Alto saxophonist Mo van der Does (1997) won the Conservatorium Talent Award, the Prinses Christina Concours and the Keep an Eye: The Records competition. The latter award allowed him to record Motet, his second album, following his debut Common Myths. The album arose from a composition commissioned by the Bimhuis in Amsterdam in 2020. On it, van der Does presents eight new pieces with the self-titled group, consisting of trumpeter Alistair Payne, tenor saxophonist/flutist Matthias van den Brande, bass clarinetist Jessie Brevé, pianist Floris Kappeyne, bassist Tijs Klaassen and drummer Wouter Kühne. They perform with the force of a big band and the flexibility of a small ensemble while exploring a world of composition, orchestration and improvisation. Their music is filled with combative grooves, lyrical and melancholy melodies, and orchestral explosions. There is also a suite: Motet I, II and III, and a track with the curious title Edward & Charles At The Diner.
