Peter Guidi (14 September 1949 – 17 April 2018) was a
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
saxophonist
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pro ...
and jazz flutist whose main instruments were the flute,
alto and
bass flute,
alto and
soprano saxophones.
Biography
Born in Scotland of Italian parents, Guidi was a
self-taught
Autodidacticism (also autodidactism) or self-education (also self-learning and self-teaching) is education without the guidance of masters (such as teachers and professors) or institutions (such as schools). Generally, autodidacts are individu ...
musician. He began his musical career in Italy where he went on to play with many leading jazz musicians and performed in major Jazz Festivals including
Umbria Jazz Festival
The Umbria Jazz Festival is one of the most important jazz festivals in the world and has been held annually since 1973, usually in July, in Perugia, and surrounding cities of the region of Umbria Italy. Furthermore, the Umbria Jazz Winter Festi ...
, the Aosta Jazz Festival, the
Jazz Festival of Pescara and the Padova Porsche Jazz Festival.
After moving to the Netherlands, he performed in many national jazz festivals including several appearances at the
North Sea Jazz Festival with both his quartet and
big bands. He was the head of the jazz department of the Amsterdam Muziekschool where he led several ensemble and big band workshops for students of all ages, beginning with students as young as nine years of age. These bands included the Jazz Kidz, Jazz Juniors, Jazz Generation, Jazz Focus Big Band, and Jazz Mania Big Band. He was also co-founder of the Junior Jazz College, a collaboration between the Muziekschool Amsterdam and the Amsterdam Jazz Conservatory. Since the Jazz Department began, in 1988, his bands have won a total of 87 prizes in national and international competitions.
In 2008, Guidi co-founded the first edition of the Netherland National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NJJO), which has become an established bi-annual event.
Guidi died from the effects of
Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease
Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD), also known as subacute spongiform encephalopathy or neurocognitive disorder due to prion disease, is an invariably fatal degenerative brain disorder. Early symptoms include memory problems, behavioral changes ...
in Amsterdam, at the age of 68.
Awards and honors
In 2010, Guidi was awarded a Dutch Knighthood (
Ridder in de Orde van Oranje-Nassau) for his pioneering work in jazz education in the Netherlands.
Selected discography
* ''A Weaver of Dreams'' - 1993 (Timeless CD SJP 401)
* ''Forbidden Flute'' - 1999 (BMCD 309 d)
* ''Beautiful Friendship'' - 2000 (Timeless CD SJP 352)
* ''Jazzmania Big Band 'New Impressions- 2002 (BMCD 378)
* ''Jazzmania Big Band 'Further Impressions- 2004 (BMC 458)
* ''Jazz Focus Big Band 'Focused - 2007 (JF007-01)
Bibliography
*
References
External links
*
*
Netherland National Youth Jazz OrchestraMuziekschool AmsterdamJazzmania Big BandJazz Focus Big BandNorth sea Jazz Festival
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guidi, Peter
1949 births
2018 deaths
Scottish jazz saxophonists
British male saxophonists
Scottish jazz flautists
British male jazz musicians
Scottish people of Italian descent
20th-century saxophonists
Musicians from Glasgow
Knights of the Order of Orange-Nassau
20th-century flautists