Soon after a few rehearsals the first performances took place. One of these first performances is to be found on this CD, recorded on February 8, 1976 in youth centre ‘De Trucker’ in Pijnacker, near The Hague. Han Reiziger, producer for VPRO radio had a craze for special jazz music and was not afraid to show his admiration for Rob Franken's work. He is the instigator of this special recording, that for reasons that aren't clear were never broadcasted. Whilst researching for a radio documentary the maker ran up against these tapes, which everyone had forgotten existed.
To begin with, the soundscape that reveals itself to you when listening to ‘The Keyboard Circle’ is a unique product of its time. Grounded in the mid seventies it’s no less than the works of Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea of those days. Exuberant swing and virtuous solos will find their way through your core. At the same time, the music is subdued in a typically Dutch manner. Most importantly, this music has its own sound, which can't compare to anything you’ve ever heard before.
Unfortunately, ‘The Keyboard Circle’ died at a young age. While Franken was Jean ‘Toots’ Thielemans' regular pianist, he had multiple radio and television performances, taught at the conservatory and above all, he was one of the most frequently programmed Dutch musicians during the seventies. Because of the immense amount of gigs Rob Franken was offered, performances were frequently cancelled at short notice. For this reason, Jan Huydts decided to quit after a while. This became irreversible by the sudden death of Rob Franken in 1983. Unfortunately, no record was ever released. Now this time has come. By listening to the CD you finally have the chance to get to know ‘The Keyboard Circle’. This rectification in the history of Dutch jazz music was a necessary one. And so: the circle is round.
