Description
Jazz guitarist, composer and bandleader Ella Zirina performs solo in this session, on the deck of a canal cruise boat sailing through the canals of Utrecht. During this session, Zirina performs, among other pieces, works from her new EP x mini x.
00:00 x mini x ( E.Zirina)
03:37 A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing (Billy Strayhorn)
10:27 drift x open (E.Zirina)
13:27 Etude 7ths (E.Zirina)
Ella Zirina, guitar
Ella grew up in Riga, but her love for jazz eventually brought her to the Netherlands. After studying piano until the age of 17, Ella switched to guitar studies, channeling her broad musical influences. From Alexander Scriabin to Joni Mitchell and from Led Zeppelin to Bill Evans, Jim Hall and Wes Montgomery.
There were two teachers in particular for whom Zirina came to the Netherlands: Jesse van Ruller and Maarten van der Grinten. She played their joint album Nine Stories endlessly before moving to Amsterdam. Over the years, Zirina has developed a clear vision of sound. She still strives to create a tone without using pedals. The natural sound of the guitar is her starting point. In her own compositions, a melody is almost always central — a recognizable theme that serves as an anchor. From that core, she looks for space for nuance, interaction, and expression.
Editors: Melchior Huurdeman, Anne-Maartje Lemereis
Camera & lighting: Ramon de Boer, Marijn Zurburg, Marjolein Hoitinga
Sound: Ruben Kieftenbelt, Olaf Stuut
Producers: Olivier Schuringa, Nanouk Wouters
Director/editing: Reinier Bruijne
Editor in Chief: Sakti Khedoe
This video was recorded at De Domstad Rederij Schuttevaer (Utrecht)during Le Guess Who? festival 2025 for VPRO Vrije Geluiden: music program made by the Dutch public broadcast organization VPRO https://www.facebook.com/vrijegeluiden https://www.instagram.com/vrijegeluiden
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