Born: June 12, 1971 Primary Instrument: Piano
Peter Beets is a Dutch pianist with impeccable technique and an incisive sense of swing. His star is rising and it is rising fast. We will hear a lot more from this genius.
Peter Beets (Netherlands, 12 June 1971) comes from a music loving family. Classical music comes to him through his mother, a music teacher, and jazz through his father, a doctor. Both his brothers are professional musicians. In 1977 Peter starts having piano lessons at the age of six. A conservatory study follows when he is 18 at the Royal Conservatory for Music and Dance in The Hague. While still studying Peter wins the Pall Mall Swing Award and the Prinses Christina Concours. He graduates from the conservatory in 1998, in which year he joins the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw as regular pianist.
He played with Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, Elvin Jones, John Clayton, Dee Dee Bridgewater, George Coleman, Chris Potter, Curtis Fuller, Rosenberg Trio, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jeff Hamilton, McCoy Tyner and Monty Alexander.
He played at Birdland (New York), Rose hall, Lincoln Center (New York), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Salle Pleyel (Parijs), Blue Note (Tokyo), Pori Jazzfestival (Finland), North Sea Jazz Festival (Rotterdam), Yoshi's (Oakland), Jazz Alley (Seattle), Thailand Cultural Centre (Bangkok), Tokyo Jazz Festival, NCPA Concert Hall (Bejing).
Awards:
Pall Mall Swing Award - Dutch (1998) Princess Christina Award - Dutch (1999) Prix Martial Solal - Paris (1998) Concours de Solistes de Jazz - Monaco (1999) Nominated for Edison Award (2010)“Such an awesome talent should be cherished and applauded, as it isn't an everyday occurrence. Beets is a fully grown monster, and it may not be long before Jazz lovers on both sides of the ocean become aware of that.” -Jack Bowers, Cadence
“The best young pianist I've heard in the last ten years. Beets leaves nothing unsaid. He swings with authority, creates constantly, improvises as though he was born doing it, and all of this with a light and lithesome touch. He's so good that it would make little difference what tunes he chose. Peter Beets is going to scare the hell out of some people.” - George Fendel, Jazzscene
“The title of one of Beets' originals -”Admirable”- is an appropriate metaphor for all of them. Stylistically, he's a lineal descendant of such quintessential boppers as Bud Powell, Hampton Hawes, Bobby Timmons and Wynton Kelly and is closely attuned to their modern progeny but with a lyrical outlook and rhytmic conception of his own underscored by tasteful, cogently structured lines that always swing and a technique that rivals anyone this side of vintage Oscar Peterson.” -Jack Bowers, Cadence
“Strong playing”, “exciting solos”, “straight ahead excellence”, “a world class jazz act” -Austin American Statesman, Down Beat
“World class improviser” -Ted Panken, Down Beat, Jazziz, WKCR
.JPG)
