Eric Ineke - Eric Ineke 75 - Swinging, Boppin' and Burnin' (2022)

Drummer Eric Ineke is a swinging jazz giant from the Netherlands who has played and recorded with a lot of serious American cats. The list includes guitarists Jimmy Raney and his son, Doug Raney; Pepper Adams; Rob McConnell; Ben Webster, Maynard Ferguson, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Lucky Thompson, Hank Mobley, George Coleman, Al Cohn, Barry Harris, Grant Stewart, Eric Alexander and Phil Woods, to name a handful. If you want the full list, go here.

In other words, if a major jazz player gigged in Holland from 1968 forward, the gentleman laying down the beat on the bandstand was likely Eric. He also has played with every Dutch jazz giant you can think of, including Ferdinand Povel, Pim Jacobs, Ruud Jacobs, Wim Overgaauw, Rita Reys and Piet Noordijk. The list is much longer, obviously.

Eric this year turned 75, and in the jazz world, such birthdays tend to beg for an album. So Eric released Eric Ineke 75: Swinging, Boppin' and Burnin' (Daybreak). The album features Eric with a stellar lineup of talent, both American and Dutch. Recorded live between 1968 and 2007, the album swings like crazy, with Eric's drums front and center.

The album is gorgeous, from start to finish. The jazz workmanship, sidemen and playing are first rate. I should add that Eric is a great guy, a rare combination of superior talent and and gregarious personality.