Download [July 1, 1942 – Utrecht]. Has been playing clarinet since 196

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATON MUSICIANS
ROYAL DUTCH XL
Hans Hooijmans
[July 1, 1942 – Utrecht]. Has been playing clarinet since 1960. Can be heard on many LPs and CDs,
possesses a distinct sound and is a „well-known face“ on many European club and festival stages. Started out
in the Middle Town Jazzband. Played with Lu-Lu’s Dixiekids at VARA Radio for 3 years and was the
„clarinet“ of the New Orleans Syncopators for 9 years, during which many world tours, radio and TV shows
took place. Played together with Big Names such as Jimmy McPartland, Mr Acker Bilk, Teddy Wilson, Vick
Dickenson, Woody Herman, Toots Thielemans, etc. Was also the clarinet player in the Radio City Jazzband
and the Stable Roof Jazzband and now has his “own” Royal Dutch JazzBand since 2000.
Peter van de Geijn
[December 28, 1944 – Heeswijk]. Started out on fluegelhorn at age 10, switched to trumpet some years later.
Peter became interested in swing music at an early age; in the 60s and 70s he was a member of several jazz
groups, a.o. the Storyville Jazzband from Eindhoven. After four years as a pro musician in a commercial
band he returned to playing jazz; during those years upon request of his famous nephew, bass player Hein
van de Geijn, he was a member in the big band at Tilburg College of Music. After a relatively quiet interlude
of 10 years, during which he deepened his theoretical knowledge via studies with the composer Willem
Strietman, in 1987 Peter was invited to join the Tin Town Dixie Dukes. Since then he has remained active on
various jazz podia, a.o. in the Wooltown Jazzband, the Scat Cats, as a valued substitute in many well-known
bands – in the USA, the Caribbean, in most Western- and Central-European countries, Greece, Ireland, Spain
– and now as the Royal Dutch JazzBand’s musical director.
Henk van Muijen
[May 3, 1943 – The Hague]. Played in a number of renowned bands since the early 60s: the Rivertown
Dixieland Jazzband, the Down Town Jazzband and Ted Easton’s Jazzband. During his prolonged (18years’!) stint with Ted Easton he regularly appeared with a multitude of Jazz Greats, with whom he made a
substantial number of LP and CD records, mainly on RIFF, Theo van Est’s own label – for instance with
Billy Butterfield, Dick Cary, Gene “Mighty Flea” Conners, Wallace Davenport, Vic Dickenson, Wild Bill
Davidson, Bud Freeman, Bobby Hacket, Peanuts Hucko, Jimmy & Marian McPartland, Maxine Sullivan and
Buddy Tate. With Nat Gonella’s “Oh Monah” the band ranked high in the National Hit Parade for many
weeks – quite unusual for a jazz group, to say the very least... In the company of the other seasoned
musicians in the Royal Dutch JazzBand Henk really feels at home: “Nothing is being overly-arranged, the
band’s rhythm section swings like mad and the horns 'know how to tell their story'. Such a combination is
guaranteed to be a success”. He writes tasty arrangements and is also the band's vocalist.
Robert Veen
[January 20, 1956 – Enschede], Robert Veen has made a name for himself in the world of traditional jazz and
swing. Robert is a musical multitalent: in great demand as a guest solist, arranger, composer and teacher. At
the same time he is always on the look-out for the "ideal" saxophone and mouth-piece.
Robert completed his studies at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague in 1985, specialising in alto
saxophone; in his everyday musical practice, however, he plays all saxophones, the clarinet and the flute. As
a member of the Tribute Big Band, under the leadership of John Clayton, he played with celebrities like
Sarah Vaughan, Harry Edison, Snooky Young, Buddy Tate, Monty Alexander, Milt Jakson and Al Cohn. For
years he was a permanent member of Harlem Bound, the Down Town Jazz Band and The New Orleans
Syncopators. He has given guest appearances with an impressive number of orchestras, bands and wellknown Jazz-greats at home and abroad, like Spiegle Wilcox, Bob van Oven (formerly Dutch Swing College
Band) and Mike Goetz. Robert can also be heard regularly playing with Joep Peeters and his Gumbo
Gabbers. As a tutor/"professor" and as a solist he belongs to the regular team running the annual Traditional
Jazz Workshop in Lenk (Switzerland). Robert is one of the driving forces behind The Beau Hunks, an
orchestra which engages a range of changing musicians and is involved both in live performances and
recording. Some examples of their CDs are: the film music composed by Leroy Shield for the Laurel and
Hardy films, the Suites by Ferde Grofé and the attractively idiosyncratic music of Raymond Scott. The Beau
Hunks Saxophone Soctette, an orchestra consisting of 13 musicians, including 9 woodwind instrumentalists,
performs regularly in the great concert halls of the Netherlands and Germany. At this moment the Beau
Hunks are touring with their "Jimmy Lunceford Project". Several CDs of The Beau Hunks have been
produced on the Basta label, some of them with Al Gallodoro and the Metropole Orkest. Also worth
mentioning is Robert's membership of the the Aces of Syncopation. Robert is known for his close proximity
to and love of Sidney Bechet and the traditional French jazz repertoire.
Anne van der Wal
[1st of June, 1963 - Smallingerland] Banjo and guitar. Purely self-taught. Trained, guided and coached from
childhood onward by his father (bass player) Sjoerd, who lovingly handed him the tools of the jazz
musician’s profession. No need to ever tell Anne anything about sophisticated chord changes and about laidback timing anymore. He’s a real musician’s musician !
Started out as a kid in the house orchestra of the Philips plant at Drachten. At young age subbing in the
Peattown Jazzband. By the side of his father, for 17 years he walked and played in the famous Frisian street
orchestra “De Harsenskrabbers” (the Brain Scratchers). Many years in the Wetterwille Jazzband / Northern
Dutch JazzOrchestra. Rhythm guitarist in the hotclub quartet Swing de Paris. Anne is highly valued as a
substitute player on the national trad jazz scene. Concert tours in a.o. Austria (as a guest soloist with the
Vienna Hot Jazz Ambassadors) and in Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic (with Andor's Jazzband).
Aside from our Royal Dutch JazzBand, he is at the moment also active in a.o. the Sunny Side Jazzband and
the Sofskins Jazzband.
Arnold van Gelder
[July 5, 1945 – Tricht]. Has been playing the drums for over more than half a century and possesses a broad
stylistic experience. For 24 years, he was a member of the Oscar White Jazzband and the Oscar White
Combo (a.o. regular appearances for BRT Belgian Radio during the 60s). This semi-pro band also
accompanied many a Dutch star vocalist live on stage. For 8 years Arnold played in the Tin Town Tooters;
with this band he made various LPs, won a 2nd prize at VARA’s Dixieland Competition in 1983 and did a
series of performances at the Hong Kong Sheraton Hotel in 1985. He has been playing in Big Band “Sweet
Blossom Orchestra” for 13 years; since 2000 he is a driving force in the Royal Dutch JazzBand. Arnold also
takes care of the band's day-to-day business.
Peter Krynen
[March 14, 1940 – Amsterdamscheveld/Dr.]. Since 1960, “Peer” has been active as a jazz double bass player
in more than 80 countries worldwide. During this period, stylistically he has gone full-circle from New
Orleans to avant-garde and back numerous times. Peter is a musical omnivore: as well-versed in the field of
traditional jazz as in mainstream swing, gypsy swing, big band, bebop, hard bop, Latin & Brazilian, fusion,
rock jazz and freely-improvised music - just to name a few.
After a partial classical training, from 1960 on Peter started out as a junior jazz pro playing with Pierre
Courbois (Free Jazz Group, Association PC); after that he served behind Dutch „Piano Lion“ Roelof
Stalknecht for almost 15 years and worked with Dutch vocalist Maaike Nicola for about the same amount of
time.
Throughout his career, Peter has always preferred a modest role as a solid & dependable sideman. That is
also his main task in the Royal Dutch JazzBand. His further musical activities today comprise a.o. Midnight
Mainstream and the Bram Huygen Band. Peter’s Home Page, complete with discography and hundreds of
interesting double bass- and jazz-related links, can be found at http://www.bassmanmusic.nl .