 | Jadi Peperzak (2000) — guitarist Netherlands, Nijmegen Now comes the part where I’m supposed to write about myself. Always tricky. I find it funny that when people write bios, they talk about themselves in the third person, hype themselves up, and make themselves way more important than they really are. They list all their accomplishments… that kind of thing.I can’t really do that now (and it pains me) — because you, the reader, know I wrote this myself.So instead, I’ll just say that I’m really excited to start working on the next record. It’s been a while since we made this one, and I feel like I’m a lot better now than I was then. I also hope the next record will sound a little different, while still keeping my signature. I want to keep growing as a musician and as a composer.I’m really grateful for the guys I wrote about earlier — this record would never have happened without them. I also love cooking. And on the days I don’t feel like cooking, I’m more than happy to grab a frietje babi pangang from the Chinese takeout. |
| Rafael Slors (2002) — drums Netherlands, Nijmegen Rafael is from Nijmegen, just like me. Even though our interests overlap a lot — and he even took drum lessons from the brother of my guitar teacher — the very first time we actually met was at the Rotterdam Conservatory. Before conservatory, neither of us had much experience playing jazz. Over the course of four years, we went through a really beautiful development together. Rafael has grown into a highly versatile drummer with an exceptional sense of taste. He’s open to everything, including musical styles far outside his comfort zone. I don’t know whether he makes good lentils, or if he prefers rice with chicken nuggets, but I do know that we’ve laughed ourselves into tears together — and I truly hope we’ll keep growing on stage side by side for many years to come. |  |
 | Daniel Bulatkin (1999) – Piano Czech republic, Prague Daniël Bulatkin is the newest member of the quartet, after Kasyfi (sadly) moved back to Indonesia. I asked him to join almost immediately, because he actually played quite an important role for me early on. The first time someone from the conservatory asked me to play a jazz gig, it was Daniël. To be clear: I wasn’t exactly a king on the guitar at the time (not that I am now, but still). I’m still not entirely sure why he asked me. My best guess is that it had something to do with the fact that we looked quite alike back then, and Daniël simply wanted a band full of Daniëls on stage. I remember the first time we played Seven No More. It was in an organ trio at the time, completely unrelated to my own quartet. The tune was still fairly new, and we were rehearsing how to end it. Daniël suggested something, we tried it once, and that was it. To this day, it’s still the ending we play. That moment already said a lot about the kind of musician he is: decisive, musical, and someone who simply makes things work. He’s a wonderful pianist, a real professional, and above all a great friend. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Daniël eat. I know he likes beer though. |
| Sulav Maharjan (1999) — double bass Nepal, Kathmandu If you ever need a human moral litmus test to figure out whether someone can be trusted, use Sulav. If you can’t get along with him, you’re probably a dick. A massive ding dong, even. Sulav also happens to be a wonderful musician — always listening, always searching for adventure in the music. He is never, ever boring to play with. Even before I really knew him personally, I wanted him in the band because of his broad musical taste and interest in music beyond jazz. Also: he makes amazing lentils. |  |
