Biography
Tenor-and soprano-saxophonist Dick de Graaf debuted 1986 with his LP ‘Hot, hazy and humid’ (Limetree Records). Before he had already wun the Dutch Jazz Competition and he had played an important role as a soloist in a.o. the Amstel Octet and in big bands led by Frank Grasso and John Clayton.
During the last 15 years he has performed at many national and international jazzstages. He played with a.o. Chet Baker, Misha Mengelberg, John Engels, Jasper van ’t Hof, Kenny Weeler, Tom Harrell and Benny Golson and toured festivals and clubs in Europe, South and West Africa, Japan, New Zealand and Canada.
Dick de Graaf recorded a dozen CD’s that received positive response by both public and press. His CD’s ‘Sailing’ and ‘New York Straight Ahead’ got enthusiast critics in a.o.the important music magazine Down Beat. His most recent jazz CD SOUNDROOTS was recorded in New Orleans and received a ****review in JAZZ.
His project ‘The Burning of the Midnight Lamp: Dick de Graaf plays Jimi Hendrix’ appeared to be very succesful. With his Dick de Graaf Septet he has been drawing full houses in Holland, Germany, Ireland and Finland. Another example of his broad musical horizon is the project he recorded in Mali with a group of young musicians from Bamako: the CD ‘Djigui: les Sofas de Bamako featuring Dick de Graaf’. June 2000 this group made his European debut during the Festival Mundial 2000 in Tilburg.
the CD ‘Djigui: les Sofas de Bamako featuring Dick de Graaf’. June 2000 this group made his European debut during the Festival Mundial 2000 in Tilburg.
His most recent project is SCHUBERT IMPRESSIONS FOR JAZZ QUINTET. Dick was commissioned to write this project by the Franz Schubert Festival in Basel, Switzerland oktober 2002. The live CD with the same name was presented at the Northsea Jazz Festival in the Hague.
Dick de Graaf is a part-time teacher of saxophone and ensembles at the well-known Rotterdams Conservatorium, department of jazz-, pop- and worldmusic. He is an endorser and clinician of Keilwerth saxophones and Rico Jazz Select saxophone reeds.
Dick de Graaf is a part-time teacher of saxophone and ensembles at the well-known Rotterdams Conservatorium, department of jazz-, pop- and worldmusic. He is an endorser and clinician of Keilwerth saxophones and Rico Jazz Select saxophone reeds.