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australianjazz.net

There’s a reason Alexander Beets has been nicknamed ‘The Hurricane’; yes, the nickname refers to his tempestuous playing and his big sound, but if you talk to him, you can understand how the sound is a natural byproduct of a big personality. A champion of the ‘Texan Tenor’ saxophone sound (defined by the great Cannonball Adderley as “a moan within the tone”), Alexander Beets is also an educator and a visionary. As the director of the Amersfoort Jazz Festival in the Netherlands, he turned it into a hub for Jazz Festivals, creating international collaboration opportunities. At the heart of all he does is his belief that jazz is fun, his vision to bring jazz back to the streets, and his practice of ‘Kung Fu jazz’. Intrigued? Wait till you get to the Morgan Freeman reference.