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Michiel Braam (born 17 May 1964,
Nijmegen Nijmegen ( , ; Nijmeegs: ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and the ninth largest of the Netherlands as a whole. Located on the Waal River close to the German border, Nijmegen is one of the oldest cities in the ...
,
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
) is a Dutch
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
pianist and composer.


Life and career

He studied at the ArtEZ School of Music in
Arnhem Arnhem ( ; ; Central Dutch dialects, Ernems: ''Èrnem'') is a Cities of the Netherlands, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands, near the German border. It is the capita ...
, where he currently is head of the Jazz & Pop dept. In 1986 he founded 2 bands: ''Bik Bent Braam'' (with Angelo Verploegen, Eric Boeren,
Wolter Wierbos Wolter Wierbos (born 1 September 1957, in Holten, Overijssel) is a Dutch trombonist. Wierbos has played throughout Europe, Canada, USA and Asia. Wierbos has many awards to his name, including the Podiumprijs for Jazz and Improvised music and the ...
, Peter Haex, Carl Ludwig Hübsch, Peter van Bergen, Jan Willem van der Ham, Bart van der Putten, Frans Vermeerssen, Frank Gratkowski, Jörg Brinkmann, Michael Vatcher) and ''Bentje Braam''.
In 1987 Michiel Braam was commissioned by the NOS. He composed a work for 4 clarinets and piano entitled ''Cows and Beasts''. It was performed by Braam on piano, and the clarinet players
Ab Baars Ab Baars (born November 21, 1955, in Axel, Netherlands) is a Dutch saxophonist and clarinetist who has had an active performance career since the 1970s. He has recorded several albums for the Geestgronden Records, Atavistic Records, and WIG rec ...
,
Theo Jörgensmann Theodor Franz Jörgensmann (born 29 September 1948) is a German jazz clarinetist. Activities Theo Jörgensmann belongs to the second generation of European free jazz musicians. He was part of the clarinet renaissance in the jazz and improvisat ...
,
Michael Moore Michael Francis Moore is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and author. Moore's work frequently addresses various Social issue, social, political, and economic topics. He first became publicly known for his award-winning debut ...
and
Louis Sclavis Louis Sclavis (born 2 February 1953) is a French jazz musician. He performs on clarinet, bass clarinet, and soprano saxophone in a variety of contexts, including avant-garde jazz, free jazz, free improvisation and contemporary classical. Life ...
. In 1989 he founded ''Trio BraamDeJoodeVatcher'' (with Wilbert de Joode and
Michael Vatcher Michael Vatcher (born 1954) is an American jazz percussionist. He was a longtime resident of the Netherlands. Vatcher grew up in California and as a child played the vibraphone and snare drum. He worked for a long time with Michael Moore (saxop ...
), in 2005 ''eBraam'' (fka Wurli Trio, with Pieter Douma and Dirk-Peter Kölsch), and in 2011 ''Michiel Braam's Hybrid 10tet'' (with eBraam, the classical Matangi String Quartet,
Taylor Ho Bynum Taylor Ho Bynum (born 1975) is a musician, composer, educator and writer. His main instrument is the cornet, but he also plays numerous similar instruments, including flugelhorn and trumpet. Early life Bynum was born in BaltimoreWilmoth, Charli" ...
, Carl Ludwig Hübsch and Nils Wogram). In 2015 the trio "Nos Otrobanda" was formed with Aty de Windt on bass and André Groen on güira. That band specialises in Antillean Walttzes.
Together with Frans Vermeerssen he co-leads the sextet ''All Ears'' (with
Herb Robertson Clarence C. "Herb" Robertson (February 21, 1951 – December 10, 2024) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist. He was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, on February 21, 1951, and attended the Berklee College of Music. He recorded solo alb ...
,
Frank Gratkowski Frank, FRANK, or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a Germanic people in late Roman times * Franks, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusa ...
, Wilbert de Joode and Michael Vatcher). He worked also with musicians like George Lewis, Benjamin Herman,
Han Bennink Han Bennink (born 17 April 1942) is a Dutch drummer and percussionist. On occasion his recordings have featured him playing soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, trombone, violin, banjo and piano. Though perhaps best known as one of the pivotal figu ...
,
Conny Conny is a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name Men * Conny Andersson (footballer) (born 1945), Swedish former footballer * Conny Andersson (racing driver) (born 1939), Swedish former racing driver * Conny Joha ...
and
Hannes Bauer Johannes "Hannes" Bauer (22 July 1954 – 6 May 2016) was a German trombonist of improvised music and free jazz. He was the brother of the trombonist Conny Bauer. He was born in Halle. From 1979 onwards, he worked as a freelance musician in Be ...
and
Steve Argüelles Stephen Argüelles Clarke (born 16 November 1963) is an English jazz drummer, producer and is the proprietor of the Plush record label. He is the brother of saxophonist Julian Argüelles. Life and career Argüelles was born in Crowborough, E ...
.
The orchestra Bik Bent Braam was considered to be one of the main bigger orchestras in the field of improvisation-music and performed worldwide, as the trio ''BraamDeJoodeVatcher still does''.
In 2007 Braam composed ''Nopera'', a sort of music theater piece in which the written parts could be performed at random and contained much room for improvisation, and the libretto was written in the ''Nothingyettish'' language.
In 2012 Bik Bent Braam stopped and a septet named Flex Bent Braam took its place. In 2013 the first program "Lucebert" of that band was presented on stage and with an album.
In 2015 eBraam recorded "The Extraordinary Love Story of Aye Aye and Fedor", with singer Dean Bowman as narrator, after Ana Isabel Ordonez's children's book, in a bigger project that involves also dance and fine art. 2016 Reeds & Deeds started, with Frans Vermeerssen, Alex Coke, Bo van de Graaf, Arjen Gorter and Makki van Engelen. This sextet plays the music of Roland Kirk and issued an album in 2019, "Live at JazzCase". In 2020 it will be 25 years ago Bik Bent Braam performed the program "The XIJZ of Bik Bent Braam". A special Latin version of this program will be touring during the anniversary year 2020 by the new 13-piece ensemble Son Bent Braam (including
Angelo Verploegen Angelo is an Italian masculine given name and surname meaning "angel", or "messenger". People People with the given name *Angelo Abenante (1927–2024), Italian trade unionist and politician *Angelo Accardi, Italian visual artist * Angelo Accat ...
, Joël Botma,
Ilja Reijngoud Ilja Reijngoud (born 5 July 1972) is a Dutch people, Dutch jazz trombonist, composer, arranger and educator who has played with many renowned artists. He won the Thelonious Monk Award in 2003. Biography Ilja Reijngoud was born in Leiden in the N ...
,
Efe Erdem Agencia EFE, S.A. () is a Spanish international news agency, the major Spanish-language multimedia news agency and the world's fourth largest wire service after the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse. EFE was created in 1939 by ...
, Efraïm Trujillo, Bart van der Putten, Frans Vermeerssen, Jesse Schilderink, Aty de Windt, André Groen, Danny Rombout and Martin Gort entitled "El XYZ de Son Bent Braam". In 1988, Braam was honoured with the Podium prize and in 1997 he got Dutch most important jazz prize, the
VPRO/Boy Edgar Award The VPRO/Boy Edgar Award, is an annual award given to a Dutch jazz musician, composer, or bandleader. The individual must have made significant contributions to the Dutch jazz scene over a significant period of time. The award is a sculpture by Dut ...
.


Selected compositions

* ''De Parkeermeterfabriek'' for Big Band (Music Meeting 1986) * ''De AABA suite'' for Big Band (Gelderland 1986) * ''Koeien en Beesten'' for 4 clarinets and piano (NOS 1988) * ''Sopraantje'', an operette for vocal & 11 musicians (Hoge School vd Kunsten Arnhem 1993) * ''Worms is Back'' for piano (Marcel Worms 1998) * ''Alle 13 goed'' for Bik Bent Braam (1999) * ''Kwertie for male vocal quartet'' (Mezzo Macho 2000) * ''Bik Bent Braam Goes Bonsai'' (2002) * ''13 Concerten for Bik Bent Braam'' (2005) * ''Nopera'' (2007) * Extremen for Bik Bent Braam (2008) * Non-Functionals for Michiel Braam's Wurli Trio (2008) * Quartet for Trio BraamDeJoodevatcher (2009) * Serendipities for Bik Bent Braam (2010) * On The Move for Michiel Braam's Hybrid 10tet (2011) * Exit for Bik Bent Braam (2012) * 3 for eBraam (2012) * Black to White for Matangi String Quartet (2013) * Lucebert for Flex Bent Braam (2013) * The Extraordinary Love Story Of Aye Aye And Fedor for eBraam (Ana Isabel Ordonez, 2014) * Marjan, Valencia, Sissi for Nos Otrobanda (2016) * A Malicious Teleological Primordiality for Hawinkels Band (2017) * El XYZ de Son Bent Braam for Son Bent Braam (2019)


Discography

*''Oeps!'' (Solo, 1989) *''Bentje Braam'' (1990) *''Rompiendo La Rutina'' (European Danzón Orchestra, 1991) *''Howdy!'' (Bik Bent Braam, 1993) *''Jazzs'' (Two Penguins in the desert, 1994) *''One For Rahsaan'' (Frans Vermeerssen Quintet, 1995) *''Het XYZ der Bik Bent Braam'' (1996) *''Niet met de deuren slaan'' (Bo's Art Trio, 1997) *''Monk Materials'' (Trio BraamDeJoodeVatcher, 1990) / Playing the second Coolbook (Bentje Braam, 1998) *''Zwart Wit'' (Bik Bent Braam, 1999) *''13'' (Bik Bent Braam, 2000) *''Colors'' (Trio BraamDeJoodeVatcher, 2002) *''Bik Bent Braam Goes Bonsai'' (2002) *''Foamy Wife Hum/Line'' (All Ears, 2003) *''Michiel vs Braam'' (Solo, 2004) *''Growing Pains'' (Bik Bent Braam, 2004) *''Cobra'' (Bo's Art Trio, 2002/2004) *''Change this Song'' (Trio BraamDeJoodeVatcher, 2006) *''Hosting Changes'' (Michiel Braam's Wurli Trio, 2006) *''Extremen'' (Bik Bent Braam, 2008) *''Non-Functionals'' (Michiel Braam's Wurli Trio, 2008) *''Quartet'' (Trio BraamDeJoodeVatcher, 2009) *''Quintet'' (Trio BraamDeJoodeVatcher, 2010) *''On The Move'' (Michiel Braam's Hybrid 10tet, 2011) *''3'' (eBraam, 2012) *''Lucebert'' (Flex Bent Braam, 2012) *''Live at Novara'' (Olanda in Due, 2013) *''Aye'' (eBraam plus Dean Bowman, 2015) *''Gloomy Sunday'' (Solo album, 2016) *''The Curaçao Experience'' (Nos Otrobanda, 2016) *''40 jaar na P.'' (Hawinkels Band, 2017) *''Crime'' (Penguins Too, 2018) *''Live at JazzCase'' (Reeds & Deeds, 2019)


References


External links


Michiel Braam's Homepage

Michiel Braam Facebook

Michiel Braam Twitter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Braam, Michiel Modal jazz pianists Free jazz pianists Jazz-rock pianists Living people Dutch jazz pianists Dutch composers Musicians from Nijmegen 1964 births Avant-garde jazz pianists 21st-century Dutch pianists