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BL!NDMAN [sax] and Reitze Smits

In 1988 Eric Sleichim founded BL!NDMAN, a saxophone quartet with a traditional line-up, which develops new performance techniques and substantially expands the repertoire for the instrument by exploring the boundaries with other disciplines.

In 2008 BL!NDMAN became a collective in which the 20 years of stage experience accumulated by the original quartet – BL!NDMAN [sax] – is shared with three young quartets: BL!NDMAN [drums], BL!NDMAN [vox] and BL!NDMAN [strings]. In 2014 the vocal quartet was replaced by BL!NDMAN [hybrid], a mixed quartet. A collective composed entirely of quartets: unique in the music world.

In his search for the saxophone’s unexplored potential, Eric Sleichim has been focussing since 1999 on early music. First, he arranged Bach’s Chorale Partitas for saxophone quartet. BL!NDMAN plays Bach was an instant hit. Other programmes with old music then followed – often in collaboration with specialist ensembles such as Collegium Vocale Gent or the Huelgas Ensemble.

In 2013 BL!NDMAN celebrated its 25th birthday with the release of the CD 32 Foot / the Organ of Bach, which got the KLARA award for best CD production in Flanders.

For 32 FOOT / the Organ of Bach BL!NDMAN collaborated with Reitze Smits, a Dutch organ player and specialist of baroque music. 

The collaboration was very succesful and BL!NDMAN and Reitze Smits started a new project in 2016: WATER & FIRE / Handel revisited.

WATER & FIRE / Handel revisited

Eric Sleichim and organ player Reitze Smits arranged 2 iconic works of G.F. Handel, the Water Music suite and Music for the Royal Fireworks, for saxophone quintet (BL!NDMAN [sax] plus Eric Sleichim, this time once again on alto) and grand organ. After the successful collaboration on 32 FOOT / the Organ of Bach BL!NDMAN and Reitze Smits now share the stage.

Saxophone(s) and organ have already been combined several times in new music. The sound of the instruments mix splendidly and also in terms of dynamics organ and saxophone quintet match perfectly, as well in the louder passages as in the more silent parts.
The monumental character of Handel’s orchestral score is emphasized in this unique instrumentation.

Handel’s iconic orchestral suites flank Le Cahos, the opening movement of Jean-Féry Rebel’s Les Elémens, a musical punch-in-the-face long ahead of its time.

The concert program was premiered succesfully in the summer of 2016 in the MAfestival in Bruges and BL!NDMAN &Reitze Smits are further touring Flanders and Europe in 2016 and 2017.
 

From concert to CD

We want to release this unique program also on CD, in collaboration with Warner Classics, to present Handel's music in this peculiar line up to an even broader audience.

To make a good sound recording of this program is however not an easy task. Because of the use of an organ the recording has to be organized on location (in a church), which implies new challenges and costs.

That's why we need your help to realize this CD-recording!

Reasons to invest

Eric Sleichim's and BL!NDMAN's extensive experience in recording CD's guarantees a recording of high quality

Focus points

we need a large budget for the recording on location (church, organ)

Opportunities

a CD is an artistic business card to promote the ensemble to new concert venues in Belgium and abroad

Competitors and threats

it are hard times to fund musical projects and in Flanders there are lots of qualitative ensembles with their own projects