From Haarlem to Harlem

Two revolutionary music centres, united not only in name, but now also in sound. Haarlem, a breeding ground for 17th-century Dutch music and the place where the 31-tone organ was born. And Harlem, the New York neighbourhood named after Haarlem, where jazz came of age in the first half of the 20th century. Laurens de Man and the young Dutch jazz singer Anna Serierse are bringing these worlds together.

Not only is the Fokker organ rooted in the theories of Haarlem’s Constantijn Huygens, but it also spent decades in Haarlem’s Teylers Museum. These days, music by Cornelis Helmbreecker, Sweelinck, Mozart, and De Klerk represents the ‘Haarlem’ sound. Harlem resonates in the illustrious jazzy works of Gershwin, Ellington, and Monk. All uniquely coloured by the 31-tone organ.