Thank you, Amsterdam 2016.

The Amsterdam Event - before and after
swisschris
Posts: 142
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2005 4:32 pm
Location: Zurich

Re: Thank you, Amsterdam 2016.

Post by swisschris »

First and foremost a HUGE "thank you" and "thumbs up" from the bottom of my heart to our wonderful event organizers Wijbe, Willy and Liesbeth!!!! I can only assume how much time and energy you invested in creating this most wonderful and memorable event! You excelled the high expectations in so many ways and made so many people very happy!!!

There were too many highlights to mention them all, but for me these were some of them:
- Patrick Leonard playing instrumental versions of some of Leonards songs
- The short four-song showcase (Boogie Street, In my secret life, The Letters, Everybody Knows) by Sharon Robinson - I especially liked "The Letters" as I had never heard that song live before. I was looking forward so much to seeing a full solo concert next month in Zurich - only to discover by coincidence that she had cancelled the concert, without any explanation nor excuse neither on her Facebook- nor on her website, downright rude if you ask me...
But on with the highlights of the event:
- The preview of Leonards new album. I tend to be very critical but there wasn't a single song that I didn't like, beautiful production, "Treaty" and "Steer your way" were standouts...
-The very charming and wonderful Sophia Ammann who accompanied Francis Mus's lecture with some covers of Leonard's songs. Her version of "Lady Midnight" was one of the most beautiful things I have EVER heard... She also has her own band, Little Dots, check her out: http://www.littledots.info/
- The 2hour 15 minute-concert by Henk Hofstede's Avalanche Quartet - was the highlight of all the highlights, beautiful sound and one could see that all the musicians had a blast on stage - and so had we - met the band afterwards, they seem to be as wonderful offstage as they are gifted musicians onstage.
- Everyone on the dancefloor doing the polonaise while Huub, Henk, Harrie & Herman played "Closing Time"
-Of course all the talks, discussions, dinners and drinks with fellow Cohenites from all over the world! See you again next year on Hydra or 2018 in Budapest!

Special mentions go to the city of Amsterdam as a whole (I definitely fell in love with the city, my stay was just too short to visit all the cafés and shops I passed by) and my wonderful hotel (http://thecollegehotel.com/en/).

And last but not least, I may have been the only Swiss Cohenite attending the Event but I met some people with Swiss connections:
- The most charming Sophia Ammann actually has a Swiss mother (and a Canadian father, but she grew up in Belgium)...
- Darren Hayne, responsible for the perfect sound during the concert of the Avalanche Quartet, told me after the concert that he is actually living and working in Basel/Switzerland as a producer/sound engineer, working with Swiss artists such as Shirley Grimes....

2008:Lyon July 9th, Lörrach July 25th, Zurich October 25th;
2009: Nimes August 20th;
2010: Basel September 8th;
2012: Verona September 24th;
2013: Montreux July 4th
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Wybe
Site Admin
Posts: 787
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 1:05 am
Location: The Netherlands
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Re: Thank you, Amsterdam 2016.

Post by Wybe »

Hi swisschris,

Here you see on the end of the video Shirley as guest singer with the Avalanche Quartet.

http://www.icantforget.nl/AQ.html

Wybe
2008 -- Brugge, Amsterdam, London, Berlin, Helsinki, Oberhausen, Rotterdam -- 2008
2009 -- Antwerpen, Venice, Barcelona .-- 2009
2010 -- 2 x Gent, Lille, 2x Las Vegas, -- 2010
2012 -- Gent, 2 x Amsterdam, Dublin, Verona -- 2012
2013 -- Pula, Rotterdam -- 2013
-- +++ https://www.icantforget.nl -- +++
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basecamp
Posts: 287
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:52 pm
Location: Berlin, Germany
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Re: Thank you, Amsterdam 2016.

Post by basecamp »

My heartfelt thanks to the organizers of this wonderful event: Willy, Wybe & Lisbeth ! You and all the people who worked for this event did an amazing job! It was great to meet so many old and new friends. Now I'm looking forward to Hydra 2017! :D
Berlin 90ies /2008: Amsterdam/Berlin/Hamburg/ London RAH /2009: Berlin/Barcelona 2010: Odense/Berlin/Ghent(3x)/Wiesbaden/Strasbourg/Marseilles/Hannover/Las Vegas(2x),2012: Ghent(5x)/Amsterdam(2x)/Berlin/London/Verona/Toulon/Paris(2x)/Barcelona
2013: Paris-Antwerp-Mannheim-Brussels-Rome-Lucca-Berlin-Lodz-Prague-Vienna-Pula-Odense-Zurich-Manchester-Leeds-London-Rotterdam
MaryB
Posts: 4017
Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 5:40 am
Location: Columbus, Ohio USA

Re: Thank you, Amsterdam 2016.

Post by MaryB »

WOW, WOW, WOW! The recap of the 'events at the event' (tee-hee) were brilliant! Really, really made me sorry that we had not been able to have been there. My thanks to all for the posts, especially Leslie, Rachel and then the wonderful, detailed, and funny short story from Greg!!!!

I do want to say an extra special thank you to Leslie for the fantastic surprise of sending me the postcard!
That so many friends took the time from the busy schedule to send greetings was such a kind thing to do. Thank you all! (starting from the top of the card);

Joy & Mark - hope to see you soon also (Hydra is not too far off)
Bea - we've never met, but I hope to soon and I do follow all the good things you do for the forum
Christelle - it's been sooo long, I miss you also
Leslie (again & again) - My love to you always, my dearest of friends
Ken - loved the little box around your greeting, were you afraid I wouldn't see it? No way, I specifically looked for your name ;-) (I know how much you love emoticons)
Greg & Ann - the heck with breaking bread, bring on the wine!
Rachel - I feel bad I wasn't there to share our surreptitious activity, maybe you found Vlasta
Joe & Anne - missed you too and we will see you soon (Hydra here we come)
Jarkko & Eija - wonderful, wonderful Jarkko & Eija, thank you for everything from the bottom of our hearts
Sue - heard you bowled them over at the open mic, can't wait to see you do it again in Hydra
Hans - one of these days I will properly meet you
Mary - you and Marsha are such constants for us in Cohen activities, we missed being with you
Ute - waiting with bated breath for your visit, we'll have to spend time at our favorite pub playing LC songs on the jukebox all night
Vlasta -missed spending time with you my dear friend
Marie - dear friend, it's been toooo long, we miss you and Albert
Marsha - Marsha, Marsha, Marsha, gosh how we missed spending time with you and Mary
Wendy & Tony - we also wish we had been there, you know how much we enjoyed Amsterdam
Maarten - you can't possibly imagine how much we miss being around you

With the MOST Affectionate Regards,
Mary & George
1993 Detroit 2008 Kitchener June 2-Hamilton June 3 & 4-Vienna Sept 24 & 25-London RAH Nov 17 2009 NYC Feb 19-Grand Prairie Apr 3-Phoenix Apr 5-Columbia May 11-Red Rocks Jun 4-Barcelona Sept 21-Columbus Oct 27-Las Vegas Nov 12-San Jose Nov 13 2010 Sligo Jul 31 & Aug 1-LV Dec 10 & 11 2012 Paris Sept 30-London Dec 11-Boston Dec 16 2013 Louisville Mar 30-Amsterdam Sept 20
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