PIM JACOBS

Pim Jacobs

Willem Bernard 'Pim' Jacobs (Hilversum, 29 October 1934 – Tienhoven, 3 July 1996) makes a name for himself as a sensitive pianist, the musical partner of his wife, singer Rita Reys, and as a promoter of jazz music. Since he is also active as a television presenter and is part ...
Full biography

Instruments

piano

Former members

Ruud Jacobs   contrabas
Peter Ypma   drums
Wim Overgaauw   gitaar
Fred Burkhardt   drums

Mentioned in the biography of

1954   Rita Reys
1956   Herman Schoonderwalt
1957   Ellen Helmus
1957   Rita Reys
1981   Rita Reys
1985   Frits Landesbergen
1987   Gevleugelde Vrienden
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Biography Pim Jacobs

Willem Bernard 'Pim' Jacobs (Hilversum, 29 October 1934 – Tienhoven, 3 July 1996) makes a name for himself as a sensitive pianist, the musical partner of his wife, singer Rita Reys, and as a promoter of jazz music. Since he is also active as a television presenter and is part of the light music multiple piano group Gevleugelde Vrienden, a large part of the jazz incrowd shuns him for a long time. He does, however, continue to play until his death, usually for large audiences. Shortly before his death he gets to see the jury's report for the 1996 Bird Award, in which he is called 'a true traveling salesman in jazz'. Two weeks before the award ceremony at the North Sea Jazz Festival he succumbs to cancer.

Played in

Gevleugelde Vrienden   piano

1954 - 1957

Pim Jacobs, the son of a lawyer, and older brother to bassist-producer Ruud Jacobs, is trained classically for a number of years before turning to jazz by carefully analyzing records with his brother. In 1955 their first Pim Jacobs Trio, with Fred Burkhardt on drums, wins second prize at the AVRO Jazz Competition. In the same year the two brothers occasionally play with singer Rita Reys and her husband, drummer Wessel Ilcken's group, in the Amsterdam jazzclub Sheherazade - illegally, because they don't have a work permit. After a while Pim Jacobs becomes the singer's regular pianist. He draws the attention of jazzfans when he and his brother, plus Wessel Ilcken, get the opportunity to accompany West Coast stars Bob Cooper and Bud Shank for a series of concerts in the Netherlands in 1957. In the fall of 1956 the same trio had already recorded the LP Salute To The Flute with the American flutist and (then still) tenor saxophonist Herbie Mann for the Philips label (featuring trumpeter Ado Broodboom on some tracks).

Rita Reys Ruud Jacobs Wessel Ilcken

1958 - 1970

After Wessel Ilcken's death in July 1957 Pim Jacobs takes care of his widow Rita Reys, and starts supervising her career. His advice - 'Do only one gig a day and double your fee' – pays off. Jacobs also starts introducing her as 'Europe's First Lady Of Jazz'. He bases the honorary title on the fact that the Pim Jacobs Trio featuring Rita Reys won the Grand Prize for European jazz combos at the Antibes/Juan-les-Pins Jazz Festival in July 1960. The international jury awards Jacobs himself first prize as the best European pianist – angering Martial Solal, who is present at the festival (but doesn't participate in the competition). He is of the opinion that the Dutchman has too little technique to qualify for the title.
On 30 September 1960 he marries Rita Reys, who is ten years his senior, and capitalizes on the bond by recording the successful LP Marriage in Modern Jazz. Among his first television appearances is the show Djez Zien (1964-'67).
After the triumph in Antibes/Juan-les-Pins the Pim Jacobs Trio featuring Rita Reys (with Wim Overgaauw on guitar and Ruud Jacobs on bass) has a very successful period, with concerts and festival appearances all over Europe. The pinnacle is achieved in June 1969 at the New Orleans festival, where Rita Reys and Pim Jacobs perform with trumpeter Clark Terry, saxophonist Zoot Sims, bassist Milt Hinton and drummer Alan Dawson.
Meanwhile his trio also gives educational concerts all over the Netherlands. It is a way to promote jazz, to get through a period when jazz is not very popular, and provide his trio with work when it has nothing else to do – during the daytime. He manages to make many a convert at the schools where he plays, but his LP Schoolconcert (1970) receives a damning review in the progressive jazz magazine Jazzwereld.

Wim Overgaauw

1971 - 1996

Guitarist Wim Overgaauw is replaced by drummer Peter Ypma, who will stick with Reys and Jacobs from then on. His final comprehensive interview (for Het Parool in April 1996, with Jeroen de Valk) is only published in the newspaper after a great deal of discussion between the publisher and the journalist. In an extended version of the interview in De Valk's collection Go Man, Go! the pianist relates: 'Oh well, there was a time that jazz was associated with rebelliousness and left wing political commitment. In the Sheherezade people like (performing poet) Simon Vinkenoog and (painter) Karel Appel came to listen to us. Now people are derisive of me and my music. “Pim Jacobs and his right wing jazz” is what they say. I don't take the slightest notice of it. I just play what I like, and if people enjoy it, well, that's great.' In the same interview Jacobs mentions the pianists who have inspired his sparkling, subdued, but immensely swinging style: Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Erroll Garner and George Shearing. 'From all these influences I have developed my own style, to which I have always stuck. A light touch, thoughtful chords.'

Photos Pim Jacobs

Audio/Video Pim Jacobs