ABOUT SIETSKE & THE BAND

“I was always a shy person.. and I'm not so tall - the first response when I sang was – you're such a small girl and yet, such a big sound came out of you. I thought, great, I can be bigger when I sing.”

The core of the band is the musical collaboration between vocalist Sietske Roscam Abbing and pianist Dirk Balthaus. Their style of music is Contemporary Vocal Jazz and could also be described as “Cinematic Folk-Jazz” because of it’s picturesque and lyrical character.

Sietske Roscam Abbing (1985) brought out her first album in 2010 (entitled Outside) with the band Follow Alice, a soul-jazz oriented project with guitarist Martijn Michel and herself at the basis of the creational process. While continuing her study (vocal Jazz performance) at the Conservatory of Amsterdam she was offered the opportunity to study in Philadelphia with some of the top musicians of the West-coast jazz-scene for a semester. While she was also working on her master research at the time, this period redefined her view on the music she wanted to make and perform. She  graduated for her Masters degree in the spring of 2012. By this time she had developed and refined her style and also met the players with whom she formed this project.

Dirk Balthaus studied jazz piano at the Conservatory of Hilversum. As a member of Joan Reinder's Millennium Jazz Orchestra he played with many jazz-legends, like Benny Golson, Lee Konitz, The New York Voices and Ack van Rooyen. Dirk is an intuitive and very sensitive player who is truly specialized in the art of supporting a solist, but is also always open for adventurous and progressive playing when a piece of music or situation allows. As the band's primary musical composer, Dirk follows his instinct, experience and formal training to help solidify and further develop its musical character.

Marco Zenini started studying classical double bass in Rome, and meanwhile also playing in jazz projects next to his studies. After finishing his Bachelors at the Conservatorio Licinio Refice in 2010, Marco came to Amsterdam to study and specialize in Jazz  at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. In a short time he became an in demand player throughout the Amsterdam Jazz scène. He graduated with his bachelors degree at the CvA with honors, in the spring of 2013. With his ability to interchange seamlessly between very accurate functional playing and interactive, lyrical playing Marco Zenini is a really unique voice within the group.

Efraim Schulz-Wackerbarth was born in Melbourne and raised in Osnabrück, where he "found his groove". In 2013, after years of studying music and perfecting his drumming, he graduated with his Masters Degree from the Conservatory of Amsterdam. During his masters he also studied abroad at the Manhattan School of Music where he worked with renowned jazz drummer, John Riley. Efraim is an in the pocket, inventive and very accent strong drummer. He always seems to find new ways to provide refreshing rhythmic textures and grooves for the bands compositions.

Eran Har Even was born in Israel, where he developed a love for music at an early age, leading him to study at a High School for music and art. After serving three years in the military, playing and arranging for the jazz ensemble of the culture and education core, he decided to move to the US and live there for a year performing and studying music. Eventually his travels brought him to Amsterdam where he completed his Masters Degree with honors. Eran's playing is both lyrical and equally groove oriented. With his open approach towards sounds and music in general, he furthers and completes the bands motivation to be adventurous and progressive.