Very saddened to learn of the death of Dutch alto player Piet Noordijk
Relatively little known outside of Holland, I had the pleasure of hearing him a couple of times at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Den Haag back in 1983.
He played baritone with The Ramblers accompanying Benny Carter but it was as a bebop altoist that he really shone. I'd gone to the festival with the late Charlie Carmichael and, although there were many top Americans there - Dizzy, David Murray, Archie Shepp, Charles Lloyd, Herbie Hancock, Shelly Manne and many more - it was Noordijk who left the lasting impression with us. His alto playing, infused as it was with the teachings of Bird, soared above everything else and to this day I cannot understand why his name never crops up. Listen to Groovin' High on the YouTube clip and you'll get an idea of what I'm talking about.
Piet Noordijk died on October 9 age 79.YouTube clip.
Obituary.
Lance.
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