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When you book a group for your music festival, relying only on a demo, you take chances. It's usually safer to go to a live performance to assess musical skills…. Yet, in the case of the Californian group "Nima & Merge" I did just that. I booked them, after listening to a demo, and I have not regretted this decision. Their demo was so filled with enthusiasm and professional skills, that I didn't hesitate a second to book them for the sixth edition of the "All Weather Music festival". Then I received a confirmation from a jazz fan from Julich in Germany, who had heard the group perform at the local festival. Merge offers a mix (merge!) of jazz, rock, ethnic music and performs with such passion that they give you the impression that each concert is their last chance to prove their value. No impression could be more wrong. The members of the band make an excellent team and they perform on a professional level. The instruments match the variety in their music: The Chapman Stick, the soprano and tenor sax, and the drums. The idea behind the Chapman Stick is that you play the guitar and the bass simultaneously. In my opinion, you must at least be positive and eccentric to play this instrument. But Nima Rezai, Merge's Chapman Stick player, only needed half a song to capture the audience with his virtuosity and originality. Saxophonist Dan Heflin played both the soprano and tenor sax with such lyricism and timbre that the audience focussed and listened. His gift for improvising almost chained the listeners to the stage. Brad Ranola, the drummer of the group, plays with amazing 'drive'; he is powerful, rhythmic, and musical. Power, power, power! These Americans were the revelation of All Weather Music 2003. They were friendly, professional and (important!) " down to earth". Thanks guys! René Meuris
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