So. Along Came Stan, huh. What, exactly, is it?
Ok. As a songwriter Stan is mostly influenced by people like Stevie Wonder, Prince, James Taylor, Ray Charles or Thom Yorke as well as guys like Leonard Bernstein, Richard Rogers, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Cole Porter, George Gershwin or Jimmy van Heusen. As a singer he is hugely influenced by Kurt Elling, Stevie Wonder (again), Donny Hathaway, Chet Baker, Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughn, and so on… As a lyricist he really digs on guys like Ira Gershwin, Lorenz Hart, that kind of stuff. Kurt Elling has written a lot of beautiful lyrics. Tom Waits is great. And let's not forget Randy Newman. But also a lot of writers are a big inspiration, like Dave Eggers, Nick Hornby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Raymond Carver, Douglas Coupland, Paul Auster, Donald Barthelme. And oh. You really should check out www.mcsweeneys.net...
Ehm. Well, that sure was a lot of names. But what about the band?
What Along Came Stan intends to do, is play music with an emotional necessity to it. Songs with a story. Songs, in which colour, melody and lyrics are essential parts, brought together through clever arrangements and good musicianship.
Meaning…
Well, to sum up, I would say that Along Came Stan is a jazz band. But... not really a jazz band, because it is maybe more of a soul band. But then, technically, not a soul band, because one might say that they are, actually, a pop-band. But of course, not a pop-band, at all.
Contact Maarten Besseling for bookings. Download the presskit here.
BIOGRAPHY
FOCUS
- Cultural productions & bookings (festivals, tours, mappings and events)
- Cultural fundraising
- Writing, assisting and developing funding applications
- Music productions (worldwide)
PROFILE
- A subtle but striking approach towards companies, organisations, embassies and funds
- Personal enthusiasm
- A structural workflow
- A well developed (international) cultural network
RECENT PROJECTS
- In A Cabin With recording session with David Pino (El Pino & The Volunteers) And Marien Dorleijn (Moss) in Canada
- In A Cabin With recording session with Simon Akkermans (C-mon & Kypski), PAX (Kyteman, PAX&PRY)) & Mathias Janmaat (Bombay Showpig) in Jakarta, Indonesia.
- Two Chop Wood gigs in Kostroma and Moscow, Russia
- In A Cabin With recording session in Acaribo Surinam with Kai Hugo (Palmbomen), Thomas Azier and Pim van Ham (Knobsticker)
- Clubtour The Netherlands for Me & Stupid (including members of Bettie Serveert)
- Factories Of The Imagination, a multi-disciplinar 18 month project between EU and Russia I co-founded. This project is funded by the EU
- Presentation of the In A Cabin With project at the BAFIM international music fair, Buenos Aires
- Concept design and coordination for new (Dutch Design) websites for Russian companies such as as Dialogue Dance, Stantsia and Factories of the Imagination
BIOGRAPHY