Concert Review
Infectious Playing by Undercurrent Trio & Gerard Kleijn 25/01/2026 at De Hofnar Theatre, Valkenswaard, Noord-Brabant.
“spontaneous interactions between the musicians, who complement each other seamlessly” (Monica Rijpma, Jazzism)
Every year Yes Jazz organizes bimonthly concerts at De Hofnar in Valkenswaard, usually in the theater's cozy café. On Sunday January 18th, first concert of 2026 was being hosted by the international group Undercurrent Trio, with guest trumpet player Gerard Kleijn: an afternoon concert full of pleasant surprises. The trio originated from collaborations with the Dutch composer, saxophonist, and (bass) clarinetist Iman Spaargaren. Spaargaren's musical career had a head start in 2012 as a Young VIP, giving him the opportunity to gain extensive experience with his own compositions and ensembles early in his career.
Together with guitarist Guillermo Celano and drummer Marcos Baggiani, both from Argentina, the Undercurrent Trio was formed, which would later expand into the Undercurrent Orchestra for larger-scale productions. Last year, the album Cloud Song was released, a successful collaboration between the trio and trumpeter Suzan Veneman. Veneman was unable to attend this performance, so Spaargaren called on Gerard Kleijn. He had previously collaborated with Gerard on albums and in concerts, including a tour of South America. Kleijn himself released the duo album Birds On A Wire with Celano. In short, the four musicians on stage were evenly matched under any circumstances.
Striking statements between wry and witty
A trio consisting of guitar, percussion, and saxophone is already exceptional. Baggiani has a wide range of percussion instruments and plays a large portion of the concert with percussion instruments in one hand and drumsticks in the other. Celano's guitar sound is idiosyncratic and produces remarkable effects, interweaving acoustic and electronic sounds. His style isn't one for warm chords and spun melodies, but rather for striking statements that are wry or witty, and all the emotional nuances in between. The melodic improvisations this afternoon come primarily from the wind section. Both in solos and ensembles, the trumpet and saxophone sound smoothly, while the clarinet adds a melancholy to the predominantly South American rhythms. The set opens with a bossa rhythm and continues through chacarera, milonga, and cumbia. Even a nod to reggae appears, brightening the spontaneous interaction between the musicians, who complement each other seamlessly. Even listeners unaccustomed to the free-flowing approach can easily join in the infectious playing.
MONICA RIJPMA
Undercurrent Trio on January 18th at Yes Jazz, Theater De Hofnar, Valkenswaard
