Johnny Meijer
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Jan Cornelis "Johnny" Meijer (born October 1, 1912 in Amsterdam ; † January 8, 1992 there ) was a Dutch jazz and entertainment musician ( accordion ). He was best known as an interpreter of folk songs and as a musical accompanist for Manke Nelis.
Live and act
Meijer received an accordion from an uncle on which he soon played all kinds of melodies. His mother kept him concentrating on this instrument even though he wanted to play the piano himself. At the age of 14 he joined the Van Dijks Origineele Volendammers accordion trio . In 1928 Meijer became a member of the accordion quartet The Four Serenades , with which he performed successfully not only in the Netherlands but also in Germany. Then Meijer worked as a soloist, but also as a companion for foreign artists in theaters and night clubs.
During the 1930s, Meijer began to create a sensation as a jazz musician. As a soloist, he performed with The Ramblers and worked with the combo of guitarist Ab de Molenaar (who later founded The Millers ). Meijer played a lot in cafes in Amsterdam, even during the time of the German occupation of the Netherlands . When he was supposed to perform in Germany in 1943, he is said to have destroyed his accordion on the other side of the border. Since supposedly the instrument could only be repaired in Amsterdam, he turned back. Without repression he was able to work again as a musician in the Amsterdam cafés.
After the end of the war, Meijer worked several times in Switzerland, where he also recorded an album with Gershwin Medleys for Elite Special . In 1953 he won an accordionist competition in Paris. Back in the Netherlands, Meijer made numerous radio and vinyl recordings, including several duets with Tito Burns in 1955 . He also accompanies Josephine Baker and Maurice Chevalier . Then he mainly appeared in the café and party scene, where he had to limit himself more and more to the Dutch sing-along repertoire. He declined an offer to work in the United States for family reasons. From the 1960s to the 1980s, he mainly accompanied his brother-in-law Manke Nelis until the two of them broke up. In the early 1970s he recorded several albums such as The Swinging Accordeon of Johnny Meyer (with Wim Overgaauw , Jacques Schols , John Engels ); In 1974 an album was also made with the Dutch Swing College Band .
After the death of his second wife in 1980, Meijers experienced a deep crisis and missed concert appearances. On his 75th birthday he performed at the Bimhuis and the North Sea Jazz Festival . In 1990 his album Body and Soul was released . In December 1991 there was a short, successful appearance in the Concertgebouw with the Amsterdam Saxophone Quartet. He died two weeks later. His daughter-in-law Ingrid Simons and granddaughter Eva Simons also made a musical career.
aftermath
John Appel presented his documentary Johnny Meijer in 1993 . Since 1996, a statue of Johnny Meijer in the Jordaan district of Amsterdam has been commemorating him, created by Rob Cerneüs . In a television interview during the North Sea Jazz Festival 2015, Richard Galliano specifically mentioned Meijer as a major influence.
Discographic notes
- The Fabulous Johnny Meyer (1972, with Wim Overgaauw, Jacques Schols, John Engels)
- Johnny Meijer & Manke Nelis: Amsterdam Ik hou van Jou (1977)
- In Dixieland (1978, with Pim Hogervorst, Frits Kaatee, George Kaatee, Klaas Wit, Henk Bosch van Drakestein , Huub Janssen )
- Blue Skies (rec. 1946–1957, ed. 1987)
- Body and Soul (1990, with Frits Landesbergen , Jacques Schols, John Engels)
- After You've Gone: Terug Naar Toen (rec. 1961–69, ed. 1995)
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Meijer, Johnny |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Meijer, Jan Cornelis |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Dutch jazz and entertainment musician (accordion) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 1, 1912 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Amsterdam |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 8, 1992 |
| Place of death | Amsterdam |