Jazz music is truly alive in Utrecht at the moment! You can see it not only from the great jazz programming at Tivoli Vredenburg and the UJazz association, but also from the many smaller venues where Utrecht jazz musicians often showcase their talent. We’d like to bring one of these stages to your attention.

While the Vredenburg quarter has already been presented here on Explore Utrecht, now I’m on the trail of a noteworthy initiative at the city brasserie and bar De Utrechter. You’ll find De Utrechter at Vredenburg 40, right across from the imposing TivoliVredenburg. You can head over every day for a good breakfast, lunch, dinner, or drink. But… you’ll also find an interesting stage at De Utrechter: since the end of 2018, CLUB40 (among others) has been organized here by the promising Utrecht jazz saxophonist Kika Sprangers. If you’re looking for a special musical evening with friends at an awesome location, then this is one to recommend!

Live jazz at De Utrechter

Kika Sprangers is known as a jazz saxophonist, composer, and arrangement maker from, among others, North Sea Jazz and the Young VIP Tour 2018. Last November, she toured through Indonesia with her quintet, and on New Year’s Eve she played at the Amsterdam Bimhuis, one of the most prominent jazz stages in the Netherlands and abroad. For every edition of CLUB40, the talented Sprangers arranges special combinations of professional jazz musicians, including her own quintet, and gives the Utrecht jazz scene an extra boost. You can head to CLUB40 on two Thursdays per month, from 21.00 to 23.00, for innovative live jazz at De Utrechter at Vredenburg 40. And… entrance is free!

The 24-year-old Sprangers will touch you with her characteristic sound, including her own beautiful compositions. In 2016, she finished her conservatory studies in Utrecht, but while still a student she was chosen as leader of the saxophone section of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. At the moment, Sprangers plays with the Utrechtse Jazz Archipel and with her quintet and Large Ensemble (her quintet plus three singers and a four-piece brass section), among others. Highlights with these groups have been heard at inJazz, Tivoli Cloud Nine, and the Grachtenfestival Amsterdam. At the beginning of 2017, her first EP ‘Leaves of Lily’ was released with her own compositions performed by both groups. In 2018, Sprangers was named Young VIP, and this spring she expects to bring out her debut album.

Jazz in Utrecht 

With Kika Sprangers, Utrecht has a promising jazz talent in house – and that’s good not just for the city, but of course also for the Utrecht jazz scene. If you want to get a broader orientation of that scene, then I suggest that you check out the latest edition of the city magazine LEVEN! Utrecht, available at various addressesand reading tables in the city (note: the magazine is only in Dutch). I got to write an extensive article about jazz in Dom City, focusing on the history, present, and future of jazz. You’ll also find tips for various venues in the city. And for that, you can also check out jazz030, theagenda for all jazz activities in Utrecht. Maybe we’ll meet each other somewhere soon!

Live jazz with Kika | 14 & 28 February at 21.00 until 23.00 |  facebook event