Author: admin

A magazine for guitar players quotes the following typical sayings of Van Iterson: about the sound of his instrument ` I used to try all kinds of separate hi fi material but I know now that sound primarily comes from the fingers. At home I always practice without amplifiers. That way you’re forced to get the best out of your fingers.’ And a charming `homely’ one about his love for the guitar: `A few times a year I fall asleep on the couch with the guitar on my lap. In the early morning my children wake me up ordering me …

Crucial moments in an artist’s life? Van Iterson can come up with two. ‘When I was 14, hearing guitarist Peter Tiehuis. Then I knew music would be my career. A kind of moment of truth. Tiehuis showed me that a fat jazz guitar is not the only guitar to play. Wim Overgauw’s guitar helped me a lot too on this path. Not so much because it was Wim’s but because it’s such a wild, crazy instrument – the first guitar I played that really returned the feeling I put into it. You take it, play it and you know immediately!’ …

2004 was a beautiful year for Martijn van Iterson. Unanimous praise followed the release of his second CD ‘The Whole Bunch’ (Munich Records). Its international release was ranked top of the American Jazz Chart for radio play. And then of course that award at the 29th North Sea Jazz Festival: the Bird Award as ‘Artist Deserving Wider Recognition’. Presenting the award to Van Iterson, fellow guitarist Pat Metheny had some difficulty pronouncing his name and commented to a Dutch journalist ‘What a guitar player! But can’t he change his name to Martin von Schmidt or something?’. The Bird Award Jury …