Theater Ludens 2024

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Jody Pijper: wie kent haar niet? Wellicht (zeker onder de kenners) die bekendste en beste zangeres van Nederland. Zij heeft talloze jingles op haar naam staan. Op duizenden albums gezongen van alle grote Nederlandse artiesten. Zelf nog een hit gescoord in de jaren ’80 met “stars on ’45”. Ook Jody deed twee jaar geleden mee met het concert in het Ludens theater van Alex van Voorst. Zij wist de zaal in no time voor zich te winnen….

Albert Koch: de wereldster op blues harp (mondharmonica). Twee jaar geleden liet al hij het Ludens theater op zijn grondvesten schudden tijdens het concert La Vie En Route van Alex van Voorst.

Antal Steixner: ook hij was er twee jaar geleden al bij in het Ludens Theater. Deze percussionist is een begrip in Nederland en buitenland. Zijn ritmiek is werkelijk ongeëvenaard.

The Band: Alex van Voorst & Friends De akoestische fingerstyle gitarist Alex van Voorst geeft een eenmalig concert in Nederland! Bij het concert ‘Alex van Voorst & Friends ’ wordt hij bijgestaan door diverse internationale muzikale vrienden. Alex van Voorst is een 61-jarige fingerstyle gitarist. In 2002-2003 werd hij verkozen tot Beste gitarist van Nederland van het prestigieuze SENA Award. Alex van Voorst trok zichzelf overigens terug voor deze uitverkiezing (“Je kunt gitaristen nooit vergelijken met elkaar, het is geen sport”). Hij maakte tot nu toe 9 albums waaronder één met de Nederlandse gitaarlegende en Jan Akkerman en heeft 17 wereldtournees (veelal Azië) op zijn naam staan. Alex van Voorst heeft het podium gedeeld met diverse grootheden van de gitaar als: Jan Akkerman, Tommy Emmanuel, Richard Smith en het super talent uit Maleisië Melvyn Gnai. ‘Ales van Voorst & Friends’ is een bijna 2 uur durende cd release en slechts een éénmalig concert in Nederland. In deze gitaarshow kunt u genieten (buiten de humoristische verhalen) van arrangementen van onder andere: The Beatles, U2, John Mayer, Simon and Garfunkel, en natuurlijk eigen werk.

My Gear

My gear…

During the years (about 45 years) I used a lot of instruments. Nowadays I still have 14 guitars that I use. Ofcourse some guitars stays at home when I tour. Esspecially when I tour in Asia. The humanity is way to high compared with Europe. I always got a lot of trouble with the neck as you can imagine. I most say that my Martin guitar is still pretty ok after touring, ofcourse I have to adjust the neck a little bit. My new "baby" arrived last saturday (feb 2024) ...the Maton 100C 808 also known by "The Messiah . Never had an instrument like this....everything fits. The sound, playability and the looks. I have a custom made JY as well (two different ones). The AvV model (same as the JA model) is (after a lot of work)fantastic. When I reseived the guitar I had a lot of work on it in Holland to make it great. The wood is phenomenal (monkey pod) , ebbony fretboard and tailpiece. I needed 3(!) luthiers to make this guitar outstanding. They all did a great job. I replace the pick up JR Bag into a stereo Highlander. The neck has been completely redesigned, also the nuggets are replaced. I put my dog in the peghead as well...;-) I just sent a photo of my dog to Vietnam and they made a kind of logo (abalone) of it... and in Holland (Frank de Haan luthier) they put it in with an abalone letter Q (Quinty my dog). This guitar is now finally finished. It will stay into my studio most of the time. I have a nylon string Lowden. For me this is the best suitable nylon string guitar. Sound is wonderful and it plays like nothing else! My George Benson Ibanez is one of a kind as well. I use this for fingerstyle ballads (I am not a jazzplayer) and that works for me. If I want to enjoy myself with a little rock I just grab my Les Paul Classic. Electric guitar is for me fun and for myself and nobody else...;-). I have also a custom Les Paul model...that is art...just watch the pics...The Yairi D41 is my oldest (1977) guitar (Dreadnought)...It sounds tremendous. It will never leave my home. My first acoustic guitar (a present from my parents at Christmas 1978) is a Terada Jumbo. It sounds a lot like a Jumbo Gibson. I still use it ones in a while (I recorded "Don't shoot the piano player" on my last album). My Dobro is for me top quality as well. I only play the bottleneck on this. Great instrument. From Malaysia I have 2 Mesopatamia guitars. These guitars are not only good looking but also very handy to take it on tour. They sound good and play very nice as well, certaintly not to big to handle. I did several tours with those guitars. My Gretch guitar is for Chet Atkins stuff. Always nice to grab it ones in a time. Most of the time I plug my guitars into my Helix HX straight into my MOTU 896. On stage I like to use a Fishman SV220 (as a kind of monitor straight to the soundboard).

Maintenance of my gear.

I am very critical about my guitars/instruments. I don't allow many luthiers to work on my guitars...There are two luthiers in Holland that I trust...Frank de Haan from Heilo and ofcourse Marcel Hustings from Otto Alphenaar Music in Haarlem. He is in my opinion a genius...knows exactly what a guitar needs...and he is by the way an outstanding (fingerstyle) guitarplayer!

How Rock and Acoustic ballads can meet

Once upon a time…

Together with Remy Hansen putting up a show...seems unreal...Fingerstyle combined with a kind of (speed) rock...But it worked very well in Shanghai. I think Remy Hansen is one of those talents that you don't meet often in your life. Extreme technical skills with a great doses of talent together and you create Remy. Even the big stars in the world like Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert and Joe Satriani agreed with me on this...and that doesn't suprised me at all. Remy helped me with two tracks on my album "No strings attached". Please take a look at the documentary they made about us ... at the end (the final) we played the beatiful song "Once upon a time in the west"...and then you see/hear yourself how this musical world can come together. Breath taking

Alex and Melvyn’s world journey’s

The diamond of Asia

With no doubt...the most talented young guitarist I've ever played with is Melvyn Gnai. The whole Gnai family became a part of me during the years. I've played with his sister violin player Amanda that was a highlight for me as well. I have seen Melvyn making giant steps into guitar music thru the years. There are many video's from him on the internet. If you want to see what's possible on the guitar nowadays subscribe to his channel!

Maton Messiah

Finally my new Maton Messiah has arrived! What a "beast"...coming from Australia. I never complained about my guitars. My martin CP dreadnought sounds great acoustic and my custom made JY special is also acoustic a splendid instrument. Only on stage it takes sometimes a lot of energy and time to come to the right sound...but with the soundsystem inside the Maton Messiah (AP 5 pro) that's history! A build in microphone and a piezo...it blows all the other systems away. Within 5 minutes I have my sound and during a concert it is easy to adjust with the sliders on the guitar. Ones again it's nice to have this lady at home into the guitar family!

30 years of friendship

Our friendship goes back more then 30 years! In 1993 I first met Jan Akkerman inb Dillegntia in the Hague. I was recording my CD Baronsdown. I "thought" I composed a new song for this album....but actually I was so inspired by Jan's "Just Because" that it was almost a copy of this song. It didn't felt good....So I went to Dillentia theatre and spoke to Jan and explain what happened (the song wasn't recorded yet...) and asked him what to do. He was laughing and said: "just mention on the cd that you where conseived by Jan Akkerman"...Since that time we had a bond created untill today. Later that day I was sitting on the front row enjoying his show...Jan was playing that show the song Just Because...after the song he looked at me and said: "Hey, aren't you that guy who composed this song"? I couldn't stop laughing...This is the humor of Jan....just one example of many...;-)

Show Ludens 2024

Upcoming show

One of my highlights was playing with my good friend Jody Pijper at the show in 2022. She was magic as always. So glad that she will join me in the new coming show in September 11th 2024. Also Albert Koch from Germany will come over to join me! What a great harmonica player! The best I have played with...ever. Antal Steixner is the most sensitive percussion player there is. That he is a true pro is an understatement!