Ruud Jacobs

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

Ruud Jacobs was born in 1938 in Hilversum and died in 2019 in Nieuwkoop. He was a Dutch double bassist and producer and the younger brother of the pianist Pim Jacobs. The brothers grew up in an artistic family, with a father who was an amateur pianist and a mother who taught ballet. Ruud began on the recorder at the age of eleven and within a few months was playing compositions by Charlie Parker. At thirteen he took up the alto saxophone, later the tenor saxophone, and at fifteen the double bass. He studied for four years at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.

Music and breakthrough

In the early 1950s the Trio Pim Jacobs came into being. It made its first LPs with, among others, Bud Shank, Bob Cooper, Tony Scott and Herbie Mann. In 1957 Ruud was chosen as the only bassist from Europe for the International Youth Band in the United States. There he played with, among others, Louis Armstrong. Afterwards he toured and recorded with, among others, Johnny Griffin, Kenny Clarke, Bud Powell, Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins and Sarah Vaughan.

Influence

From the 1960s came the great successes with the singer Rita Reys, who in 1960 was proclaimed Europe's First Lady of Jazz at the Juan-les-Pins festival. The trio with the guitarist Wim Overgaauw played without a drummer, following the example of the Oscar Peterson trio. In this way Ruud Jacobs was part of the foundation of Dutch jazz on the international scene.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 1998Hommage aan Rogier van Otterloo
• 2017Quartet-NL

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• After Hours: Session 3^NL Reader