Kees Hazevoet

Dutch pianist and clarinetist Kees Hazevoet was part of the first wave of musicians from the Netherlands to embrace free jazz. Hazevoet began playing professionally in the early '60s and took on the challenge of free music by the middle of the decade, playing in one of saxophonist Willem Breuker's earliest groups and appearing on Breuker's debut album as well. He went on to play and record with many of the best free improvisers in Europe, including Peter Brötzmann and fellow countrymen Han Bennink and Luc Houtkamp among others. He led very few sessions and those he did were often released in pitifully small numbers. His first date as a leader was 1970s wild Pleasure, which featured Hazevoet with Kris Wanders on alto, Arjen Gorter on bass, and South African ex-pat Louis Moholo on drums. Credited to Haazz & Company, Unlawful Noise from 1976 was another obscure but important Hazevoet-led date. Proving that there is life after jazz, Hazevoet retired from music in 1980 to become a professor of zoology. Both Unlawful Noise and Pleasure were made available on CD as part of Atavistic's Unheard Music Series.
© Wade Kergan /TiVo