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CHALLENGE JAZZ

In 1994 Anne de Jong, Joost Leyen and myself took on the challenge (!) to start a jazz label. I vividly remember how we went to the next music fair in Cannes: Midem, with a small flyer with our entire catalogue: 6 titles. Over the years many more CDs were produced. Many of them with the great help of engineer Chris Weeda. Joost said goodbye at some point, and in 2004 I became sole owner of the label. At this point the label consists of some 180 titles; 200 hours of fantastic jazz music played by an array of great musicians: Toots Thielemans, Bob Brookmeyer, Philip Catherine, Eric Vloeimans, Kenny Werner, John Abercrombie, Kenny Wheeler and many more.

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Having been in the studio so much, on both sides of the glass, gave me much experience. It gives me such joy to help musicians during the process of recording their music, to be the outer ear - yet knowing the process of recording from the other side as well.

We were fortunate, Chris and me, to have had the experience to go through a great part of the development of audio recording. In the early days onto tape, splicing with a razor blade; having to find the coda, lying on the floor amidst other sections of audio .... Mixing with 6 hands on the board ..... the first digital recordings, going direct to 2-track on a DAT tape; later ADAT and Tascam. The ancient Sony "washing machine". The whole fantastic adventures with DSD, and finally the ever expanding flexible world of ProTools inside the computer. Slowly seeing the outboard gear, the old plate reverb box, the Finaliser, disappear into the innards of the computer.

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Now, Chris packs his laptop, flies to South Africa, where we do a mix with a few near field monitors and the thundering ocean outside the window.

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The label changed hands in 2020, and is now handled by Wigt International under the name Baseline Jazz Records.

As A Producer

jun ’12

Kenny Werner

Collaboration

Challenge Records CR 73363 

 

jun ’12

Philip Catherine

Coté Jardin

Challenge Jazz CHR 70178

 

jun ’10

Angelo Verploegen

The Ballad Album

Challenge CR 73318

 

jun ’10

Philip Catherine

Cole Porter Songbook

Challenge CHR 70166

 

may ’10

Birgitte Lyregaard

Blue Anemone

Challenge CHR 70161

 

dec ’08

Eric Vloeimans

Heavens Above!

Challenge CHR 70152 

 

oct ’08

Eric Vloeimans

Live at Yoshi’s

Challenge CHR 70151

 

oct ’07

Bert van den Brink

Friendship Live

Challenge CHR 70150

 

oct '07

Philip Catherine

Guitars Two

Dreyfuss 46050369152

 

2006/2007

Toots Thielemans

Live

Challenge CHR 70160 

 

dec '06

Eric Vloeimans

Hyper

Challenge CHR 70144

 

dec '06

Eric Vloeimans

Gatecrashin' 

Challenge CHR 70138

 

sep '06

Baseline / Abercrombie

The Guitar Album

Challenge CHR 70135

 

aug '06

Abercrombie / Ruocco

Topics

Challenge CHR 70137

 

aug '06

Paulien van Schaik

Musing

Challenge CHR 70134

 

may '06

Karel Boehlee

Live At The Beauforthuis

Challenge CHR 70133

 

may '06

Buyoung Lee

European Sketch

Jazz In The City ZCR 0601

 

apr '06

Van de Geyn / Konitz

The Song Is You

Challenge CHR 70132

 

sep '05

Eric Vloeimans

Summersault

Challenge 70128

 

sep '05

Harmen Fraanje

Ronja

Challenge CHR 70129

 

may '05

Fay Claassen

Portraits of Chet Baker

Jazz 'N Pulz BMCD 484

mar '05

Frank Woeste

Mind At Play

Challenge CHR 70124

 

dec '04

Dee Daniels

Live at Biblo

Challenge CHRDVD70125

 

nov '03

Eric Vloeimans

Fujimundi

Challenge SACHR 70114

 

oct '03

James Scholfield-3

All Stations

Challenge SACHR 70120

 

oct '03

Copland/Wheeler/Abercrom

Brand New

Challenge SACHR 70122

 

aug '03

Paulien van Schaik

In Summer

Challenge SACHR 70118

 

feb '03

Harmen Fraanje

Sonatala

Challenge SACHR 70116

 

apr '02

Bert van den Brink

Between Us

Challenge SACHR 75130

 

apr '02

Eric Vloeimans

Hidden History

Challenge CHR 70109

 

mar'02

Masha Bijlsma

Lopin'

LionJazz 0301 L10

 

jan '01

Bob Brookmeyer NAO

Walzing With Zoe

Challenge CHR 70081

 

nov '00

Paul Bollenback

Dreams

Challenge CHR 70082

 

oct '00

Copland/Wheeler/Abercrom

That's For Sure

Challenge CHR 70098

 

may '00

van 't Hof / Joey Baron

Un Incontro Illusorio

Challenge CHR 70093

 

apr '00

Eric Vloeimans

Umai

Challenge CHR 70087

 

mar '00

Pieranunzi / Catherine

Alone Together

Challenge CHR 70070

 

feb '00

Enrico Pieranunzi

Improvised Forms For  Trio

Challenge CHR 70084

 

feb '00

Caroline de Rooij

River

SVD Records 20001

 

feb '00

Enrico Pieranunzi

Music Of Wayne Shorter

Challenge CHR 70083

 

jan '00

Paulien van Schaik

Tenderly

Challenge CHR 70099

 

sep '99

Kristina Fuchs

Portrait Of A Woman

Sonic Records 9921

aug '99

Bobby Watson

In The Groove

Challenge CHR 70095

 

jun '99

Amsterdam Jazz 5

Playground

Challenge CHR 70071

 

jun '99

Anette von Eichel

Welcome To My World

AVE Nr.7507

 

jun '99

Griffin-Freeman

Live at the Bim House

Challenge CHR ……

 

may '99

Baseline

Déjà Vu

Challenge CHR 70067

 

mar '99

Pieranunzi/vanden Brink

Daedalus' Wings

Challenge CHR 70069

 

mar '99

Enrico Pieranunzi

Don't Forget The Poet

Challenge CHR 70065

 

dec '98

Masha Bijlsma

Profile

Jazzline JL 1157

 

dec '98

Paul Bollenback

Soul Grooves

Challenge CHR 70064 

 

oct '98

vd Brink/Rick Margitza

Conversations

Challenge CHR 70062

 

sep '98

Eric Vloeimans

Bitches And Fairy Tales

Challenge CHR 70061

 

aug '98

Jasper van ‘t Hof

Un Mondo Illusorio

Challenge CHR 70059

 

dec '97

Myriam Alter

Alter Ego

Intuition INT 3258-2

 

sep '97

Maria Harp

14 Pc for Harp and Bass

Via 9920612

 

jun  '97

Amsterdam Jazz-5

Pictures

Challenge CHR 70048

 

mar '97

Paul Bollenback

Double Gemini

Challenge CHR 70046

 

oct '96

Rick Margitza

Game Of Chance

Challenge CHR 70044

 

sep '96

Jasper van ‘t Hof

Tomorrowland

Challenge CHR 70040

 

jun '96

Eric Vloeimans

Bestarium

Challenge CHR 70038

 

feb '96

Baseline

Returns

Challenge CHR 70047

 

dec '95

Myriam Alter

Silent Walk

Challenge CHR 70035

feb '95

Dick de Graaf

Sailing

Challenge CHR 70024

 

jan '95

Paul Bollenback

Original Visions

Challenge CHR 70022

 

dec '94

Breuer / Claassen

Simply Be

Challenge CHR 70017

 

dec '94

Rick Margitza

Hands Of Time

Challenge CHR 70021

 

sep '94

Belmondo Quintet

For All Friends

Challenge CHR 70016

 

jun '94

Nat Adderley

Good Company

Challenge CHR 70009

 

jun '94

Ferial

Alvorada

Kara Music 115514

 

jun '94

Eric Vloeimans

First Floor

Challenge CHR 70011

 

may '94

Leonardo Amuedo

Dolphin Dance

Challenge CHR 70008

 

may '94

Clark Terry

Shades Of Blue

Challenge CHR 70007     

 

may '94

Myriam Alter

Reminiscence

B Sharp CDS 09

 

feb '94

Baseline

Standards

Challenge CHR 70023

 

feb ’94

Baseline

Why Really

Challenge CHR 70002 

 

jun '93

Denise Jannah

A Heart Full Of Music

Timeless SJP 414

 

jun '85

Harry Verbeke

Plays Romantic Ballads

Timeless SJP 230 

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