Person · Male
Han Bennink
jazz drummer
- From
- Zaandam, Netherlands
- Since
- 1942–present
- Releases
- 79
- free improvisation
- free jazz
- jazz
- avant-garde jazz
About
Han Bennink (born 17 April 1942) is a Dutch drummer and percussionist. On occasion his recordings have featured him playing soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, trombone, violin, banjo and piano.
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Though perhaps best known as one of the pivotal figures in early European free jazz and free improvisation, Bennink has worked in essentially every school of jazz, and is described by critic Chris Kelsey as "one of the unfortunately rare musicians whose abilities and interests span jazz's entire spectrum." Known for often injecting slapstick and absurdist humor into his performances, Bennink has had especially fruitful long-term partnerships with pianist Misha Mengelberg and saxophonist Peter Brötzmann. Han is a brother of saxophonist Peter Bennink.
Member of
-
ICP Orchestra percussion, other instruments, drums (drum set)
-
The Peter Brötzmann Octet drums (drum set)
-
Haazz & Company percussion, clarinet, bass clarinet
-
Daniele D'Agaro & Benny Bailey Quintet drums (drum set)
-
Cecil Taylor European Orchestra drums (drum set)
-
Tobias Delius 4tet drums (drum set)
-
Misha Mengelberg & Han Bennink Duo drums (drum set), eponymous
-
The Peter Brötzmann Sextet drums (drum set)
-
The Peter Brötzmann Quartet drums (drum set)
Discography
Albums
-
New Acoustic Swing Duo
-
Instant Composers Pool
-
The Topography of the Lungs
-
Balls
-
Han Bennink & Derek Bailey
-
Derek Bailey & Han Bennink
-
Solo
-
Lumps
-
Outspan No 1
-
Tschüs
-
Ein Halber Hund Kann Nicht Pinkeln
-
Schwarzwaldfahrt
-
Fragments
-
Groupcomposing
-
3 Points and a Mountain
-
Atsugi Concert
-
Tempo Comodo
-
Regeneration
-
The New Acoustic Swing Duo In Japan 1984
-
Change of Season (Music of Herbie Nichols)
-
Directly to Pyjamas
-
Dutch Masters
-
Azurety
-
Cheer Up
-
Eleven Ghosts
-
Serpentine
-
Han
-
Bellagram
-
Post Improvisation, Volume 2: Air Mail Special
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Post Improvisation, Volume 1: When We're Smilin
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Dissonant Characters
-
Jazz Bunker
-
21 Years Later (Train Kept a Rollin’)
-
Nerve Beats Apple Music
-
The Laughing Owl
-
The Grass Is Greener
-
Brötzmann / Van Hove / Bennink
-
Chat Room
-
Tinderbox
-
3
-
Free Touching (live in Beijing at Keep in Touch)
-
Han Bennink
-
Home Safely
-
Spring Odyssey
-
Zeng!
-
The Tempest
-
Fingerprints
-
Let's Go
-
2 for 2
-
Coconut
-
Welcome Back
-
Quartet-NL
Singles
Live
-
Irène’s Hot Four
-
Jazz in der Kammer Nr. 71
-
Live Ateliers Claus
-
Fifty Years After...
-
Topographie Parisienne (Dunois, April 2ⁿᵈ, 3ᵈ & 4ᵗʰ, 1981)
-
In Amherst 2006
-
Circus
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Total Music Meeting 1977 Berlin
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Pica Pica
-
Strandjutters
-
B + B
-
MiHa
-
[untitled]
-
Noci...Strani Frutti (Live at Europa Festival Jazz)
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Solo
-
Spots, Circles, and Fantasy
-
Tropic of the Mounted Sea Chicken
-
Bennink Mengelberg
-
Yi Yole
-
Coincidents
-
Einepartietischtennis
-
Playing: Epistrophy
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Een mirakelse tocht door het Scharrebroekse
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Live in Berlin '71
-
Instant Composers Pool 010
Links
Listen
Official
Concerts
Founder
Tags
- european free jazz
Identifiers
- MusicBrainz
- 021d7a1f-3eb4-4343-9ef9-5b2452d175e4
- ISNI
- 0000000055146438
Data from MusicBrainz, saved 7 Nov 2026. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, covers from the Cover Art Archive and Apple Music.