SVEN HAMMOND: “It was in café de Pater (what’s in a name?) In The Hague that I played the music of Thelonious Monk for the first time, together with the other ‘jazz cats’ of my generation. Then the seed was planned for this long cherished wish: an album dedicated to Monk’s music. But I wanted more: to seek a collaboration with the young talents from the hip-hop and soul corner of today. Because Monk’s music is timeless. Because it lends itself to fusion with other genres Because it has inspired many musicians before and after me and because I hope to reach and inspire a new, young generation of music lovers with it. De Pater lives on! “