About
River Adomeit is an American bassist and songwriter based in Amsterdam. Rooted in the traditions of American folk, jazz, and bluegrass, his work melds these influences with contemporary improvisation and theater. This juxtaposition permeates all of his work, whether it be as a performer, composer, or academic.
As the leader of folk trio Flatland Prayer, Adomeit creates narrative-driven music that blends Americana songwriting with free improvisation. With the transparent instrumentation of voice, trumpet, and bass, Flatland Prayer is ripe for collaboration; they've featured musicians such as Brad Mehldau and Joris Roelofs. As winners of Keep an Eye: The Records, Flatland Prayer used their most recent release, FANATIC, to explore the rising far-right movement and its larger implications.
In addition to his work as bandleader, River is also an accomplished sideman. He is the current bassist for Mongolian jazz/folk singer Enji, and has shared the stage with musicians such as Joris Roelofs, Michael Moore, Yuri Honing, and Jamey Haddad
River is also a writer and academic. After graduating summa cum laude from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam in 2023, River is now a member of the faculty, lecturing on the intersection between performance and identity. His current work is particularly centered around trans-ness and queer masculinity. River joined the Splendor collective in 2024, where he ties together all of his diverse influences.
Photos by Bjørk Semey
I really, really struggle with words. I find enormous friction in writing- that to find a properly compelling voice takes enormous time, energy, editing, and I'm still going to re-read it a week later and hate it.
(I have re-written this piece 6 times.)
To be clear, I believe there is enormous value in writing- it is an incredibly efficient way of communicating. We can convey ideas quickly, thoroughly; we can go back and edit our ideas to perfection. There is a direct transmission here between my words and your eyes. This directness allows for the relaying of huge amounts of information in a very clear, unambiguous way.
This clarity is the problem, however; the definitiveness feels incredibly restrictive. Here, I am limited to communicating in the positive space. The words I write, you read, and therein lies the transfer of information. There are, of course, many brilliant writers who are able to surpass this, to convey exponentially more information than they explicitly state, however I feel personally that the amount of information I am able to transmit is 1-to-1.
Still, when I have something I want to be understood, I find that writing is the best medium. When I have something I want to be felt, I rely on music. Here, my rate of return feels exponential. Songwriting takes the onus off of myself to provide all of the information. The dynamic is no longer that I write and you understand, but rather that we create an experience together. My only goal is to provide a frame for you to fill.
Music (especially performed live) is an ambiguous art, leaving so much open to interpretation in the moment. I love this ambiguity, I feel it allows for a nuance and subtlety that I struggle to access otherwise. There is of course a trade-off; maybe certain ideas are lost in translation, but others can take root and bloom far beyond their capacities in other mediums.
Most importantly, I'm able to exploit the negative space: the notes or phrases unsaid, the implications of proximity of various material, the context of place and time, the dynamic with other performers. The story can be told in the cracks, which holds infinite possibility.
With Flatland Prayer at Jazzfest Amsterdam 2025/ Photo by Eric van Nieuwland
Jazzfest Amsterdam, 2024 as Jonge Maker feat. Joris Roelofs/ Photo by Eric van Nieuwland
Photo by Bjørk Semey
South by Southwest, 2024 with Enji/ Photo by Martin Brugger
Photo by Solène Morel
Solo bass live at the Roode Bioscoop/ Photo by Bjørk Semey
Contact
riveradomeit@gmail.com