Dick Willebrandts

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Dick Willebrandts, 1943

Dick Abraham Willebrandts (born July 29, 1911 in Rotterdam , † December 29, 1970 ) was a Dutch jazz musician (pianist, orchestra conductor). His big band, founded in 1942, was one of the best in Europe during World War II.

Live and act

Willebrandts began playing the piano as a child. As a teenager he performed in Copenhagen and then studied at the Rotterdam Conservatory with Max Velt and Gerard Hengeveld. From 1929 to 1934 he worked in the sextet of his brother Philip Willebrandts, who played drums. Between 1935 and 1937 he was one of the Jack & Louis de Vries Internationals . After that he was employed by the AVRO dance orchestra until 1940 in order to act as a companion for numerous radio stars in the following years; with his Jonge Acht he also accompanied cabaret artists. In 1942, with the money of a Rotterdam businessman, he founded a big band that included some of the best Dutch musicians. The orchestra was under contract with Decca and also played on the radio. From 1943 it was put into the service of the station Hilversum II , renamed by the Nazis in Calais II , which produced the program of the German European station founded for propaganda purposes . In contrast to Charlie and his Orchestra , the swing numbers were not sung with German propaganda texts, but interpreted by Jan de Vries, Annie de Reuver and Nelly Verschuer with the original (English) texts. “The band's perfect saxophone setting needn't shy away from comparisons with big American or British big bands. The solos show the high level the individual members swung to. ”The band was disbanded in 1944 due to the war.

After the liberation of the Netherlands, Willebrandt was not allowed to lead an orchestra for six months because of his collaboration. Although he was otherwise able to continue working as a musician, first as a bar pianist , then also on the radio, he never again conducted a big band. Since the late 1950s he has led a string orchestra and a Dixieland band. From 1960 he performed with the OK Wobblers from Pi Scheffer. After a stroke in 1963, he withdrew from the stage.

Discographic notes

  • Dick Willebrandts en zijn Radio-Orkest (Grannyphone: awarded an Edison )
  • Dick Willebrandts and his radio orchestra Yearning (Stichting Doctor Jazz, 1943)
  • Ernst van't Hoff & Dick Willebrandts and their Orchestras featuring Jan de Vries Here We Are (Hep Records)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Detleff A. Ott [review] Dick Willebrandts and his radio orchestra Jazz Podium 10/2011: 79
  2. ↑ The core of Willebrandt's orchestra (without him) played under the name Blue Stars for the American troop support in Belgium, initially under the direction of Willy Kok, then by Pi Scheffer. It then played with Scheffer as The Skymasters for AVRO. See Dutch jazz history. Part 2 ( Memento of November 8, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) (Dutch)
personal data
SURNAME Willebrandts, Dick
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Willebrandts, Dick Abraham (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Dutch jazz musician
DATE OF BIRTH July 29, 1911
PLACE OF BIRTH Rotterdam
DATE OF DEATH December 29, 1970