Stargazers by Stargazers

Visionary Amsterdam-based ensemble Stargazers announce the release of their self-titled debut album via Night Dreamer. Drawing on the spiritual, freedom-driven sound of 60s/70s Black jazz, Stargazers breathes new life into the introspective, quietly crafted and previously hidden musical diary of the ensemble’s orchestrator, saxophonist, flautist and composer, Finn Peters.

Record direct-to-disc, in one take, recorded live at Artone Studios, cut straight to lacquer (vinyl) with no overdubs, bringing to life the highwire musicianship of the group.

For Peters, the album comes off the back of a period of intense personal growth. Having built a reputation as a session player (and featuring on hundreds of records) for the likes of Steve Reid, Matthew Herbert, Kaidi Tatham, Zero 7, and dub legend Scientist, the Devon-born saxophonist took a self-imposed sabbatical, returned to nature for inspiration and moved to Amsterdam.

Alongside rhythm section siblings Yoran and Yariv Vroom, bassist Jeroen Vierdag, Timothy Blanchet on keys and Gideon Tazelaar’s tenor sax, Peters set out fashioning a new record that would represent both his range of influences, the kinetic interplay of his consummate improvisors and the versatility of his own playing on alto sax, flute and Moog.

A nod to the iconic tenor saxophonist and composer who played with everyone from Max Roach and Art Blakey to Charles Mingus before signing for independent label Strata-East, ‘Clifford Jordan’ takes a cooler tone, carried by Peters’ sensitive flute playing and a light-touch triplet feel that flutters in the breeze of Yoran Vroom’s delicate drumming. A glittering homage, the track then breaks down into an extended percussive outro, mirroring the journey of Jordan’s own eclectic career, from hard bop to free jazz and beyond.

Released as a 6-track album, Stargazers’ self-titled debut is a late night ode to the eternal cosmos and an earth-bound time capsule of Finn Peters at the height of his game, ready to take off once more.