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Louis van Dijk

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Louis van Dijk, also written Louis van Dyke, was one of the best-known Dutch pianists, with a career of more than fifty years in jazz and classical music. He was born in Amsterdam in 1941 as Arnold Ludwig van Dijk. His father was the sexton of the Prinsessekerk, where he heard the organist Piet van Egmond play. In 1959 he entered the Amsterdam Conservatory, where he studied piano with Jaap Callenbach. As early as 1961 he won the Jazzconcours, and in 1964 he graduated cum laude in classical piano. He developed, however, as a jazz pianist, with Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans and Bud Powell as his great examples.

Music and breakthrough

For years Van Dijk worked with Ramses Shaffy and Liesbeth List in the ensemble Shaffy Chantant. Later he often played with Pim Jacobs and Pieter van Vollenhoven as Gevleugelde Vrienden. His records appeared in the form of a trio, quartet or quintet, and with, among others, Toots Thielemans, Thijs van Leer, Rogier van Otterloo and the Rosenberg Trio. That list includes titles such as Louis van Dyke Plays Lennon-McCartney from 1970, Bluesette from 1972 and Sketches on Bach from 1974.

Influence

Van Dijk was known for his talent for improvisation, even within the classical repertoire. He showed how Bach, the Beatles and jazz can come together on one piano. He died in Laren in 2020.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Sketches on Bach and notice how he takes over a Baroque melody and plays a jazz rhythm and improvisations of his own around it. Can you hear where Bach ends and Van Dijk begins?

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists