Interview de Frank Roberscheuten

Frank Roberscheuten est un saxophoniste Hollandais de jazz « classique » et un pédagogue qui évolue sur la scène Européenne depuis de nombreuses années. Il organise tous les ans des Workshops de jazz traditionnel, dont un fameux à Ascona sur les bords du lac Majeur en Suisse Italienne. Ce stage réunit une dizaine de « teachers » et une cinquantaine de « students », pendant une semaine au début du mois de novembre, dans un cadre somptueux !

DJ : Hi Frank, can you tell us a bit about you ? your musical background, influences etc…‌

FR : I started playing the clarinet at age 12 and joined the local woodwind orchestra. Soon after that I got interested in Jazz, besides classical music. After winning a prize in Holland, my band got to perform at the Montreux Jazz festival in 1982. This was the beginning of my career as a professional musician.

My main influences are the musicians from New-Orleans and Duke Ellington.

DJ : How and why did you move to jazz music ?

FR : I got in touch with Jazz through a friend who had some recordings of the Dutch Swing College Band. This was a popular group in Holland and for many Dutch musicians this was the first exposure to jazz.

DJ : How would you define Jazz music in one phrase ?

FR : Jazz Music is American Music in which musicians have the freedom to improvise around the melody and/or the harmonies.
Soon after that I started listening to more original musicians.

DJ : If you were a standard ?…

FR : Daydream (Billy Strayhorn)

DJ : You are organizing several workshops in Europe and also a jazz swing festival, can you tell us about the Ascona workshop that takes place in November every year in Ascona (Swiss), since 25 years…

FR : This is a wonderful event over one week where 11 teachers meet around 45 students. We all stay in Hotel Ascona where there are several teaching rooms with piano’s. Every day we work with the students to improve there knowledge of traditional Jazz.

It is an event where the social aspect is just as important as the musical aspect, just like in Jazz. 


ascona workhop

DJ : What are your next projects ?

FR : Next I will be working with « The Three Wise Men » and « Nicki Parrott All Stars ». Also with Michel Pastre and Malo Mazurie we are working on a new group, The Fletcher Henderson Project. To be continued !!

DJ : Thanks Frank ! Looking forward to the next workshop !

Vous pouvez vous inscrire à ce magnifique stage ! L’équipe pédagogique et l’accueil sont fantastiques ! Des jams ont lieu tous les soirs.

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