“one of the best guitarists on the 21st century Euro-jazz scene.”
Holland-based guitarist Marnix Busstra is one of the best guitarists on the 21st century Euro-jazz scene. In 2013 Marnix released his critically acclaimed CD Sync Dreams and in 2015 he followed back up with an album of all new jazzy, fusion instrumentals called Firm Fragile Fun. The same band Marnix recorded with on Sync Dreams returns for his new one which finds Marnix backed up in the studio by Arnold Dooyeweerd (bass), Pieter Bast (drums) and Rembrandt Frerichs (piano). Since a kid, Marnix has had jazz running through his blood and you can also tell he has an extensive classical music background, especially modern masters like Bartok. Marnix has worked with American jazz great Mike Maineri and you can hear that vivid syncopated jazz sound throughout the entire Firm Fragile Fun CD. Asked about trying to put a defining characteristic on his diverse approach to jazz and jazz-rock, Marnix tells mwe3.com, “To be honest, I don’t really care what anyone wants to call it. I believe the main identity of music is made by the musicians who are playing it. But you could call it ‘free rock, moody bop jazz with a hint of ethnic flavors’, or ‘funky neoclassical world jazz’ or whatever. I think jazz always absorbed all kind of influences, and nowadays a good jazz musician can deal with and improvise in all kind of styles, without losing his own identity. That gives a lot of freedom and possibilities!”Marnix has cited guitar greats like Scofield and Santana as being influences, yet there’s also some innovative and original jazzy sounds pulsing through Firm Fragile Fun. Backed up by a solid band of like-minded musicians, on Firm Fragile Fun Marnix Busstra delivers another winning album up uptempo, jazz guitar-based fusion instrumentals.