9th May 2025: Jasper Blom Quartet’s ‘Metropolarity’ featuring the Metropole Orkest – Out Now
Jasper Blom Quartet’s ‘Metropolarity’ out now on all streaming platforms, CD and 180 gram vinyl
CD/DL/ 180 gram LP
Album Launch Concert – May 28 @Muziekgebouw
ABOUT THE ALBUM
2025 is a landmark year for Jasper Blom. On a personal level, it marks his 60th circuit around the sun: on a professional level, it marks his 40th year in a career that has propelled him to the very front rank of international jazz talent as a saxophonist, composer and bandleader, and it also marks the 20th birthday of his acclaimed ensemble project, the Jasper Blom Quartet. So what more fitting tribute could there be than for Jasper to be joined by his JBQ colleagues Frans Van Der Hoeven, Jesse Van Ruller and Martijn Vink to perform new versions of some of his most celebrated compositions, in collaboration with internationally renowned Metropole Orkest? The album Metropolarity is the result: a stunning blend of the quartet’s tight, intuitive improvisations, Jasper’s innovative compositions, and the majestic sweep and breadth of the 50-piece ensemble. Metropole Orkest’s forward looking vision has made it the premier non-classical orchestra in the world and its list of collaborators is legendary, from Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie to Jacob Collier and Louis Cole. Its signature blend of daring orchestration and melodic accessibility makes it a perfect fit for Jasper Blom’s equally progressive but engaging style of composition, and the individual virtuosity of the quartet’s players shines out all the brighter against the Orkest’s verdant background.
The fun begins with ‘Your Beauty And My Brains’ with the complex, twisting melody riding above a solid backbeat from drummer Martijn Vink, as arranger Jochen Neuffer’s suspenseful string sweeps interact with guitar and saxophone improvisations in a fascinating dialogue. On ‘The Least of Your Worries’ the challenging, metrically complex theme is tackled with gusto by the quartet, with Jasper’s 
saxophone draped in analogue filters and vintage effects. ‘White Stripes’ is based on a short medieval motif, with Jasper blowing duduk-like sounds on the saxophone neck before the Orkest enters with dramatic layers of strings and low brass, and ‘Homecoming’ is a beautiful ballad feature, with keening violins drawing out the drama of the central theme. ‘Decidophobia’ sees the JBQ and the Orkest head into uncharted territory as Calle Rasmusson’s ominous orchestration breaks down into passages of free form playing that resolve into a powerful climax.
‘Tasmania’ was arranged by Callum Au into a riotous big band swing sound with punchy woodwind and brass carrying the jubilant melody. By contrast the melody for ‘Sherwood Forest’ was inspired by Jasper’s continuing fascination with medieval music, with lush chording from the Orkest setting up the lilting triplet rhythm. On ‘Insomnia’ uses Peter Shat’s Tone Clock compositional system to create an unexpectedly mellow, lilting melody, with the JPQ expanded by guest soloists Paul Van Der Feen on soprano sax and Rik Mol on trumpet to dazzling effect. The Orkest’s resident pianist Hans Vrooms contributes a flowing solo to the evocative ‘Zuri’, named for Jasper’s granddaughter, as the track develops into a spectacular guitar solo: “Jesse is such a world-class guitarist – every time we play together I have to pinch myself to believe that what I’m hearing isn’t a dream.” Finally, on ‘Lumen’ 
Jasper was inspired by the innovations of Bela Bartók to create a pensive ballad, beautifully expanded by the Orkest to explore its full textural and harmonic potential.
This unique project is a fitting tribute to Jasper Blom’s long and celebrated career at the front rank of European jazz performers and composers, his leadership of one of the most long-lived units in the music, and the boundless creativity and innovation of the Metropol Orkest. “JBQ is my long-term project and Metropol Orkest is a cultural institution so it was very special for me to be able to combine them, and extend the quartet in this amazing way. They allowed so much artistic freedom to embed the quartet at the heart of the Orkest and extend the music that we make together in this way.”