Robert De Keersmaeker, better known as Robert De Kers (August 10, 1906,

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

- January 16, 1987,

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

) was a Belgian

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 major ...

trumpeter and bandleader. Kers learned to play piano as a child, and began playing jazz with local musicians while in his teens. He was the pianist for the Bing Boys in 1924-1925, then picked up trumpet. As a trumpeter, he toured Italy with the band of Jeff Candrix, brother of Fud Candrix, and played there with Carlo Benzi and

David Bee David Bee, also known as Ernest Craps, Ernie Sparks, and Manuel Travo (October 17, 1903, Brussels - 1992) was a Belgian jazz musician, arranger, and composer. Bee was a multi-instrumentalist, adept on clarinet, harp, piano, and alto and tenor sax ...

's Red Beans. Later in the 1920s he was associated with Harry Flemming and

Josephine Baker Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted Fran ...

. In the 1930s he worked with

Jean Robert Jean Robert (June 25, 1908, Brussels - February 28, 1981, Hilversum) was a Belgian jazz saxophonist. Robert started out on piano before switching to tenor saxophone, and played early in his career with Peter Packay, Gus Deloof, Chas Remue, and ...

and

Jean Omer Jean Omer (September 9, 1912, Nivelles – May 30, 1994, Brussels) was a Belgian jazz reedist and bandleader. Omer played violin before switching to clarinet and saxophone, playing with local groups in Strassburg and Brussels. He worked in France ...

in addition to leading his own ensemble, the Cabaret Kings, which toured Europe. He continued recording into the 1950s, also working as an arranger and composer; he led bands in US-occupied Germany following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and was later head of the

Wurlitzer The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments ...

Company's Belgian operations.

Compositions

Robert De Kers published four piano 'novelty' solos at International Music Company in 1930 under the name 'R. De Kers': * Absurdity (New Rhythm Style Piano Solo) * Triviality * Peculiarity * Singularity

References

*Robert Pernet, "Robert De Kers". '' The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz''. 2nd edition, ed.

Barry Kernfeld Barry Dean Kernfeld (born August 11, 1950) is an American musicologist and jazz saxophonist who has researched and published extensively about the history of jazz and the biographies of its musicians. Education In 1968, Kernfeld enrolled at U ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:De Kers, Robert Belgian jazz trumpeters Belgian jazz bandleaders Musicians from Antwerp 1906 births 1987 deaths 20th-century trumpeters