BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN PRODID:adamgibbons/ics METHOD:PUBLISH X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VEVENT UID:24837@offbeat.amsterdam SUMMARY:Sunflower DTSTAMP:20260714T185634Z DTSTART:20261107T190000Z DESCRIPTION:Album Release – Love Letters\n\nWith Love Letters\, drummer and composer Joost Lijbaart reveals a deeply personal\nside of his music. Aft er more than 35 years in jazz\, improvised music and world\nmusic\, he fel t the need to return to the essence of making music: presence\,\nsimplicit y and genuine human connection.\n\nThat search brought him together with s inger-songwriter Amelie Spinks and\nbassist River Adomeit. Playing with th ese young musicians—Amelie (22) and River\n(28)—introduced a new sense of freedom and vulnerability into his music. For the\nfirst time\, Lijbaart ( 58) deliberately sets aside much of his virtuosity as a\ndrummer\, choosin g instead for simple grooves and a warm\, open sound.\n\nThe songs on Love Letters explore care\, intimacy and the quiet strength of love.\nIn piece s such as If I Was a Woman and Eight Hands on a Black Cat\, Lijbaart\nrefl ects on empathy\, loss and the longing to truly see one another.\n\nThe re sult may well be the most personal work of his career: music without\narmo ur\, driven by a single desire—to look at life and the world through the l ens\nof love.\n\nAmelie Spinks [https://www.ameliespinks.com/] – vocals / guitar\nRiver Adomeit [https://www.riveradomeit.com] – bass\nJoost Lijbaar t [https://joostlijbaart.com/groups/sunflower/] – drums\n\nSUNFLOWER\nThis new trio brings together drummer Joost Lijbaart with rising talents River \nAdomeit (bass) and Amelie Spinks (vocals & guitar).\n\nRooted in the sin ger-songwriter tradition\, the group combines introspective\nstorytelling with the spirit of improvisation. Their original compositions draw\ninspir ation from Joni Mitchell\, Americana and folk\, creating a warm\, intimate \nsound that moves effortlessly between carefully crafted songs and sponta neous\nmusical dialogue. With fresh sonic colours and poetic depth\, the t rio offers a\nheartfelt and distinctive take on contemporary acoustic musi c.\n\nJoost Lijbaart (Amsterdam\, 1967) has enjoyed an international caree r spanning\nmore than 35 years as a drummer\, bandleader and sideman. His broad musical\ninterests encompass jazz\, pop\, rock\, songwriting and tra ditional music from West\nAfrica\, North India and the Middle East. Throug hout his career he has received\nseveral awards\, including a soloist priz e presented to him by drummer Elvin\nJones at the North Sea Jazz Festival. \nRiver Adomeit (Connecticut\, USA\, 1996) is a songwriter and improviser deeply\nrooted in the American folk and jazz traditions. Originally from t he United\nStates and now based in Amsterdam\, River draws on a wide range of influences\,\nweaving them seamlessly into his bold and focused approa ch to composition and\nperformance.\nAmelie Spinks (Kent\, UK\, 2003) grew up in a small town in New Zealand before\nmoving to Amsterdam in 2021 to pursue her passion for jazz and the double bass.\nNow\, at the beginning o f her journey as a songwriter\, she is forging her path as\nan indie folk musician. Inspired by artists such as Adrienne Lenker\, Joni\nMitchell and Aldous Harding\, Amelie's songs evoke the landscapes\, atmosphere and\nst orytelling traditions of New Zealand folk music. URL:https://offbeat.amsterdam/event/sunflower GEO:52.3699078;4.9032848 LOCATION:Splendor - Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat 116\, 1011 LX Amsterdam STATUS:CONFIRMED CATEGORIES:amsterdam-centrum,improv,indie,jazz,music,nieuwmarkt/lastage,roc k,storytelling X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Album Release – Love Letters

With Love Letters, drummer and composer Joost Lijbaart reveals a deeply persona l side of his music. After more than 35 years in jazz, improvised music an d world music, he felt the need to return to the essence of making music: presence, simplicity and genuine human connection.

That search broug ht him together with singer-songwriter Amelie Spinks and bassist River Ado meit. Playing with these young musicians—Amelie (22) and River (28)—introd uced a new sense of freedom and vulnerability into his music. For the firs t time, Lijbaart (58) deliberately sets aside much of his virtuosity as a drummer, choosing instead for simple grooves and a warm, open sound.

The songs on Love Letters explore care, intimacy and the quiet strength o f love. In pieces such as If I Was a Woman and Eight Hands on a Black Cat, Lijbaart reflects on empathy, loss and the longing to truly see one anoth er.

The result may well be the most personal work of his career: mus ic without armour, driven by a single desire—to look at life and the world through the lens of love.

Amelie Spinks – vocals / guitar
River Adomeit< /a> – bass
Joost Lijbaart – drums

SUNFLOWER
This new trio brings together drummer Joost Lijba art with rising talents River Adomeit (bass) and Amelie Spinks (vocals &am p; guitar).

Rooted in the singer-songwriter tradition, the group com bines introspective storytelling with the spirit of improvisation. Their o riginal compositions draw inspiration from Joni Mitchell, Americana and fo lk, creating a warm, intimate sound that moves effortlessly between carefu lly crafted songs and spontaneous musical dialogue. With fresh sonic colou rs and poetic depth, the trio offers a heartfelt and distinctive take on c ontemporary acoustic music.

Joost Lijbaart (Amsterd am, 1967) has enjoyed an international career spanning more than 35 years as a drummer, bandleader and sideman. His broad musical interests encompas s jazz, pop, rock, songwriting and traditional music from West Africa, Nor th India and the Middle East. Throughout his career he has received severa l awards, including a soloist prize presented to him by drummer Elvin Jone s at the North Sea Jazz Festival.
River Adomeit (Conne cticut, USA, 1996) is a songwriter and improviser deeply rooted in the Ame rican folk and jazz traditions. Originally from the United States and now based in Amsterdam, River draws on a wide range of influences, weaving the m seamlessly into his bold and focused approach to composition and perform ance.
Amelie Spinks (Kent, UK, 2003) grew up in a smal l town in New Zealand before moving to Amsterdam in 2021 to pursue her pas sion for jazz and the double bass. Now, at the beginning of her journey as a songwriter, she is forging her path as an indie folk musician. Inspired by artists such as Adrienne Lenker, Joni Mitchell and Aldous Harding, Ame lie's songs evoke the landscapes, atmosphere and storytelling traditions o f New Zealand folk music.

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