Leo Cuypers

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Leo Cuypers

Leo Cuypers (born December 1, 1947 in Maastricht ; † September 5, 2017 ) was a Dutch composer and jazz pianist of modern creative jazz .

Live and act

Cuypers first played drums before switching to the piano. In Maastricht he attended the conservatory for a few years, but was mostly self-taught in jazz. In 1969 he won the Loosdrecht jazz competition with a solo performance in which he also used the inside of the grand piano. Cuypers had been the pianist of the “ Willem Breuker Kollektief ” since 1974 ; At the end of the 1970s he got out after an argument with Breuker, with whom he had also performed in a duo. But he also worked afterwards with Willem Breuker , with whom he founded the label "BV Haast". He also played with Misha Mengelberg and Theo Loevendie . He also put together his own groups for various projects, for example in 1974 for the album “Live in Shaffy” with Piet Noordijk , Hans Dulfer and Breuker, for the “ Johnny Rep Suite” from the same year (named after a striker from Ajax Amsterdam ) or his album "Heavy Days Are Here Again" from 1981 (the title spoils "Happy days are here again" and alludes satirically to Ronald Reagan ) with Han Bennink , Arjen Gorter , Breuker. His commissioned jazz composition “Zeeland Suite” for a septet was premiered in 1976 at the Festival for New Music (“Nieuwe Muziek Zeeland”) in Middelburg (with Breuker, Bob Driessen , Gorter, Willem van Manen , Martin van Duynhoven , Harry Miller ). It consists of nine parts, all of which should be performed in different locations in Zeeland . In 1984 he released the album "Leo Cuypers Brull Band" with van Duynhoven, van Manen, Driessen, Ernst Glerum and the guitarist Jan Kuiper , who also contributed a composition. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Zeeland Suite, the exhibitor Roby Bellemans organized the national art project "Neerlandsuite". He motivated Leo to perform for the first time in years. Roby produced Leo Cuypers' first CD of the final concert: "St. Juttemis & Leo Cuypers live" (KCD 1988.17), recordings were made by the media broadcaster VPRO, distributed by BVHaast. In 1995 he recorded a solo CD "Songbook" with his compositions. He also wrote for ballet and music theater ("De heilige Stefanus", "Johnny Rep Suite"). Illness and alcohol addiction meant that he no longer appeared in public.

In 1973 he received the Wessel-Ilcken Prize .

literature

Web links

Notes and individual references

  1. ↑ a b Erik van den Berg: Pianist Leo Cuypers (1947-2017) was de charming gangmaker van de Nederlandse jazz . Obituary in De Volkskrant , September 6, 2017, accessed September 7, 2017 (Dutch).
  2. ↑ The words are translated as GmbH “hurry” and should remind you of their tight schedules.
  3. ↑ Both came out together in 1994 on the BVHaast label
  4. ↑ new at Atavistic
personal data
SURNAME Cuypers, Leo
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Dutch jazz musician
DATE OF BIRTH December 1, 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH Maastricht
DATE OF DEATH 5th September 2017