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The Diamond Five-Brilliant!
Fontana 680 520 TL

1)Johnny's Birthday(Cees Smal)
2)Ruined Girl (Theo Loevendie)
3)Lutuli (Ruud Bas)
4)Lining Up (Cees Smal) 
5)New Born (Ruud Bas)
6)Monosyl.(Cess Smal)
Recorded in Hilversum,Holland May 1964

Personnel: Cees Slinger: piano; Harry Verbeke: tenor sax; Cees Smal: trumpet, cornet and valve trombone; Jacques Schols: bass; Johnny Engels: drums.

The Diamond Five, a Dutch quintet led by pianist Cees Slinger, was founded in 1959 and lasted until 1965. They were based at the Sheherazade Club in Amsterdam and were quite popular, playing all over Holland and accompanying expatriate American musicians on their visits to Amsterdam. However, when the club closed its doors due to a shift in popular interest from jazz to rock music, the quintet disbanded. This 1964 recording is their only session available on CD. The music is hard bop on the surface, but is neither formulaic nor a copy of the genres imported from the U.S.

The musicians are quite unique in their style. Slinger plays sparse notes on his solos, utilizing well-placed pauses in the music to create melodic hard bop with hints of more forward-looking styles. The other outstanding soloist is tenor saxophonist Harry Verbeke, whose solos (in contrast to that of the leader) are filled with a multitude of notes played in the modal vein. The others are also quite stellar, the bass and the drums providing a loose bluesy support and horn man Cees Smal adding something unique with the sounds of his different horns, switching between valve trombone, cornet and trumpet. 


Jannes, als je 'm drie keer vraagt, krijg je 'm ook drie keer !