Rein de Graaff

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Rein de Graaff, 2015

Rein de Graaff (born October 24, 1942 in Groningen ) is a Dutch jazz pianist of modern jazz and mainstream jazz .

Live and act

De Graaff grew up in Veendam , where there was a local jazz club at the time and the traveling American musicians who played there often stayed with his family. The bebop, especially by Bud Powell, had a formative influence . He played in the band of his school and during his military service in a big band, from which he also formed a trio that played more modern jazz in clubs in German-speaking countries. In 1964 he lived in Amsterdam for two and a half years, where he formed a quartet with saxophonist Dick Vennink that lasted until 1990. Eric Ineke has been part of this band since 1971, and Koos Serierse since 1975 . In the course of time he has played with many US American jazz greats while traveling through Europe (or "Ex-Patriates"), among others. a. in the 1960s with Pony Poindexter , Cecil Payne , Johnny Griffin and Dexter Gordon . That ebbed in the 1970s, and from around 1980 de Graaf went to the USA more often, where he made new contacts through Charlie Rouse and where he still plays a few weeks a year today (2007). In addition to those already mentioned, he played with Dizzy Gillespie , Don Byas , Benny Golson , Lee Konitz , Herb Geller , Bud Shank , Lew Tabackin , Scott Hamilton , Webster Young , Eddie Lockjaw Davis , Sam Most , Dick de Graaf and Jarmo Hoogendijk . In 1990 he played in the trio of Joe van Enkhuizen .

He currently plays with his own trio ( Marius Beets bass, Eric Ineke drums, both previously in Rob Madna's trio ).

In 1980 he received the Boy Edgar Prize and in 1986 the Bird Award at the North Sea Jazz Festival . He has recorded around 40 albums and CDs.

In an interview he admits a preference for the pianists Hampton Hawes , Barry Harris and Bud Powell, but otherwise more for saxophonists such as Hank Mobley , Johnny Griffin , Sonny Rollins , John Coltrane , Lee Konitz and the Lennie Tristano School.

literature

  • Martin Kunzler : Jazz Lexicon. Volume 1: A – L (= rororo-Sachbuch. Vol. 16512). 2nd Edition. Rowohlt, Reinbek near Hamburg 2004, ISBN 3-499-16512-0 .
  • Coen de Jonge Belevenissen in Bebop - Rein de Graaff, jazz pianist , Uitgeverij Passage, Groningen 1997 (biography)

Web links

Remarks

  1. In the interview he calls his game, which he heard in his youth, "a revelation". He thinks less of Dave Brubeck or Bill Evans, who don't "swing" for him.