Han Bennink


Han Bennink is a Dutch drummer and percussionist. On occasion his recordings have featured him playing soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, trombone, violin, banjo and piano.
Though perhaps best known as one of the pivotal figures in early European free jazz and free improvisation, Bennink has worked in essentially every school of jazz, and is described by critic Chris Kelsey as "one of the unfortunately rare musicians whose abilities and interests span jazz's entire spectrum." Known for often injecting slapstick and absurdist humor into his performances, Bennink has had especially fruitful long-term partnerships with pianist Misha Mengelberg and saxophonist Peter Brötzmann. Han is a brother of saxophonist Peter Bennink.

Early life and education

Bennink was born in Zaandam, the son of a classical percussionist. He played the drums and the clarinet during his teens.

Performing career

Through the 1960s he was the drummer with a number of American musicians visiting the Netherlands, including Dexter Gordon, Wes Montgomery, Sonny Rollins and Eric Dolphy.
He subsequently became a central figure in the emerging European free improvisation scene. In 1963 he formed a quartet with pianist Misha Mengelberg and saxophonist Piet Noordijk which performed at the 1966 Newport Jazz Festival. In 1967 he was a co-founder of the Instant Composers Pool with Mengelberg and Willem Breuker, which sponsored Dutch avant garde performances. From the late 1960s, he played in a trio with saxophonist Peter Brötzmann and Belgian pianist Fred Van Hove, which became a duo after Van Hove's departure in 1976. Through much of the 1990s, he played in Clusone 3, a trio with saxophonist/clarinetist Michael Moore and cellist Ernst Reijseger. He has often played duos with Mengelberg and collaborated with him alongside other musicians.
From the late 1980s through the early 2000s, Bennik collaborated closely with Dutch post-punk band The Ex, appearing on their 1995 album Instant and travelling and playing with them on their first tour to Ethiopia.

Recordings

As well as playing with these long-standing groups, Bennink has performed and recorded solo and played with many free improvisation and free jazz musicians including Derek Bailey, Conny Bauer, Don Cherry and Alexander von Schlippenbach, as well as more conventional jazz musicians such as Lee Konitz. In 1983 he collaborated with boogie-woogie pianist and vocalist Little Willie Littlefield for his album, I'm in the Mood.

Style

Bennink's style is wide-ranging, running from conventional jazz drumming to highly unconventional free improvisation, for which he often uses whatever found objects happen to be onstage, his own body, and the entire performance space—the floor, doors, and walls. He makes frequent use of birdcalls and whatever else strikes his fancy.

Discography

The following is a partial list of recordings by Han Bennink.

Solo albums

  • 1970: Solo
  • 1973: Nerve Beats
  • 1979: Solo - West/East
  • 1982: ''Tempo Comodo''

    Collaborations

As leader or co-leader
  • 1968: Instant Composers Pool,, with Misha Mengelberg and John Tchicai
  • 1972: Derek Bailey & Han Bennink with Derek Bailey
  • 1979: A European Proposal , with Misha Mengelberg, Paul Rutherford and Mario Schiano
  • 1996: Serpentine, with Dave Douglas
  • 1997: 3, with Michiel Borstlap and Ernst Glerum, reissued in 2004 by 55 Records
  • 2000: Jazz Bunker, with Eugene Chadbourne and Toshinori Kondo
  • 2004: Free Touching: Live in Beijing at Keep in Touch, with Wong Young, Andreas Schreiber, Dennis Rea, Steffen Schorn, and Claudio Puntin
  • 2004: Home Safely, with Curtis Clark and Ernst Glerum
  • 2005: BBG, with Michiel Borstlap and Ernst Glerum
  • 2007: Amplified Trio, with Spring Heel Jack
  • 2008: Monk Volume One, with Michiel Borstlap and Ernst Glerum
  • 2009: Parken, with Joachim Badenhorst, Simon Toldam, and Qarin Wikström
  • 2010: Laiv, with Fabrizio Puglisi and Ernst Glerum
With Ray Anderson and Christy Doran
  • 1994: Azurety
  • 1995: Cheer Up
  • 2011: Who Is in Charge?, with Frank Möbus, Ernst Glerum, and Paul van Kemenade
With Gary Bartz, Lee Konitz, Jackie McLean and Charlie Mariano
  • 1973: Altissimo
With Paul Bley and Annette Peacock
  • 1971: Improvisie
  • 1972: Dual Unity
With The Blueprint Project
  • 2007: People I Like
With Anthony Braxton
With Steve Beresford
  • 1987: Directly to Pyjamas
  • 2002: B + B
With Willem Breuker
  • 1967: New Acoustic Swing Duo
With Eric Dolphy
  • 1964: Last Date
  • 1964: Playing: Epistrophy, June 1, 1964 In Eindhoven, Holland
With Peter Brötzmann
  • 1968: Machine Gun
  • 1969: Nipples
  • 1970: Balls, with Fred Van Hove
  • 1973: Brötzmann/Van Hove/Bennink with Fred Van Hove, also known as FMP 130
  • 1977: Ein Halber Hund Kann Nicht Pinkeln
  • 1977: Schwarzwaldfahrt
  • 1979: 3 Points and a Mountain, with Misha Mengelberg
  • 1980: Atsugi Concert
  • 2001: Fuck de Boere recorded in 1968 and 1970
  • 2004: Still Quite Popular After All Those Years
  • 2006: Total Music Meeting 1977 Berlin
  • 2008: In Amherst 2006
With Eric Boeren
  • 2012: Coconut, with Michael Moore and Wilbert de Joode
With Marion Brown
  • 1967: Porto Novo
With Sean Bergin
  • 1988: Kid's Mysteries
With Uri Caine
  • 2013: Sonic Boom
With Eugene Chadbourne
  • 2001: 21 Years Later
  • 2005: Chad and Han
With Don Cherry
  • 1971: Orient
  • 1971: Actions
With Daniele D'Agaro
  • 2003: Strandjutters, with Ernst Glerum
  • 2010: Fingerprints, with Alexander von Schlippenbach
With Ellery Eskelin
  • 1998: Dissonant Characters
With Terrie Ex
  • 2000: The Laughing Owl
  • 2002: Ethiopia Tour 2002
  • 2006: Transparancy-Wolk 3, with Rik van Iersel, Bart Maris, and P Jacomyn
  • 2007: Zeng!
  • 2010: Let's Go, with Brodie West
With Cor Fuhler and Wilbert De Joode
  • 1998: Bellagram
  • 1998: "Zilch"
  • 2003: Tinderbox
With Frode Gjerstad
  • 2009: Han & Frode
With Kees Hazevoet
  • 1978: Calling Down the Flevo Spirit
With Will Holshouser and Michael Moore
  • 2011: Live In NYC
With ICP Orchestra
  • 1979: Live in Soncino
  • 1982: Japan Japon
  • 1984: Extension Red, White & Blue
  • 1987: Two Programs: Performs Herbie Nichols and Thelonious Monk
  • 1990: Bospaadje Konijnehol I
  • 1991: Bospaadje Konijnehol II
  • 1997: The Instant Composers Pool 30 Years
  • 1999: Jubilee Varia
  • 2001: Oh, My Dog
  • 2004: Aan & Uit
  • 2006: Weer Is Een Dag Voorbij
  • 2009: Live at the Bimhuis
  • 2010: !ICP! 50
  • 2010: ICP Orchestra
  • 2014 East of the Sun
  • 2015: Misha Enzovoort
  • 2016 Restless in Pieces
  • 2020 De Hondemepper
  • 2025 Happy Birthday -> Naar Zee Z.O.Z.
With Kazuo Imai
  • 2003: Across the Desert
With Mikko Innanen and Jaak Sooäär
  • 2006: Spring Odyssey
With Guus Janssen
  • 2005: Groet
With Steve Lacy
With Little Willie Littlefield
  • 1983: I'm in the Mood
With Keshavan Maslak
  • 1980: Humanplexity, with Misha Mengelberg
  • 2008: Bim Huis Live 1st Set
With Myra Melford
  • 1997: Eleven Ghosts recorded 1994
With Misha Mengelberg
  • 1971: Instant Composers Pool 010
  • 1972: Een Mirakelse Tocht Door Het Scharrebroekse no. 1-6
  • 1974: EinePartieTischtennis, live
  • 1975: Coincidents
  • 1978: Midwoud 77
  • 1978: Groupcomposing, with Peter Brötzmann, Evan Parker, Peter Bennink, Paul Rutherford, and Derek Bailey
  • 1978: Fragments, with John Tchicai, and Derek Bailey
  • 1982: Bennink Mengelberg
  • 1985: Change of Season , with Steve Lacy, George E. Lewis, and Arjen Gorter
  • 1991: Dutch Masters, with Steve Lacy, George Lewis, Ernst Reyseger, and Han Bennink
  • 1998: MiHa
  • 2001: Four in One, with Misha Mengelberg Quartet
  • 2004: Senne Sing Song
With Kenny Millions
  • 2003: Bootleg
With Pino Minafra
  • 1987: Tropic Of The Mounted Sea Chicken, with Misha Mengelberg, Michele Lomuto, and Unknown Artist
  • 1991: Noci...Strani Frutti , with Ernst Reijseger
With Michael Moore
With Simon Nabatov
  • 2003: Chat Room
With Armen Nalbandian
  • 2011: Coup de Grace
With Mark O'Leary
  • 2008: Television
With Evan Parker
With Alessandra Patrucco
With Dudu Pukwana
  • 1979: Yi Yole, with Misha Mengelberg
With Roswell Rudd
  • 1983: Regeneration, with Steve Lacy, Kent Carter, and Misha Mengelberg
With Paul Ruys
With Manfred Schoof
  • 1969: European Echoes
With Irene Schweizer
  • 1996: Irène Schweizer & Han Bennink
  • 2015: Welcome Back
With Jaak Sooäär
  • 2013: Beach Party
With Spring Heel Jack
With Aki Takase
  • 2011: Two for Two
With Cecil Taylor
  • 1988: Spots, Circles, and Fantasy
With Rik van Iersel
  • 2005: ''Transparancy-Wolk No. 3''