He can rightly be called the Dutch Charlie Parker. At the beginning of the 50s, alto sax player Piet Noordijk (1932) graduated from the Rotterdam Conservatory as a clarinetist and subsequently developed into a pioneer of Dutch jazz. Noordijk played in big bands (The Ramblers, The Skymasters, Metropole Orkest) but was also part of trendsetting modern combos. In 1964, he successfully performed with pianist Misha Mengelberg's quartet at the Newport Jazz Festival. Piet Noordijk has won many prizes, such as the Bird Award in 1987; last year, he received an Edison Award for his work. In that same year, he was also awarded a prize by the Stichting Blijvend Applaus (Foundation Applause Forever). According to the jury, Noordijk is a 'versatile musician, gentleman, warm band leader, dedicated teacher, ambassador of jazz, alto saxophone virtuoso and jazz bird in heart and soul.' At North Sea Jazz he will play with a quintet comprising Eric Ineke and the Dutch 'Beets Brothers': Peter, Alexander and Marius Beets.
