Rob Agerbeek

Rob Agerbeek
Rob Agerbeek in July 2013
Background information
Birth name	Robbert Arris Jules Agerbeek
Born	(1937-09-28) 28 September 1937 Batavia (Jakarta), Indonesia
Genres	Boogie-woogie, Chicago traditional jazz, swing, contemporary jazz
Occupations	Musician, composer
Instruments	Piano
Years active	1956–present
Labels	CBS, Polydor, Dexterity, Munich, Oldie Blues, Timeless, Lime Tree, Jazzz'91, Blue Jack Jazz, Venus
Associated acts	Rob Agerbeek Quintet, Rob Agerbeek Quartet, Rob Agerbeek Trio, The Grand Piano Boogie Train, Dutch Swing College Band, Rhine Town Dixie Preachers

Robbert Arris Jules "Rob" Agerbeek (Batavia (Jakarta), 28 September 1937) is an Indonesian-born Dutch boogie-woogie and jazz pianist and winner of several jazz concourses in the Netherlands in the late 1950s.^[1] He is regarded as one of Europe’s finest jazz pianists, covering the full spectrum of jazz styles from his early days of Boogie-woogie to Chicago traditional Jazz, swing and contemporary jazz.^[2]

Early life and career

In 1954 Rob Agerbeek and his family arrived in the Netherlands. He started playing the piano at the age of 17 or 18. Except for one piano lesson from his mother he is completely self-taught; he learned the piano by listening to records of Albert Ammons, Johnny Maddox, Winifred Atwell, Pete Johnson and Meade Lux Lewis.^[3] In the first years of his career Agerbeek is mainly into Boogie-woogie and later in his career he expands his playing styles with bebop, hardbop and dixieland. He accompanied more than hundred, mainly American, Jazz musicians such as Ben Webster, Hank Mobley, Dexter Gordon, George Coleman, Johnny Griffin and Gene Ammons.^[4] Rob Agerbeek performed at international jazzfestivals as the Paris Jazz Festival, Hammerveld Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Kongsberg Jazz Festival and the Berlin Jazz Festival.^[5]

Later career

On November 17, 1996 Agerbeek celebrated his 40 years jubilee as an allround jazz pianist when he was presented with the membership of honour of the Hague Jazz Club.^[6]

Rob Agerbeek still occasionally performs with his trio consisting of himself on piano and Ben Schröder on drums and Alex Milo on bass. Joining in on vocals on several performances is Jazz singer Mirjam van Dam,^[7] Susanne de Rooij^[8] and Brigitte Soffner on vocals.

Awards^[9]

• AVRO Jazzcompetitie, winner as Het Rob Agerbeek Kwartet (1956)
• Haags Jazzconcours, winner as Het Rob Agerbeek Kwartet (1958)
• Nationaal Jazzconcours, winner as Het Rob Agerbeek Kwartet (1958)
• Membership of honour, the Hague Jazz Club (1996)

Discography

Rob Agerbeek's discography of over 40 albums include a double LP with Dexter Gordon live at the Haagse Jazz Club, five CDs with the Dutch Swing College Band and 10 recordings with his own bands^[10] of which three on the Oldie Blues label.^[11]

• Boogie Woogie Party, as Rob Agerbeek Quintet, CBS, 1971
• Homerun, as Rob Agerbeek Quintet, Polydor, 1971
• Beatles' Boogies, as Rob Agerbeek, CBS, 1971
• All Souls, as The Rob Agerbeek Trio featuring Dexter Gordon, Dexterity, 1972
• Keep the Change, as The Rob Agerbeek Quintet, Munich, 1975
• The Boogie Rocks, as Rob Agerbeek, Oldie Blues, 1975
• Gibraltar, as Harry Verbeke/Rob Agerbeek Quartet, Timeless, 1980
• Miss Dee, as Rob Agerbeek Trio, Lime Tree, 1981
• Seven Steps, as Harry Verbeke/Rob Agerbeek Quartet, Timeless, 1983
• Swing Gift, as Rob Agerbeek Trio, Jazzz '91, 1991
• Second Opinion, as Rob Agerbeek Trio, Jazzz '91, 1992
• Stardust, as Harry Verbeke/Rob Agerbeek, Timeless, 1992
• Full House, as Rob Agerbeek Trio, Nuts Ziektekosten Verzekering, 1994
• The Boogie Rocks, as Rob Agerbeek, Oldie Blues, 1997 (expanded re-issue of 1975 album)
• Boogie On The Move as The Grand Piano Boogie Train: Jaap Dekker, Rob Hoeke and Rob Agerbeek, Rodero Records, 1997
• Blues & Boogie Movin' On as The Grand Piano Boogie Train: Jaap Dekker, Rob Hoeke and Rob Agerbeek, Rodero Records, 1997
• Three of a Kind, as Rob Agerbeek, Oldie Blues, 1998
• That's all, as Ann Burton & Mark Murphy meet the Rob Agerbeek Trio, Blue Jack Jazz Records, 2004
• Pardon My Bop, as Rob Agerbeek/Ruud Brink Quartet, Blue Jack Jazz Records, 2004
• Homerun - volume 2', as Rob Agerbeek Quintet, Blue Jack Jazz Records, 2006
• The Very Thought of You, as Rob Agerbeek Trio, Venus, 2007 (Japan)
• Almost Blue, as John Marshall & The Rob Agerbeek Trio, Blue Jack Jazz Records, 2008
• On Green Dolphin Street, as George Coleman and The Rob Agerbeek Trio, Blue Jack Jazz Records, 2010

References

External links

• Rob Agerbeek at Muziek Encyclopedie
• Rob Agerbeek at Discogs
• Rob Agerbeek at Muziekweb
• Rob Agerbeek at Rate Your Music