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Maalstroom, a 4 piece band from the Netherlands, give a whole new twist to Celtic folk music. The tunes composed by Gilles, Michel, Job and Paul are influenced by the Irish, English and Dutch folktraditions, while traditional songs are given a new coat of paint.
Michel Duijves (‘the crazy clarinettist’) is the driving force behind Maalstroom. He has a widely varying musical interest; playing klezmer with the ‘Jewish Musicband’, traditional Irish folk with ‘Mind the Midgie’ and jazz & improv with ‘Bite the Gnatze’.
His musical companion is guitarist and bouzoukiplayer Paul Pallesen. Paul plays also jazz and afro with ‘Drie Hoog Achter’ and ‘De Commotie’.
Shortly after the release of Maalstroom’s second CD ‘from the wood’ (2004), fiddler Gilles Rullmann (view his own website www.gillesrullmann.com) joined the band. He plays Irish and Bluegrass with the duo Janos & Gilles, played in a trio with Gerry Murray and Philip Masure and in the band Tjane.
And finally, Maalstroom’s percussionist and singer is Job Cornelissen. He mainly plays the bodhran, adds some cajon and bones and performs songs like ‘The Cocks are Crowing’ and ‘Gorgeous and Bright’. Apart from playing in Maalstroom, Job performs as a dancer, stage actor and singer with, among others, Rosie Wooff (improvisation) and LINK (dance/theatre).(view his own website www.dansjobs.com..)
The band’s original line-up included virtuoso flautist Brian Finnegan, his other commitments with Flook meant he had to leave the band after their first CD, ‘Face in the Water’ (2000).
Brian was succeeded by Wim Poesen from Flanders, who also plays flutes and whistles, but added Flemish bagpipes to the sound. He left the band in 2007. To conclude, accordion player Peter van Os played in Maalstroom from 2000-2004.

Maalstroom has played in all sorts of venues in Holland, Belgium and the UK, among which were Elastiek Festival (Hilvarenbeek, NL), Gooikoorts Festival (Belgium) and Musicport Festival (Bridlington, UK).
The third CD of Maalstroom ‘Open Window’, was released in January 2008 in Amsterdam, NL, and can be ordered through www.maalstroom.net .
The first review of the album was published on folkforum.nl: "With the album Open Window Maalstroom proves it's one of the best folkbands in the Netherlands. With the quality of the band in mind, international success should be within hand's reach."
Heaven, a leading Dutch pop-magazine wrote: Traditionally sounding, excellently executed folk-music with rhythmical or jazzy surprises here and there is what we find on Open Window by the outstanding group Maalstroom. Virtuosic, familiar and yet exciting. (rating: four stars = top of its genre)
fRoots magazine wrote: "Dutch band on their third album of semi-contemporary Celtic music in vein not dissimilar to Moving Hearts and latterday Planxty. Tightly bound arrangements, evocative playing and judiciously placed notes and quavers abound. These guys do the right things the right way."

Maalstroom have been touring the UK a few times over the last few years, and during the Musicport festival 2008 in Bridlington they met up with British singer/saxophonist Jo Freya. The combination will be doing a joint project to celebrate Maalstroom's 10th Anniversary. Some rough recordings from the first rehearsal sessions are up here now!
Maalstroom meets Jo Freya has had a flying start! After a very enjoyable try-out the official premiere was at Folkwoods Festival in Eindhoven. National newspaper de Volkskrant wrote: 'Just before the finale on Sunday the Dutch quartet Maalstroom and Scottish singer and saxophonist Jo Freya produced the most delicate/sophisticated surprise of Folkwoods 2009: wonderfully arranged and sparkingly rendered compositions for reed-instruments (clarinet and sax), fiddle, guitar and percussion. With their mainly self-written work new grounds are covered on the borderline between folk, jazz and classical.'

Member Since:

January 08, 2008

Members:

Michel Duijves - clarinet, bass clarinet
Paul Pallesen - guitar, bouzouki
Job Cornelissen - vocals, bodhran, cajon
Gilles Rullmann - fiddle, guitar, backing vocals. Click here for Gilles' website.

Sounds Like:

Maalstroom Meets Jo Freya live at Witte Theater, The Netherlands

Maalstroom | MySpace Music Videos Maalstroom Meets Jo Freya At Folkwoods 2009

Record Label:

Unsigned