Dark Monday

Neatles & Pins – Take I

A brand new Dark Monday @ Merlin series devoted to Pins – Presenting Innovative New Sounds!

This new series will feature talented Musicians and Bands in collaboration with Neat’s own musical formation The Neatles. The first musical guest of the new Neatles & Pins series will be a performance of Esther Aleida Band.

Esther van Maanen is originally from the Netherlands. She completed her degree in Jazz & Pop singing at the ArtEZ Conservatory in Arnheim in 2017. She’s been pursuing her passion for songwriting and discovering new musical frontiers ever since, both with her jazz-blues duo 11 minuteslate and with the Esther Aleida Band, which she describes as „A combination of folk singer-songwriter, world music, and a good dose of improvisation.“

Through diversity in patterns, rhythms and an ever-evolving instrumental lineup, this international ensemble takes you through different worlds filled with mysterious storylines, surprising twists and modern fairy tales.

Currently, Esther is settled in Stuttgart and plays her songs togehter with a rotation group orf musicians from around the world. Thanks to improvisation and the different influences of group members, her pices sound a little bit different every time. As a result, no concert ist he same! Very exciting!

Esther’s original songs are due tob e released on an album this year. The Premiere Performance of the new Pins series will be initiated by Neat’s own „International and ever-evolving ensemble“ – The Neatles – which currently features Riccardo Tassinari on Trumpet, Charles C. Urban on Ukulele, and Vocalists Samantha Mohr, Sylvia Owens, Anna Lind-Neider and a few special guests.