Pierre Courbois (born 23 April 1940 in Nijmegen,

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

) is a Dutch jazz drummer, bandleader, and composer.

Career

After studying percussion at the ''Hogeschool der Kunsten'' in

Arnhem Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both ban ...

, Courbois left for

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, the center of jazz in Europe in the early 1960s. He worked with pianist

Kenny Drew Kenneth Sidney "Kenny" Drew (August 28, 1928 – August 4, 1993) was an American-Danish jazz pianist. Biography Drew was born in New York City, United States, and received piano lessons from the age of five.Feather, Leonard, & Ira Gitler ( ...

, violinist

Jean-Luc Ponty Jean-Luc Ponty (born 29 September 1942) is a French jazz violinist and composer. Early life Ponty was born into a family of classical musicians in Avranches, France. His father taught violin, his mother taught piano. At sixteen, he was admitt ...

, saxophonists Eric Dolphy,

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, Stan Getz, and

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, and guitarist René Thomas. Courbois was one of the first musicians in Europe to experiment with

free jazz Free jazz is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians duri ...

. In 1961 he became the drummer and leader of the (Original Dutch) Free Jazz Quartet. In 1965 he started another group, the Free Music Quintet, composed of international musicians. He also played and recorded with

Gunter Hampel Gunter Hampel (born 31 August 1937) is a German jazz vibraphonist, clarinettist, saxophonist, flautist, pianist, and composer. He became dedicated to free jazz in the 1960s, developing a record label (Birth Records) and working with Jeanne Lee, ...

's Heartplants Group with Manfred Schoof and Alexander von Schlippenbach. In 1969 Courbois founded the first European jazz-rock group, Association P.C. This ensemble, winner of the ''Down Beat'' poll, existed until 1975 with Toto Blanke, Sigi Busch, different keyboardists, including

Jasper van 't Hof Jasper van 't Hof (born 30 June 1947) is a Dutch jazz pianist and keyboard player. Van 't Hof was born in Enschede, Overijssel, Netherlands, and began studying piano at the age of five. He played in jazz bands at school, and by the age of 19 wa ...

Joachim Kühn Joachim Kurt Kühn (born 15 March 1944) is a German jazz pianist. Biography He was born in Leipzig, Germany. Kühn was a musical prodigy and made his debut as a concert pianist, having studied classical piano and composition, with Arthur Schmid ...

and Sigi Kessler. In 1982 he founded New Association with Heribert Wagner, Ben Gerritsen and Ferdi Rikkers. He has also played with the pianists Mal Waldron, and Rein de Graaff, horn players

Willem Breuker Willem Breuker (4 November 1944 – 23 July 2010) was a Dutch bandleader, composer, arranger, saxophonist, and clarinetist. Career During the mid 1960s, he played with percussionist Han Bennink and pianist Misha Mengelberg, co-founding the I ...

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and Theo Loevendie, and Ali Haurand's European Jazz Quintet with Gerd Dudeck, Leszek Zadlo and Alan Skidmore. In 1992 Courbois started a quintet and for the first time in his career performed pieces all composed by himself. This ensemble pleasantly surprised both the critics and the public with a return to the Charles Mingus tradition - thematic, melodic ensemble jazz and an experimentation with linear improvisation. In 1999 he founded the Double Quintet and in 2003 the Five Four Sextet, with Eric Vloeimans, Ilja Reijngoud, Jasper Blom, Paul van Kemenade, and Niko Langenhuijsen. During the 1994 North Sea Jazz Festival the Bird Award, the highest award in the Dutch Jazz World, was bestowed upon Courbois. Since 2000 he has been a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau and in 2008 he received the VPRO / Boy Edgar Award.

Discography

* ''Perpetuum Mobile'' with Jasper van 't Hof (Varajazz, 1981) * ''Independence'' (Timeless, 1983) * ''Live in Germany'' (A Records, 1996) * ''Reouverture'' (Challenge, 1997) * ''Unsquare Roots'' (Calibre, 2000) * ''Revocation: Live at the Bimhuis'' (Daybreak, 2007) With Association * ''Earwax'' (Munich, 1970) * ''Sun Rotation'' (MPS, 1972) * ''Rock Around the Cock'' (MPS, 1973) * ''Erna Morena'' (MPS, 1973) * ''Mama Kuku'' (MPS, 1974) With New Association * ''To Be Continued'' (BV Haast, 1984) * ''Four Wheel Drive'' (Inak, 1987) With Compass * ''Sanstitre'' (Traction Avant, 1987)

As sideman

With

* ''Heartplants'' (SABA, 1965) * ''Music from Europe'' (ESP Disk, 1967) * ''Gunter Hampel Group + Jeanne Lee'' (WERGO, 1969) * ''Legendary: The 27th of May 1997'' (Birth, 1998) With others *

, ''Contemporary Jazz from Holland: Litany for the 14th of June 1966'' (Relax, 1966) *

Peter Brotzmann Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

, ''Mayday'' (Corbett vs. Dempsey, 2010) *

Lol Coxhill George Lowen Coxhill (19 September 1932 – 10 July 2012) known professionally as Lol Coxhill, was an English free improvising saxophonist. He played soprano and sopranino saxophone. Biography Coxhill was born to George Compton Coxhill ...

, ''Ear of Beholder'' (Dandelion, 1971) *

, Jasper Van't Hof, ''Toverbal Sweet'' (Mushroom, 1972) *

Gerd Dudek Gerhard Rochus "Gerd" Dudek (28 September 1938 – 3 November 2022) was a German jazz Tenor saxophone, tenor and Soprano saxophone, soprano saxophonist, clarinetist and flautist. Dudek studied clarinet privately and attended music school in the ...

, Leszek Zadlo, Alan Skidmore, ''III'' (Fusion, 1982) * J. R. Monterose, Jon Eardley, Rein De Graaff, ''Body and Soul'' (Munich, 1970) *

Ramses Shaffy Ramses Shaffy (29 August 1933 – 1 December 2009) was a Dutch-French singer and actor who became popular during the 1960s. His most famous songs include "Zing, vecht, huil, bid, lach, werk en bewonder", "We zullen doorgaan", "Pastorale", "Samm ...

, ''Sunset Sunkiss'' (Philips, 1969) * Mal Waldron, '' A Little Bit of Miles'' (Freedom, 1974) * Mal Waldron, ''Blues for Lady Day'' (Black Lion, 1993)

References

* Ian Carr, Brian Priestley, Digby Fairweather (eds.): ''Rough Guide Jazz. Der ultimative Führer zum Jazz''. Metzler Verlag, Stuttgart 1999, * Wolf Kampmann (ed.): ''Reclams Jazzlexikon''. Reclam, Stuttgart 2003, {{DEFAULTSORT:Courbois, Pierre 1940 births Living people People from Nijmegen Dutch jazz bandleaders Dutch jazz composers Dutch jazz drummers European Jazz Ensemble members Male drummers Male jazz composers