Interview with a Dutch jazz musician
Anna Serierse (age 26) started jazz at an early age. She grew up in a jazz family, with a drumming father and a bass-playing grandfather. When she was nine years old she started taking singing lessons and only a year later she was singing with the Netherlands Metropole Orkest. It resulted in many performances at various jazz festivals throughout the country.
In 2011, Anna was admitted to Junior Jazz College, a course for young talents at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. Last June, she graduated with an A+ at the same conservatory and got a distinction for her Bachelor and European Jazz Master (EUJAM), for which she studied in Copenhagen and Trondheim.
Anna plays in several bands with different line-ups, such as her own quartet (together with Gijs Idema, Cas Jiskoot and Tim Hennekes). She also forms a duo with guitarist Gijs Idema, she plays in the Kika Sprangers’ Large Ensemble and in the Danish-Swedish vocal big band Touché. She was also a member of the Nationaal Jeugd Jazz Orkest (the Netherlands Youth Jazz Orchestra) conducted by Martin Fondse for two years.
Anna has performed at major venues like the BIMhuis in Amsterdam, the LantarenVenster and North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam and on many other stages. She also made her appearance in several TV shows in the Netherlands including the daily talkshow De Wereld Draait Door and the weekly music programme Podium Witteman.
Anna has a predilection for traditional jazz music, with Ella Fitzgerald being her greatest source of inspiration, but she is also very inspired by contemporary singers like Norma Winstone.
Playlist:
- Ella Fitzgerald and Marty Paich Dektet, Ella Swings Lightly
- Skymasters Bigband, Tangerine
- Touché led by Jesper Holm, Shiny Stockings
- Kenny Wheeler Large Ensemble featuring Norma Winstone, Part 2
- Sissel Vera Pettersen – vocals, Mikkel Ploug – guitar, Joachim Badenhorst – bass clarinet, November
- Ben van Gelder, Charles
- Kika Sprangers Large Ensemble, Ravi
- Anna Serierse, T.T.
Photo: Tom Beetz
