The 1st part of the Crown & Lobster Trilogy: Part I: Modus Operandi consists of a number of compositions in an electric environment. Eric chose a small version of his Private Time Machine to record this funky, groovy jazz music. It’s inspired by the 70’s music of The Meters and Kruangbin; a contemporary band of phenomenal sound and vision. The inspiration is translated to a signature series of improvisation vehicles that inspire the musicians Aron Raams on guitar, Jeroen van Vliet on keys and Dirk-Peter Kölsch on drums to play at their most prolific. No rehearsals or preparations were done before this music was recorded. It’s fresh, energetic and inspring music that will keep you listening from the first to the last note. Recorded in Studio Cube in The Netherlands by the great engineer Antoine Theunissen. The mastering was done for all 3 albums by Peter Brussee @ Q Point Studio. It was released to a thrilled audience during the Warmin’Up Event @ Festival Better Get Hit November 27 2021 in Paradox Tilburg The Netherlands.
The 2nd part of the Crown & Lobster Trilogy: Part II: Blue Is All That’s Left will be released on January 14 2023 in Paradox Tilburg. It contains a selection of compositions that Eric recorded over the 30 years of his career plus a few new songs. Some were tracks on his own releases, others were on other albums on which he was a sideman. All songs are fully reworked and rewritten to live up to Eric’s current artistic standards. The album was recorded during the heaviest period of his treatment of Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia: a (now) non lethal form of bloodcancer. Recording this music brought a generous amount of pleasure into a seriously dark period. Working with the great musicians Guido Nijs on Tenorsaxophone, Koen Smits on Trumpet & Flügelhorn, Sjoerd van Eijck on Piano and Pascal Vermeer on Drums the album serves a delicious menu of deep flavors and tastes of the rich palate that undoubtedly is Van Der Westen’s signature benchmark. It was recorded by Bernard Jussen @ Tafelberg Studios Tilburg and mixed by Koen, Guido & Eric.
The 3rd part of the Crown & Lobster Trilogy is called: Part III: New Quadrant and has been a continuation of the musical path chosen prior with A Traveller’s Tale. With the majestic violinist Yannick Hiwat, again Aron Raams on guitar, Joël Botma on trumpet and the enigmatic Efe Erdem on trombone, this 5 piece ensemble takes you on a musical trip that is mind blowing. No drums so there’s plenty of space for the rich and delicate sound of these incredible musicians that play the originals and arrangements with solid depth, integrity and utter beauty. The music has links to the rich Jazz and Americana tradition but also to more Oriëntal modes and thus presenting a new worldly mix of dedicated music. The concerts of this magnificent ensemble are always a genuine joy and pleasure both for the audience as the musicians who deal effortlessly with the liberty of their musical input. They create a unique sound to carry all the ideas Van Der Westen throws at them. The album was recorded @ The Fields Studio in Breda by Ruben van der Velde
