Intro

Michiel stuck to the acoustic piano for about 25 years. In 2006 however he decided to buy a Wurlitzer 200A electric piano, which he, in 2011, replaced by a Stage Nord EX, with the possibility, beside Wurlitzer, to play Hammond, amongst others.

eBraam is the electric counterpart of Michiels acoustic projects.

Since the sound of electric keys is so completely different from an acoustic piano sound this asked for a new group, other musicians than the ones with whom he was working already, other instruments.
Pieter is a conspicuous player of several electric basses, both with and without frets and was a distinguished member of the legendary band "Blowbeat".
Dirk-Peter is the benjamin of this trio, and a founding member of the great German jazzband "Underkarl" as well as player in projects like "The Starvinsky Orchestra", amongst others.

In 2008 a set of songs, named "Non-Functionals!" was written by Michiel. 2009 this music is released on a ceedee of the same name, rewarded a "Best Album of 2009" by "All About Jazz New York".

Bio

Michiel Braam - Nord Stage EX
Pieter Douma - Bass Guitars
Dirk-Peter Kölsch - Drums

His first steps in the field of non-classical music Michiel did in the Music School de Lindenberg in Nijmegen. It was quit a discovery. Not only did little Michiel find new musical styles, rhythms and spheres, also he found the Wurlitzer 200A, at that time a much-used electrical keyboard in pop music, used by Supertramp (listen to the beginning of "Dreamer") to name one. In those days Michiel played pop music and music in which pop and jazz were mixed together. There is still this very clear memory of working on "In A Silent Way" by one of the ensembles.

Well, the music school owned this Wurlitzer, and Michiel decided to stay to the acoustic piano for about 25 years. Exception to that rule was the possession of a Rhodes, which was merely using space, and almost never used in concerts.

Reasons for that? It could just have been the specific sound and vibrato of the Wurlitzer Michiel likes, and he is missing when playing the Rhodes. Anyway last year Michiel decided to sell the Rhodes and buy a Wurlitzer. In 2011 the vintage Wurlitzer was replaced by a Nord Stage EX, giving Michiel the possibility to use not only Wurlitzer, but more electric keys such as Hammond in this trio. eBraam (f.k.a. Wurli Trio) is therewith the electric counterpart of his acoustic projects.

Pieter is a conspicuous player of several electric basses, both with and without frets and was a distinguished member of the legendary band "Blowbeat".

Dirk-Peter is the benjamin of this trio, and a founding member of the great German jazzband "Underkarl" as well as player in projects like "The Starvinsky Orchestra", The Jörg Brinkmann Trio and several music-theatre productions.

Michiel wrote a book of music (mainly in Canada on tour) for his two trio's, some of the tunes in 2 versions, one to be played by his acoustic trio, and one to be played by this trio.

This book resulted in the ceedee "Hosting Changes", in 2006.

In 2008 a new set of songs, named "Non-Functionals!" was written by Michiel. 2009 this music is released on a ceedee of the same name, rewarded "Best Album of 2009" by All About Jazz New York.

Both ceedees were beautifully recorded by Marcel VandeBeeten and the exquisite covers designed by Pascale Companjen.

eBraam also forms the core of a new project by its bass player Pieter Douma, BGUTI-Orchestra. This orchestra will be touring during the fall of 2011, preceded by the recording of an album, containing songs by Pieter, who is the lead singer of the orchestra and partially its bass player. In october 2010 the recordings started, in studio De Hut in Veghel. Besides eBraam musicians with various background participate in this project. The other bass players are Stefan Lievestro, Wiro Mahieu, Jeroen Vierdag and Michel van Schie, the second drummer René Creemers, the gitarists Jerome Hol and Leendert Haaksma, singers Linda Bloemhard and Kristina Fuchs, on trombone Wolter Wierbos, euphomium Peter Haex and french horn player Morris Kliphuis.

Reviews

Best Album Of 2009
According to All About Jazz New York the trio's latest ceedee "Non-Functionals!" is one of the Best Albums Of 2009, and the only Dutch item in the List.

Accessible Slices Of Electrified Keyboard Jazz
“With the Wurlitzer's calliope-like timbres, even when Braam is plays presto runs that relate to a blues sensibility the night-club vibe is missing. Replacing it on a track such as “Non Functional 5”, are skittering and staggering keyboard jumps, perched on top of Kölsch's ceaseless shuffle rhythms. Here and elsewhere the keyboard action makes it appear as if the pianist is about to lose the theme's nimble thread until he grasps it with high-frequency cadences. Other tracks feature stop-time pacing or staccatissimo runs from Braam, while Douma's sluicing pulses and guitar-like chiming keep things both anchored and sonically garlanded. Accessible slices of electrified keyboard jazz”.
Ken Waxman (www.jazzword.com)

Ultra-Cool But Winking All The Way
"Non-Functional 2" brings the down'n'dirty funk groove as Braam's fingers glide across and batter the keyboard through multiple vamps and turnarounds, cranking up the energy until his rhythm mates can't help but get caught up in his unleashed energy and flirt with jaggedly free territory before catching their breaths at the end. Elsewhere, "Non-Functional 4" slows down the pace to create a dreamy blues atmosphere; "5" heads out on the highway with perhaps the album's most infectious straight-up rockin' and the band in perfect sync (until Braam finds some low-down rubbery squelch to send everything dissipating into deep space); and "6" presents Kolsch at his best, driving the band with a relentless push and throwing all kinds of accents -- including some very nice hi-hat work -- into the mix. Ultimately, the Wurlitzer 200A electric piano is a great choice for Braam, in a characteristically sly way, with a sound that sometimes brings a slight touch of comedy: unlike the by now more clichéd Rhodes voicings, the Wurli mixes a bit of roller rink into its late-night club/lounge vibe. So Braam is ultra-cool but winking all the way -- a pure Dutch jazz master after all, even here.”
Dave Lynch (www.allmusicguide.com)