2025 stock In the ever-evolving landscape of European improvised music, Groet stands as a testament to the restless creativity and sly wit of pianist Guus Janssen and drummer Han Bennink. Released on the Dutch label Data in 2005, this album captures two of the Netherlands’ most idiosyncratic voices in a dialogue that is as unpredictable as it is deeply musical.

Janssen and Bennink, both veterans of the Dutch avant-garde, approach the piano-drum duo format with a sense of play that borders on the anarchic. Yet, beneath the surface humor and apparent chaos, there is a profound understanding of jazz tradition and a shared commitment to spontaneous composition. The album’s 43 minutes are packed with quicksilver exchanges, abrupt shifts in mood, and moments of startling lyricism, all delivered with a lightness of touch that belies the technical mastery at work.

Groet is not a difficult listen—its intelligence is matched by its accessibility. The duo’s interplay is marked by a kind of musical telepathy: Bennink’s percussive outbursts and found-object interventions are met with Janssen’s sly harmonic detours and rhythmic feints. The result is a record that feels both meticulously constructed and joyously off-the-cuff, a perfect encapsulation of the Dutch “instant composing” ethos.

For listeners attuned to the nuances of free improvisation, Groet offers a masterclass in conversational music-making. For the uninitiated, it’s a welcoming entry point—funny, surprising, and, above all, alive to the possibilities of the moment.