Han Bennink (born 17 April 1942) 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 is present on Dolphy's recording, Last Date (1964)). 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 (also known as the Clusone Trio), 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 (Tempo Comodo (1982) being among his solo recordings) 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 (chairs, music stands, instrument cases), his own body (a favourite device involves putting a drumstick in his mouth and striking it with the other stick), and the entire performance space—the floor, doors, and walls. He makes frequent use of birdcalls and whatever else strikes his fancy (one particularly madcap performance in Toronto in the 1990s involved a deafening fire alarm bell placed on the floor).

Discography

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

Solo albums

Collaborations

As leader or co-leader With Ray Anderson and Christy Doran With Gary Bartz, Lee Konitz, Jackie McLean and Charlie Mariano With Paul Bley and Annette Peacock With The Blueprint Project With Anthony Braxton With Steve Beresford With Willem Breuker With Eric Dolphy With Peter Brötzmann With Eric Boeren With Marion Brown With Sean Bergin With Uri Caine With Eugene Chadbourne With Don Cherry With Daniele D'Agaro With Ellery Eskelin With Terrie Ex (and others) With Cor Fuhler and Wilbert De Joode With Frode Gjerstad With Kees Hazevoet With Will Holshouser and Michael Moore With Kazuo Imai With Mikko Innanen and Jaak Sooäär With Instant Composers Pool With Guus Janssen With Steve Lacy With Little Willie Littlefield With Keshavan Maslak With Myra Melford With Misha Mengelberg With Kenny Millions With Pino Minafra With Michael Moore With Simon Nabatov With Armen Nalbandian With Mark O'Leary With Evan Parker With Alessandra Patrucco With Dudu Pukwana With Roswell Rudd With Paul Ruys With Manfred Schoof With Irene Schweizer With Jaak Sooäär With Spring Heel Jack With Aki Takase With Cecil Taylor With Rik van Iersel