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