Angelo Verploegen

Angelo Verploegen

Trumpeter Angelo Verploegen (Oss, 22 December 1961) is initiated into the Dutch jazz world in the late 80s, and proves to be a versatile musician. He plays modern jazz, but also hard-bop with The Houdini's, can be found in big bands, like Maiden Voyage and the Jazz Orchestra of ...
Full biography

Instruments

bugel, trompet

Biography Angelo Verploegen

Trumpeter Angelo Verploegen (Oss, 22 December 1961) is initiated into the Dutch jazz world in the late 80s, and proves to be a versatile musician. He plays modern jazz, but also hard-bop with The Houdini's, can be found in big bands, like Maiden Voyage and the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, but also in (free) improvisation groups, like Bik Bent Braam and Toïs. He himself doesn't like to make the distinction. In the Dutch jazzblog Draai Om Je Oren he remarked: 'What jazz is about, to me personally, is communication. Jazz, in any style, is about communication. The final result largely depends on mutual respect and trust between the musicians, and on action and reaction. Jazz can be confusing, surprising, associating, moving, and elating.' Over the years record producing has become more and more important to him, both nationally and internationally.

Played in

Corrie & De Grote Brokken   flugelhorn, trompet
Orkater Millennium Orkest   flugelhorn, trompet
Super Groove Horns   trompet
The Houdini's   trompet
The Rogier Van Otterloo Files   producer, trompet

1980

From his hometown Oss Angelo Verploegen moves to Amsterdam, to study musicology. There he meets vocal performer Jaap Blonk and saxophonist Bart van der Putten. They start to make music together, in Blonk's band Splinks and others. He also becomes a member of the Maiden Voyage Big Band lead by trumpeter Jeff Reynolds, and later also of the Frank Grasso Big Band. He records with both orchestras.

1986

Guitarist Corrie van Binsbergen asks him for her group Corrie en de Brokken, of which he will remain a member until 1990 . He can be heard on her debut CD Alles Beweegt.

1987

Verploegen extensively tours Canada with the orchestra of the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. During this tour he and saxophonists Rolf Delfos and Boris van der Lek express the idea to play a kind of hardbop. Out of this idea the sextet The Houdini's grows, with pianist Erwin Hoorweg, bassist Stefan Lievestro and drummer Pieter Bast. The group, whose line-up will change a number of times over the years, gains national and international fame, and tours Germany, France, Portugal, the US, Canada and Australia.

1990

Angelo Verploegen becomes a member of singer Denise Jannah's backing band, and can be heard on her debut CD Take It From the Top. Saxophonist Jasper Blom asks him to join his new, piano-less quintet Zut Alors!, which records its only album Pie Dough in 1991.

1995

The Houdini's perform at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw in the program Classics In Jazz. With Nieuw Sinfonietta Amsterdam they play an arrangement of the music from George Gershwin's opera Porgy And Bess. The CD recording is released by the classical label Channel Crossings later that year.

1997

Angelo Verploegen starts his own trio, Toïs. In this he wants to give more room to open improvisations, with bassist Tjitze Vogel and drummer Bram Wijland as his musical partners. Their recording debut, An Angel's Work Is Never Done, is released by the Via label. Two years later a follow-up, Forbidden Fruit, appears on Turtle Records. Corrie van Binsbergen includes him in her large ensemble Corrie en de Grote Brokken. Conductor Henk Meutgeert asks him for his Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, of which Verploegen will become the musical director in 2007. The Houdini's perform a program of music by Gil Evans, in collaboration with the Schönberg Ensemble, conducted by John Adams. The new CD label Challenge approaches Angelo Verploegen to be its producer and A&R manager, a function he will fulfill until 2000. He is responsible for the imprint A Records, and helps to set up the imprint Buzz (for more experimental improvised music).

2001

Bassist Tony Overwater asks him to join his new quintet, which undertakes a theater tour featuring an adaptation of Max Velthuijs's Kikker (Frog) children's stories. The successful music is recorded on two CDs: Kikker Swingt (2003) and Kikker Heeft De Blues (2007).

2002

Verploegen starts a new trio, featuring guitarist Ed Verhoeff and bassist Eric van der Westen, which focuses on a chamber music-like jazz. A Records releases its first CD: The Night and The Daydreamer. In 2005 the group is rechristened as Amsterdam Jazz Trio. The Amsterdam Concertgebouw and the Filmmuseum invite The Houdini's to play new music for the Buster Keaton classic The General. Pianist-composer Michiel Braam includes Verploegen in his Bik Bent Braam.

2003

Verploegen becomes a member of pianist-composer Martin Fondse's band Groove Troopers. He can also be heard on the CD Zoom Zoo.

2005

The Amsterdam Bimhuis's artistic director, Huub van Riel, offers Angelo Verploegen a carte blanche night. For this he invites the Japanese trumpet-piano duo of Natsuki Tamura and Satoko Fuji. With Verploegen himself, and featuring Misha Mengelberg as a second pianist they play as a double duo. VPRO radio makes recordings, which the Japanese Libra Records will release two years later. The same night also sees the premiere of the new quartet Executive Lounge. With this band Verploegen wants to 'investigate lounge-like grooves and sounds in a semi-acoustic setting', according to the liner notes of the CD, which is released in 2007. Jeroen van Vliet plays Fender Rhodes in the group and the rhythm section consists of bassist Eric van der Westen and drummer Jasper van Hulten. Korean born pianist Soo Choo asks Verploegen as a regular guest with her trio, thus making it a quartet. As such they record the CD Prayer.

2006

Bassist Egon Kracht asks Angelo Verploegen as a replacement for Eric Vloeimans in his adaptation of Bach's St. Matthew Passion, with which he tours the Dutch theaters during the Passion period. In the following years (through 2009) Verploegen is a regular member of this ensemble, which operates under the name The Troupe.

2007

Verploegen collaborates in the music theater production Hartfalen by theater group Orkater. During the Holland Festival he can be heard in Paul Koek's Sharing The Same Shade, performed by theater group ZT Hollandia.

2008

Guitarist Marc van Vugt includes Verploegen in the new line-up of his band Big Bizar Habit.

2010

With Egon Kracht & The Troupe Angelo Verploegen performs the new Judas Passion, with music by Kracht, and a libretto by Jeroen van Merwijk.

Discography Angelo Verploegen

In the discography you will find all recordings that have been released listed chronologically. We restrict ourselves to the title, the type of audio, year of publication or recording, label, list of guest musicians, plus any comments on the issue.

No audio- or video material is yet available.
Add audio or video