Joop Korzelius

Joop Korzelius

Joop Korzelius (Amsterdam, 21 November 1925), who is active for little over a decade, is a drummer who is highly valued by his colleagues. John Engels: 'A criminally good drummer, groovy, American style, and with a great deal of personality.' Vibraphonist Eddy Sanchez: 'Nine out of ten drummers are just ...
Full biography

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Instruments

drums

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News archive

NCRV Dokument over jazzdrummer Joop Korzelius (4/7/11) 

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Biography Joop Korzelius

Joop Korzelius (Amsterdam, 21 November 1925), who is active for little over a decade, is a drummer who is highly valued by his colleagues. John Engels: 'A criminally good drummer, groovy, American style, and with a great deal of personality.' Vibraphonist Eddy Sanchez: 'Nine out of ten drummers are just hammering away, but Joop played incredibly musically, and performed magic with his sticks.' Han Bennink: 'In that period, the mid fifties, he played like a devil. For me he was the best. [...] Joop was my idol.' Korzelius receives a training in classical percussion, and learns to play the tympani, during the war years. His teacher is a German Jew in hiding, George Scheidel.

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1945 - 1950

After a short period in Lou van Rees's band he is employed by an American organization providing entertainment for the troops stationed in Germany. He plays in various orchestras, including the German saxophonist Max Greger's jump-band, where he meets vibraphonist Eddy Sanchez. The latter joins him when Korzelius founds his Flamingo Quintet at the Avifauna zoo in Alphen aan den Rijn in 1950.

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1950 - 1953

The Flamingo's make their debut at the Sheherazade jazzclub in Amsterdam in June 1950. They enjoy some successful years, including engagements in Dutch establishments, concerts for VARA radio, and a performance at a London festival. The consecutive horn players in the group are Cees Smal (then still playing the alto saxophone and clarinet), Wiebe Schuurmans, Harry Verbeke and Piet Noordijk. The sole witnesses of their music are two 78s that only offer a meager indication of what the band was capable of.

Cees Smal Harry Verbeke Piet Noordijk

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1954

After disbanding the quintet Korzelius starts gigging with various bands including trumpeter Jerry van Rooyen's Jerry van Roy Sextet.

Jerry van Rooyen

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1955 - 1960

He becomes the regular drummer for the Skymasters (a radio big band), but is sent off numerous times because of unpredictable behavior caused by excessive drinking. He occasionally subs with the Millers, and takes part in recording sessions with reed player Willy Langestraat.

Skymasters

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1959

Plays on the Rhythme All Stars's EP. The band is made up of musicians topping the readers' poll of Rhythme magazine (in which Korzelius came in second, after Cees See, incidentally).

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1963

After a period of unemployment cabaret performer Wim Sonneveld signs the drummer in October. The collaboration has its problems, and Joop finds himself without a job again. Guitarist Jan Blok in 1964: 'Joop is a great drummer, but it couldn't be denied that he was on stage with a sour face. […] I'm not smiling every night either, but I do look interested, otherwise you ruin the atmosphere. Joop has a difficult character, making it especially difficult for himself.'

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1965

His last professional performance is with the Amsterdam Promenade Orchestra (APO), an orchestra for professional musicians who can't play with regular orchestras because of some sort of handicap or injury. It is financed by the Amsterdam social service. Since the nineties Joop Korzelius has been living in an Amsterdam Salvation Army home.

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2011

In April Dutch television broadcasts a documentary about Joop Korzelius, made by Carin Goeijers. Korzelius, aged 85 at the time, lives in a residence of the Amsterdam Salvation Army since the '90s.

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Discography Joop Korzelius

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.

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Photos Joop Korzelius

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Video Joop Korzelius

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