Funkraum is an initiative of trumpet- pianoplayer Aristo and saxophonist Carlo Banning to team up and start a brand new band with the best players out of their extensive network, playing and recording compositions of their own hand. And subsequently broadcast the result to the world.
Trumpet/Keys – Aristo
‘The thing I like best about being a musician is surrounding myself with the greatest musicians in my network and making sure we get things done on the highest possible level. ‘
Aristo has been around in the international music scene since his early twenties. It’s impossible to name all artists he worked with, but the most recent artists are Danny Vera and Joss Stone. Since 1988 he leads his own hornsection ‘Aristoshornz’. In this hornsection Carlo showed up as a valueble member of the section and together they decided invest a part of the revenues in their own project called ‘Funkraum’. It is the most recent project where his own composed songs get a voice and are represented through this band with his favorite colleagues.
Saxophones – Carlo Banning
‘Being a professional saxophonist and making a living out of it in a nice way is already someting I’m grateful for. It even gets better when you get to the point that you can record your own music with all of these cats.’
Carlo played as a teenager in a lot of different bands. Varying form psychedelic funk-rock till oldskool jazz. After finishing his technical management study at the University of Twente, he decided to change horses and successfully applied for the study ‘jazz saxophone’ at the conservatory of Amsterdam. Since then he played in theatres, bars and clubs and travels the road being a professional saxophone player and cultural entrepreneur. Since a number of years he’s slightly shifting towards original and an artistically more challenging repertoire. His collaboration with Aristo speeded things up in this wonderful project called ‘Funkraum’.
Percussion – Gijs Anders van Straalen
Gijs Anders shared the studio and stage with many well known Dutch artists like Iris Hond, Dieter van der Westen, Benny Sings, Janne Schra, Jitske Kramer, Joshua Samson, Marc van Roon, Disney’s Lion King, Jurgen Burdorf, Slagerij van Kampen, Benjamin Herman and many, many others. In 2006 he joined Dutch artist Wouter Hamel his band with whom he did many tours in his native The Netherlands as in countries like Japan, South-Korea, Germany and China.
Since 2015 Gijs Anders has been teaching Cultural Musicology and Percussion at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. He also published the very successful percussion book ‘Concept for the New Percussionist, 4/4 & 12/8’ and his first solo album ‘The Silent Adventure’.
Drums – Willem Smid
‘Playing in Funkraum brings me back to my first love: FUNK!’
Willem Smid is a highly sought-after session drummer in the Dutch jazz and pop scene. Known for his solid groove, he has performed with artists such as OG3NE and Saskia Laroo, with whom he has toured in over 25 countries. In addition to his live performances, Willem records drum tracks from his home studio.
Piano – Jeroen van Helsdingen
Jeroen van Helsdingen is a Dutch pianist, composer, and bandleader known for his contributions to jazz and fusion music. He leads the Jeroen van Helsdingen Band, which has released albums such as “Hels!” and “Ad Perpetuum.”
His work is characterized by a blend of jazz, blues, and other genres, showcasing his versatility as a musician. In addition to performing, van Helsdingen is active on social media, sharing insights into his musical journey and engaging with audiences.
Guitarist – Frank Stukker
Frank Stukker is a Dutch guitarist who began playing at the age of eight. He pursued formal music education and graduated from the conservatory in 1994.
Throughout his career, Stukker has collaborated with various artists. Notably, he contributed guitar work to Candy Dulfer’s 2009 track “Don’t Go.”
Bass – Dave Breidenbach
Dave Breidenbach is a Dutch bass player known for his contributions to various musical projects in the Netherlands. He has collaborated with artists such as Jan Peter Bast and Robert Biesewig, showcasing his versatility and talent in the music scene.
Breidenbach is also a member of Sonny’s Inc, a band that has introduced him to a wider audience.