Piazza Pia by Henneman String Quartet

“ "Spolia" is a term that comes from architecture and refers to construction sites that are repurposed from previous buildings. Similarly, the Dutch violist borrows this term for a title on her sixth album and thus also describes one of her typical methods of working. Musical fragments, on the present album taken mostly from the Italian Renaissance and folklore, are processed into new pieces and serve as the basis for improvisational excursions. This approach pays off numerous times. The tension between composition and improvisation, and between tradition and innovation creates uncommon music in the world of contemporary jazz music.”
--Emanuel Wenger Jazz live - magazine for contemporary music February 2002

"Described -- usually by classical music snobs -- as the superlative medium for a composer's thoughts in chamber music, the string quartet is often resistant to massive efforts to free it of ponderous 19th century memories and shove it into the modern era. Adding improvisation to the equation makes the situation even more difficult. This demands that the members of the traditional quartet -- two violinists, one violist and a cellist -- not only abandon comfortable romantic culture, but also spontaneously create as they play. Wazahugy and the Henneman String Quartet (HSQ) have resolved this conundrum by doing more than filling their books with certified contemporary music. Each formation consists of instrumentalists from jazz, improv and notated music backgrounds playing a combination of written and improvised sounds, further redefined by the group's instrumentation." –JazzWeek
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