Live Encounters by Erik Verwey Trio & Hermine Deurloo -

LIVE ENCOUNTERS — ERIK VERWEY TRIO & HERMINE DEURLOO
There is a long tradition in jazz of piano trios inviting guest soloists — Oscar Peterson’s trio with Clark Terry or Stan Getz, and Bill Evans with Monica Zetterlund come to mind. More recently, Brad Mehldau’s trio with Joshua Redman, or Tord Gustavsen’s work with singers, show how fertile this format can be. Yet in many of these collaborations, the shape often remained the same: a trio providing the foundation for a featured voice.
The first time Hermine Deurloo heard the trio of pianist Erik Verwey, bassist Hendrik Müller, and drummer Daniël van Dalen, she immediately felt a deep musical connection. She recognized in them fellow musical storytellers, unbound by genre, moving freely between jazz, soul, and classical music. The collaboration that followed is truly a match made in heaven. Deurloo’s personal and interpretive melodic style perfectly complements Verwey’s lyrical compositions, and the close-knit trio welcomes her fully into their musical universe. This is no longer a trio with a guest, but four musicians of like minds in constant conversation — each contributing and responding to the roles the music calls for. From the very first notes, the music sounds less like accompaniment and more like a genuine four-way conversation, a fully integrated quartet where every voice shapes the story.
The result is a genuinely unique musical experience. Together, the trio and Deurloo perform music from their project About a Home — a musical narrative about belonging, leaving, and the emotions that accompany both. The strong, melodic arrangements of these remarkable compositions unfold vividly, like a cinematic story, full of lyrical improvisation, spaciousness, and dynamic contrasts.
LIVE ENCOUNTERS was captured in superb sound quality by Sound Liaison’s engineer Frans de Rond, recorded live in front of an attentive and participating studio audience as part of Sound Liaison’s Live in Studio 2 series. Listen as the otherwise mostly quiet audience can no longer contain themselves at the end of Daniël van Dalen’s remarkable drum feature Catch Up, as it flows seamlessly into Keep on Chasing.
Built in 1929, the studio has remained virtually unchanged and is, alongside London’s Abbey Road, one of the oldest active recording studios in the world. Its history is etched into its walls: Django Reinhardt recorded there in 1937; Jazz at the Philharmonic with Lester Young, Oscar Peterson, Roy Eldridge, and Ella Fitzgerald in 1953; and sessions by Wes Montgomery, Clark Terry, and many others in the 1960s. The presence of these legends can still be felt in the room.
Erik Verwey on the Ideas Behind the Compositions
What Do You See
Sailing from Colombia to Panama, far from home. Waking up in the middle of the night, the moon illuminates the sea. Standing with the captain on deck, silently gazing at the sky together. Are those same stars also visible back home? No words are spoken, yet understanding flows. What do you see?
An Encounter
A plea for connection. Step outside, look around, speak to one another — how much wiser do we become by venturing beyond our own bubble? Inspired by a meeting in Argentina, this piece is a call to embrace adventure.
Trepidation
Excitement, trembling, heartbeat racing, hands sweating. Will chaos descend? Is it still containable? An earthquake shakes the house to its foundations — yet we rebuild, stone by stone.
Mother’s Lament
A lament bass is a descending bass line in which every note is harmonized. Despite the title, this mother never complains. The essence of the piece is positive, with a melody that often strives upward. In the middle section, piano and harmonica engage in dialogue, building toward a climax before returning to the lyrical theme: home with mother.
Full Force
Straight-ahead blues. Full force ahead, full throttle, with many friends and no brakes!
Daybreak
The sun rises and the first light spreads over the water. Birds awaken early; otherwise, silence reigns. The morning warmth greets you as you step outside. You marvel and ask yourself: what adventure awaits today?
A Gloomy Undertaking
The loss of something that was there briefly but is now gone. Life cannot be shaped entirely to our will. How do we face the unexpected? By holding loved ones close and emerging stronger together.
Catch Up & Keep On Chasing
To achieve something, you sometimes have to say no — to consciously let things go. Don’t give up; leap into the unknown rather than stay safely at home. Catch up and keep on chasing!

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