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Peter Beets

As one of the most sought-after jazz artists of our time, PETER BEETS has attracted a devoted international audience, performing regularly at major jazz festivals and venues throughout Europe, the United States and Asia. He has shared the stage with jazz greats such as Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, “Toots” Thielemans, Elvin Jones en Benny Golson.

From birth, Peter was surrounded by music: Classical from his mother who is a music pedagogue, and Jazz from his father who instilled in his son his own great love of Oscar Peterson and Art Blakey. His brothers Marius (1966) and Alexander (1968) also became professional musicians, double bass and tenor saxophone respectively. Since 1985, the brothers have performed together as “The Beets Brothers”.

In 1988 Peter was awarded the prestigious Pall Mall Swing Award, and a year later the Princess Christina Award. In 1998 he completed his conservatory studies, winning the Prix Martial Solal in Paris. In the same year, he became the featured pianist with “The Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw”. The following year, he was also awarded the Concours de Solistes de Jazz in Monaco.

In 2001 the Criss Cross label invited Peter for a series of albums with his “New York Trio”, inviting artists like Willie Jones III, Larry Grenadier and Greg Hutchinson, earning him international acclaim.

In 2010 Peter was awarded an Edison (Dutch equivalent of the Grammy) for the album “Blues for the Date”, with his original compositions, accompanied by “The Jazzorchestra of the Concertgebouw”. In 2013, Peter recorded his long-awaited tribute album to one of his biggest idols, Oscar Peterson and in 2015 he made a recording out of a live performance of his Chopin arrangements.

His 2018 live recording of Django Reinhardt compositions with a gypsy jazz trio including Stochelo Rosenberg is seen by many as a historical performance. A year later world class record producer Ruud Jacobs brought about Peter’s new trio recording called ‘Our Love Is Here to Stay – Gershwin Reimagined’.

Besides his continuous work on playing in trio setting, Peter founded a big band with young professionals, called the New Jazz Orchestra. Peter writes new music for this orchestra, arrangements based on classical music. Legendary bass player John Clayton invited Peter to play at the San Diego jazzfestival in 2020, but Covid spoiled this momentum. Instead, John Clayton traveled to Europe in 2022 to meet and play together with Peter, as well as with his New Jazz Orchestra.

In 2021 Peter accepted an invitation to play Rhapsody in Blue, the finger busting piano concerto by George Gershwin, with a large symphony orchestra. Although Peter is not a classical pianist, he accepted the challenge to play this iconic piece, on the condition that he can interpretate it his own way. The recordings are on YouTube.

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Liner Notes

Peter Beets: New York Trio Page Two

Read "Peter Beets: New York Trio Page Two" reviewed by C. Andrew Hovan


In its relatively short history, American jazz music has established a language that while having some ties to the European tradition is more fully rooted in the rhythms and folk melodies of the African slaves. What is even more significant is the profound impact that the music and musicians have had in breaking social boundaries such as race, culture, and ethnicity. Way before there were even the thoughts of equal opportunities for all individuals in the American South, Benny Goodman ...

291
Album Review

Peter Beets: Chopin Meets the Blues

Read "Chopin Meets the Blues" reviewed by Greg Simmons


While a knowledge of romantic pianist Frederic Chopin (1810--1849) can add to the experience of listening to pianist Peter Beets' Chopin Meets the Blues , it is by no means essential to enjoying it. This is a jazz album first and foremost, and a very good one at that. Beets uses Chopin's charts as a jumping off point, and does not constrain himself by the mood or tempo of the original music. The opener, “Nocturne in Eb Major, ...

493
Album Review

Peter Beets: New Groove

Read "New Groove" reviewed by C. Andrew Hovan


Although his passion has always been in documenting important New York players worthy of wider recognition, producer Gerry Teekens has occasionally turned the spotlight on worthy talent from his Dutch homeland as well. Along with guitarist Jesse van Ruller, the most visible Dutch artist on the label recently has been pianist Peter Beets. His three previous sessions for Criss Cross have found him working in a trio format and including many of his own substantial compositions. His new work, the ...

163
Album Review

Peter Beets: New Groove

Read "New Groove" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


What zesty, light-stepping, buoyant sounds these are. There's some serious swinging happening on Dutch pianist Peter Beets' New Groove.

Beets employs two different trios, one from New York, the other from his native Netherlands. Both trios utilize piano, guitar and bass, reminiscent of Ahmad Jamal's 1955 recordings with guitarist Ray Crawford and bassist Israel Crosby, available on Ahmad Jamal Trio (Definitive Records, 2006), or more swingingly on the work of Oscar Peterson, bassist Ray Brown and ...

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"Outstanding compositions", "fantastic timing", "brilliant" -Jazzreview "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

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Tchaikovsky,...

Magic Ball Jazz Records
2024

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Our Love Is Here to...

Magic Ball Jazz Records
2019

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Beets Meets Rosenberg...

Magic Ball Jazz Records
2018

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Chopin meets the...

Magic Ball Jazz Records
2015

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Portrait of Peterson

Magic Ball Jazz Records
2013

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Trav'lin' Light

Maxanter Records
2013

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