Van’t Hof, Jasper

Van’t Hof, Jasper, jazz keyboardist; b. Enschede, Netherlands, June 30, 1947. He was raised in a musical environment; his father was a jazz trumpeter; his mother a classical singer. He was given classical piano lessons for six years before studying briefly at the Jazzklinik with Wolfgang Dauner. He formed a quartet with the guitarist Toto Blanke that won second prize at the jazz competition in Loosdrecht, near Hilversum, in 1970. He played in Association PC (1970-72), led by Pierre Courbois, and with Chris Hinze (1973, recording in 1974); the group Piano Conclave (1974) and with Archie Shepp (1974). In the mid-1970s he led the group Pork Pie with Charlie Mariano and Philip Catherine, other members included Jean-Luc Ponty (1975-77) and Manfred Schoof (recording in 1976-77, performing in 1977). During this period he also played with Zbigniew Seifert. Later he recorded several times as a leader (from 1973), as an unaccompanied soloist (1977, 1981), in a duo with Shepp (1982), and in the trio Total Music with Chris Hinze and Sigi Schwab (1982). He continued working with Charlie Mariano into the 191980s and in 1987 recorded again with Shepp. He has collaborated with Stu Martin and others, while forming several groups of his own including Eyeball and Didi-Didi (who incorporate elements of African music and computer generated sound in their compositions). Van’t Hof has embraced electronic innovation and aimed to utilize new technologies in both his composing and recording.

Discography

Jazzbuhne Berlin ’80 (1980); Eyeball (1980); My World of Music (1981); Balloons (1982); Pilipili (1984); Solo Piano (1987); At The Concertgebouw-Solo (1993).

—Music Master Jazz and Blues Catalogue/Lewis Porter