Over the years, jazz pianist
Jasper van't Hof has issued solo recordings in addition to working with ensembles. Born on June 30, 1947, in Enschede, Netherlands,
van't Hof was born into a musically minded family, as his father was a professional trumpet player and his mother a classical singer, leading to the youngster taking piano lessons from the age of five. By his teenage years,
van't Hof knew that he wanted to pursue a career in music, playing in jazz bands in school, and by the age of 19 was playing at jazz festivals with such jazz notables as
Pierre Courbois and
Toto Blanke (it was while with
Blanke that
van't Hof co-founded a group called
Association P.C.). During the '70s,
van't Hof founded another outfit,
Pork Pie, teaming up with
Philip Catherine (guitar),
Charlie Mariano (saxophone),
Aldo Romano (drums), and J.F. Jennie Clarke (bass). Other bands that
van't Hof contributed to soon followed, including
Eyeball (which included sax player
Bob Malach), Netherlands Quartet, and
Pili Pili. Some solo titles that
van't Hof has issued throughout the years include Solo Piano,
Face to Face, and
Un Incontro Illusorio, among others. ~ Greg Prato