Ronald Langestraat ‎– Apollo

Red Light Records

Ronald Langestraat

Apollo LP

South of North ‎- Netherlands, 2019

Regular price €24.00

Second volume of vintage works from Amsterdam jazz underdog Ronald Langestraat, following the success of previous South Of North release 'Searching' !

"Apollo" is a compilation of an Apollo Hotel CD box, that Ronald made himself, for family and friends.

From 1986 until 1992, Ronald had a residency in the lounge of Amsterdam’s Apollo Hotel. He would play there 5 days a week, for 5 hours a day. In 1991, throughout several sessions, he recorded himself on a cassette recorder. The recordings were ranging from re-interpreted cover versions to multiple own compositions.

The Apollo was particularly known for its sophisticated and elegant crowd. Guests would come to meet in the lounge to talk business, or end the day with a drink at the bar - dancing was never an option.

Listening to the album, one must wonder how some of this music would go hand in hand with a place like that. It seems Ronald gets lost in music and returns in unequally balanced patterns. Lounge sounds meet drum computer rhythms, punchy basslines, distorted space noises, reoccurring clarinet interludes and improvised piano solos.