REINIER VOET

About meReinier Voet (1962)Reinier studied jazz guitar in Amsterdam and the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, Holland. His teacher was the well known jazz guitarist Peter Nieuwerf. A central source of inspiration for Reinier's playing is Django Reinhardt although more modern guitarists like Jim Hall, Jimmy Raney, Pat Martino, the Frenchman Boulou Ferre and Eastern European (gypsy-) music have also been a big influence. After the conservatory Reinier worked mainly in the gypsy jazz scene. Beside his own groups (Cravat Quartet, with Hady Mouallem, Deux-Creme-Deux with rhythm guitarist Henk de Geus), he has worked with gypsy guitar players such as Jimmy Rosenberg, Fapy Lafertin, klezmer clarinettist Marcel Salomon, and writer/painter/sculpturist/violinist Armando. Reinier also worked for the music-theatre company Het Muziek LOD with musical director/composer Dick van der Harst.At this moment is Reinier's most important musical project Reinier Voet and Pigalle44, that he organises together with rhythm guitarist Jan Brouwer with on the double bass Jet Stevens. As extra soloist are featured button accordion player Rob Stoop or Gert Wantenaar. Also they appear with tenorsax player Olaf Hoeks or Hermine Deurloo on harmonica and saxo. They already made five cd's. On the before-last cd "Mistral" is both the accordion and the tenorsax featured, even in quintette line up. In 2007 the CD 'Dream Dancing' featuring the vocalist and hot violinist George Washingmachine. Pigalle44 played on several festivals, amongst them the Django Reinhardt Festival in Samois sur Seine (2004) and the Gypsyjazz Festival in New Caledonia (2005). (see for more www.pigalle44.nl)A new interesting project is a trio with violinist Michael Gustorff and double bassplayer Nick Mcguire. Especially own compositions and a style free from 'gypsy-jazz' not having a rhythm guitarist. By the way not forgetting some of Django's compsitions. More news soon, I hope!Nowadays Reinier is regularly asked in the Jelle van Tongeren Group, the Tim Kliphuis Quintet and Anti von Klewitz' 'HORA COLORA', a band that plays balkan music mixed with jazz. (with Anti von Klewitz: violin and vocals, Sander Hoving: violin, Jens Piezunka: doublebass).Reinier has appeared at several festivals in Norway (Oslo Django Festival, with Hady Mouallem), England (with Pigalle44 at the Gypsy Jazz Guitar Festival, Gossington), Belgium (Gent, Brussels) and France (Paris, Samois sur Seine, Corsica) and in San Francisco / Mill Valley Django Festival. As sideman he plays on several CD's, for example with gypsy guitarists Fapy Lafertin or Jimmy Rosenberg and klezmer clarinettist Marcel Salomon.Reinier normally plays a 'Django-guitar', a 1975 Jacques Favino. As a soloist he often uses a magnetic DeArmond pickup from 1953, which produces a more modern post war Django jazz sound. He also owns a Gibson ES175D from 1956. Reinier Voet considers the development of his own style as a priority in his musical career. That's why composing and arranging has always been so important for him. It gives him the possibility to create his own 'band sound'.