De Onderste Steen

An odd, if very enjoyable, sampler of the work of Dutch composer Willem Breuker, De Onderste Steen consists of a very wide variety of works recorded from 1972 to 1991 both with his well-known Kollektief and in other contexts. Several of the pieces have been recorded in other forms (his lovely composition "Duke Edward/Misere" is here given a reading accompanied by strings) and the closing number, the sprightly "Rascals" (a regular encore of the band at one time), appears to have been lifted intact from the 1979 BVHaast release Willem Breuker Kollektief. But the remainder of the songs are issued for the first time and serve to illustrate the enormous scope of Breuker's vision. So we have the wildly rhythmic and propulsive "Hawa-Hawa" but also the delicately gorgeous parlor piano of "Valse de la Bourgeoisie." There's the raucous and sarcastic (and hilarious) blues stomp of "My Baby Has Gone to the Schouwburg" rubbing shoulders with the serene, Satie-esque piano etude written for Reinbert de Leeuw which, in turn, abuts a swinging accordion concerto for Johnny Meyer. You say you want a disc featuring tangos, serious work for gamelan ensemble, and a rare example of sober, minimalist composer Louis Andriessen playing organ like Jimmy Smith? Come right in! And this is without even mentioning Breuker's fractured take on "Besame Mucho" (!) -- where his fine, if somewhat insane, clarinet playing is featured. De Onderste Steen is a grab-bag to be sure, but an unusually rich one. If there's one disc that comes close to giving the listener an idea of the range of talent, creativity, and seriousness-in-the-guise-of-lunacy that comprises the world of Willem Breuker, this has to be it. ~ Brian Olewnick