Biography
Dutch saxophonist Dick De Graaf journeyed to New Orleans, the birthplace of traditional jazz, to deepen his understanding of the form. Playing both soprano and tenor sax, the classically trained musician from the Netherlands forged numerous connections with fellow players in the Crescent City, connections that surface clearly in his recordings.
Within the Netherlands, De Graaf has earned recognition as both performer and teacher. He holds a saxophone faculty position at the Rotterdam Conservatorium and conducts guest workshops internationally, guiding students across Europe, West Africa, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United States.
Over twenty years, De Graaf has balanced sideman and bandleader roles with equal fluency. He contributed to the big-band arrangements of Frank Grasso’s ensemble and joined the Timeless Orchestra for its 2000 collection of Glenn Miller material. Tours alongside Chet Baker, Kenny Wheeler, and Tom Harrell allowed him to add tenor and soprano lines, and on occasion trombone, to their ensembles.
De Graaf began issuing his own recordings in the early 1990s. His first American album, Heartbeat (1994), received enthusiastic notices from DownBeat and other prominent jazz publications for its inventive approach. The projects Stepping Stones and Slo Mo further illustrate the distinctive instrumental combinations that mark his work.
For the 1996 release New York Straight Ahead, De Graaf served as producer and arranger while performing. Every track emerged from collaborations with fellow saxophonist Tony Lakatos; their rapport is especially audible on the reading of “It Might As Well Be Spring.”
That same year brought Sailing, on which De Graaf appears as both instrumentalist and composer. Original pieces such as the title track and “Public Enemy” share the program with a reflective treatment of Wayne Shorter’s “Black Nile.”
Polder, issued in 2000, continues De Graaf’s straight-ahead orientation. Two selections written by the saxophonist, “Drie Gravinnen, Three Countesses” and “Headhunter,” stand among its highlights.
His most recent recording, Sound Roots in New Orleans (2002), documents a session with Crescent City colleagues pianist Peter Martin, bassist Roland Guerin, and drummer Adonis Rose. The quartet delivers brisk interpretations of material by Sidney Bechet, Dizzy Gillespie, and De Graaf himself. Although born far from New Orleans, the saxophonist conveys an authentic grasp of the city’s jazz language.
Within the Netherlands, De Graaf has earned recognition as both performer and teacher. He holds a saxophone faculty position at the Rotterdam Conservatorium and conducts guest workshops internationally, guiding students across Europe, West Africa, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United States.
Over twenty years, De Graaf has balanced sideman and bandleader roles with equal fluency. He contributed to the big-band arrangements of Frank Grasso’s ensemble and joined the Timeless Orchestra for its 2000 collection of Glenn Miller material. Tours alongside Chet Baker, Kenny Wheeler, and Tom Harrell allowed him to add tenor and soprano lines, and on occasion trombone, to their ensembles.
De Graaf began issuing his own recordings in the early 1990s. His first American album, Heartbeat (1994), received enthusiastic notices from DownBeat and other prominent jazz publications for its inventive approach. The projects Stepping Stones and Slo Mo further illustrate the distinctive instrumental combinations that mark his work.
For the 1996 release New York Straight Ahead, De Graaf served as producer and arranger while performing. Every track emerged from collaborations with fellow saxophonist Tony Lakatos; their rapport is especially audible on the reading of “It Might As Well Be Spring.”
That same year brought Sailing, on which De Graaf appears as both instrumentalist and composer. Original pieces such as the title track and “Public Enemy” share the program with a reflective treatment of Wayne Shorter’s “Black Nile.”
Polder, issued in 2000, continues De Graaf’s straight-ahead orientation. Two selections written by the saxophonist, “Drie Gravinnen, Three Countesses” and “Headhunter,” stand among its highlights.
His most recent recording, Sound Roots in New Orleans (2002), documents a session with Crescent City colleagues pianist Peter Martin, bassist Roland Guerin, and drummer Adonis Rose. The quartet delivers brisk interpretations of material by Sidney Bechet, Dizzy Gillespie, and De Graaf himself. Although born far from New Orleans, the saxophonist conveys an authentic grasp of the city’s jazz language.
Albums
Lifeline
2024
Festive
2022
New York Straight Ahead
2021
Polder
2021
Bird Buzz
2017
Out of the Blues Celebrating the Music of Oliver Nelson
2012
Cry Baby!
2009
Sailing
1996
Singles
