saturday I worked with Mark Kloeg on the musical scores for one of the films for the "48 Hour Project". More info on that will be posted later this week. The film will have it's premiere tomorrow in Utrecht (Pathé, 1800h) and as soon as it's online I will link it on the Film Scores page. More good news! Harmony Glen signed with 'Efacta' and we are currently writing and arranging a Theatre Show for the season 2013-2014. More about that later.
Last bit of news before I leave you all again (not that long, I promise). Next year I will be entering the Fleadh Cheoil again! Now for the second time, I'm sure I'll win :). And, even if I don't win as a solo banjo (wich I highly doubt) Harmony Glen entered the ' Grupaí Cheoil' to become the best Irish Trad band ever!
So, come over to Derry next yyear and enjoy the party with us!
Cheerio!
S
19-06-2011
Well, I've added 2 new old recording today. The first one is called 'Listen...',
it's my first attempt at beat-creating (done some 3 years ago), but I still like
the tunes in the set. The Second one is 'Valse à Rosenthal'. This one's a Gypsy-Jazz
Tune I picked up from an old Rosenberg Trio recording. It's slow on this recording
(done about a year ago) and I will upload anew up-tempo verion soon.
Next Wednesday I'm going to the Harmony Glen studios for the final time to
record the last banjo tracks. The new Harmony Glen album is promising to be
our best album yet! We will launch the album in England, wich is going to be
fun, and then tour around Europe a bit to promote the album and give you all a chance to be it and it this precious little gem to your collection.
Enjoy!
Sjoerd
18-03-2011
Well, today (in an hour to be precise) I'm heading of for the recording of the new clip of Marco Borsato. i don't know what is going to happen, but I know I'm the banjo player in the video :). And that's enough for me...
Last weekend we had a great gig at the Cornpicker in Hann. Mündenn. The night ended in a standing ovation and open bar, hich are allways good things for an evening to end in.
I've been playing my new Pietsch banjo now for a couple of weeks, and decided to let a pickup be installed (I'll probably use the same one as on the old banjo).
The recordings for my little solo-album are still at the moment, but that's just because all my Guest Stars are working really hard to figure out all the arrangements. I hope to have someone in the studio in the next few weeks, and I hope to let you hear a sample soon.
Keep well, Sjoerd
28-02-2011
Well, last wednesday I went down to Bremen to collect my new and first Pietsch Banjo. She's a true beauty, so I decided to do a photoshoot with her and I've uploaded he pictures to a special segment of this website, on wich i will upload more pictures of various instruments (mostly banjos though). As our instrument collection is growing at home, we love to show you our gear ;). Because not only me, but also Nienke is buying a beautifull new instrument in hte near future.
So stay tuned!
Sjoerd
17-02-2011
My new banjo is done! I just got a call from Norbert Pietsch that his First 'Celtic' Banjo is done. I'm going up to Bremen to collect it next week and I'll post some photos as soon as the banjo's here.
I also started to record my first solo album! I finnished the tracklist yesterday
and amd laying down the ground tracks right now! I know there's going to be
some surprises on this album for you ;). If there's any more info, I'll post it
here, offcourse.
For now, it's back to the drawing board. Harmony Glen is finishing up their
4th sudio album and we are going 'New Style' this year (or Old-skool, depends
how you look at it). My 'other' band (which is, sadly, still nameless) is working
hard on new material, and it's looking good and sounding sweet!
There's great things to come for those who wait, but for those who can't:
you look carefully, a sneak-preview of my first solo-album.
Untill we meet again! Keep well,
Sjoerd
21-12-2010
The end of the year hath come! It has been a fun year and I'm really looking forward to 2011!
As a New Years Resolution I'll try to update my own website a bit more and keep everyone a bit more up-to-date with pic's and news.
I had great fun with Harmony Glen at the last couple of Festivals this year (including the Archeon and Jerafest). I'll post some pic's and videos on my website so you all can enjoy them!
Also, I'm playing my last gig of 2010 with Nienke in Oud Niedorp on Christmas Day, and you're offcourse all invited!
Last but not least, I went down (or up) to Bremen last weekend to have a go on my soon to be new tenor banjo and can't wait. She will be ready early 2011 and I'll upload pictures/videos/aduio and everything as soon as she is ready, offcourse!
For now, I want to wish everyone a great and merry Christmas and a very happy New Year!
Untill we meet again!
17-10-2010
We had some great fun in De Meester in Almere yesterday.
It all started at 12 pm when we all arrived in Almere for sound checks and rehearsals. It took us all 2,5(!) hours to get every car unloaded and parked, but it was all worth it. It was great to get together with Job again after not seeing him for over a month and doing the Aalsmeer-Bacchus gig without him, so we needed some time to get sorted out. In the end the sound check proved fruitless, as it wasn’t a digital mixing desk. By the time all of us figured that out every band did their respective sound checks (in vain) and it was time to eat some lovely Chinese food.
We had some time to spare (or kill, any way, we weren’t doing anything from 1600 till 2200, which is a lot of time to do, well, nothing), so we decided to wait. In the meantime we killed time by practising our table-soccer skills (which were, I have to admit, in terrible shape) by means of heavy competition. We won (I think, though I’m not sure) or at least tied with the Lowland Paddies Table Soccer Champion. Emma did a great job in the competition, and congratulations are in order here.
After John O’Dreams and Orfeo wowed the audience with their shows it was our turn again. It took some time to set-up again (as always with these rushed set ups) but in the end it was all worth it. We played our fingers raw as usual trying to please our fans and friends.
All in all we had a great night together and are looking forward to coming Sunday when we’ll be in Cambrinus in Horst. We hope to meet you all there, or else the week after in Rijswijk on the Gothic and Fantasy Beurs.
Untill we meet again!
13-10-2010
Well, Vincent has just left Dark Raven and the Grandmasters of Deception.
Last Wednesday Dennis and myself jammed together in Bergen op Zoom (to keep things going) and decided what's going to happen now. And heres the good news:
Wouter van der Schoor (guitar) and Annelotte Vonk (fiddle) decided to join us!
Jeej!
Dark Raven and the Grandmasters of Deception is now a 4-piece band, and we've never been more exited then now :). Next Wednesday we'll get together for the first time, and I'll bring my trustworthy camera along with me, hoping to upload the first tracks to youtube asap!
I'll keep you posted.
Untill we meet again!
24-09-2010
Well, I'm back, and boy do I have news for you!
I've just returned from a two-day visit from Bergen op Zoom for rehearsels.
Dark Raven and the Grandmasters of Deception is going exceptionally well, we hope to have the site online next week even and start looking out for gigs... The reherasels are going very well, and a first Dark Raven album will not be far away ;).
Secondly, I've teamed up with guitar maestro Wouter van der Schoor for a new Folk-Duo (no name yet, suggestions can be made at sjoerd@sjoerdraaf.com). The first videos of our encounter are online at youtube, and one I'll post under this message.
Last, but not least, Harmony Glen is fully indulged in the studio for the recording of our 4th studio-album. We've got all the songs listed and ready to record. Hopefully, and probably, the recordings will be done by the end of 2010.
Whe I know something, you'll know something ;).
Untill we meet again!
11-07-2010
Hello again!
Well, the Harmony Glen England tour is nearly over. We had our last 'real' gig in Framfield this evening and we ended with a blast. We had a great tour again, met loads of new friends and fans and are looking forward to be coming back in November of this year!
Tomorrow we are off to Lewes for our last session this tour. It's an open one, so everyone in the neighbourhood (and around) with an instrument is welcome to come and join us for a few tunes and songs!
I've also uploaded a few new photos of us in our new gear (see the Pictures page for that) at the Keltisch Midzomer Festival in Bad Nieuweschans. These outfits are made by Gwendolyn Snowdon of 'Ghost of a Gipsy'.
I'll leave you now with a video someone made of us at the Keltisch Midzomer Festival, wich I hope you'll enjoy.
Untill we meet again!
29-06-2010
Well, after a long and hard search, I've found some foto's of ourselfs on the ol' internet. I've uploaded them here in the pictures section for you all to enjoy.
So, enjoy!
Untill we meet again!
28-06-2010
Wow, a whole month has gone by so fast. And so much has happened and is about to happen!
First off, just last week I was playing at the wonderfull Festival Classique in The Hague. I was playing Jazz music on the Tenor Banjo (dixieland) for the show Porgy and Bess, and people seemed to enjoy what I was doing (which is allways a happy thought).
Last Saturday Harmony Glen played at a lovely stage in Valkenburg. It was an 150 years old Amfi-Theatre cut out in the mountains. We played there together with the Celtic Pagan band Omnia. The evening and atmosphere were wonderfull and the audience were great and kind to us, so we had a lovely evening (and a long drive back home).
This weekend we'll play at the Keltic Midsummer fest in Bad Nieuweschans, and I can tell you we are looking forward to it allready! The monday after that we'll drive over to England. I'll keep you posted (hopefully, if there's time) on how the tour goes for us...
Untill we meet again!
24-05-2010
Dark Raven and the Grandmasters of Deception have been in the studio yesterday, and the first results are online! You can check out our myspace here, or go up to the mysic player on this site and listen to the song. There's no banjo on it (regrettably), but I got to sing it, and I have to be honest to you here, I didn't know I had it in me.
We are currently preparing for our first EVER gig in Colijnsplaat, Holland. So if yu want to meet us, you're welcome to come along (we'll be at the beach, playing music by the fire), and if you play an instrument, take it with you.
Untill we meet again!
12-05-2010
The Walibi Fantasy Festival was totally awesome! Harmony Glen played 12 sets in three days, and we had great fun doing it. Jaming all through the night (allmost) and we've been on every rollercoaster in the park... Hopefully there's a next year, and we'll be back for more rollercoasters, beer and folk music!
Below is a youtube clip taken live on the Walibi Fantasy Festival with Harmony Glen.
Untill we meet again!
19-04-2010
From now on till August I will be playing live at Eetcafé "Het Osje" in Overberg. Everytime the sun shines, I'll be there (but, mostly, on Sundays). And, offcourse, I hereby invite all musicians to join me :). Just email me through the Contact page when I´ll be playing next, and we´ll jam :), it's as easy as that!
But, if you just want to tag along, don't want to mail me, I'll be playing every sunny Sunday afternoon on the terras.
Until we meet again!
14-04-2010
We are working hard on new material for the summer festivals, and it's beginning to sound good! ;)
Until we meet again!
14-03-2010
Well, first of all, welcome to my new website! I finally got down to creating one and am now trying to update it as much as possible. I'll try to keep the agenda updated, will try to post new pic's when I get them and new music when the studio delivers it.
Also, there's loads of extra films scattered 'round (most of them on the 'Muzieklessen' section), of me playing different instruments (I'm not just a pretty face, you know ;).
So, I'll keep you posted when new news arrives. Here's just a few things that are happening (or are about to happen soon):
- Dark Raven is scheduled in the studio in May 2010 for our first Demo
- Harmony Glen is working on her new album (scheduled for release end 2010/beginning of 2011)
- Harmony Glen is also working on a new website, video clip and t-shirt
That's it for now folks! If you want anymore, just mail me ;).
Until we meet again!
Sjoerd
