BIO
…”Remco Keijzer really shines, with unique, well-crafted compositions and soulful playing”. Chris Potter
…”your tunes make me feel like jumping in and play them over and over”. Phil Markowitz
…”Remco Keijzer is one of my most dedicated students and has talent and knowledge way beyond his age”. Dick Oatts
Born in a small village near Amsterdam in Holland, Remco started playing the saxophone at age 9. In 1994 he began his studies at the Hilversum Conservatory. When he turned 21 he moved to Amsterdam to be part of the creative jazz scene. There he studied with saxophonists Jasper Blom and Ferdinand Povel. In Amsterdam he played with great musicians like Dick Oatts, Rick Margitza, Eric Vloeimans, Jesse Van Ruller and Benjamin Herman.
He founded the electrifying formation KEIJZER5 with the main young jazz musicians of the Amsterdam scene. In 2005 this band was featured at the first edition of the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam. Beside this original band Keijzer was also an in demand sideman with the Jazzorchestra Of The Concertgebouw, the Metropole Orchestra and the New Cool Collective.
He graduated in 2001 and received his master degree at the Conservatorium of Amsterdam. In that same year he took his change to move to New York and study at the Manhattan School Of Music. In New York he studied with Dick Oatts, David Liebman and Gary Dial and got inspired by jazz musicians like Seamus Blake, Ari Hoenig, Chris Potter, Walter Smith III en Jake Saslow. After his return to Holland he founded the successful New Generation Big Band with trumpeters Herwin Lokken and Robbert Scherpenisse. Beside a much spoken off concert at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 2006 this big band played a broad range of venues reaching not only diehard big band lovers but also a younger audience not as familiar with jazz music. From 2006 till the end of 2008 he was sideman with the dutch hiphop outfit Pete Philly and Perquisite playing saxophone, flute and EWI.
As a leader of his own group, composer and soloist he played venues in New York ,England, France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Australia. In 2007 he toured in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and Australia.
The Australian KMQ(Keijzer/McGuiness Quintet) was formulated during this tour. Their debut cd ‘The Seed Habit’ was released in march 2009 on Rufus Records/Universal.
Currently Remco is working on several projects in Australia and Holland writing new music and recording a new quartet and KMQ cd. The Remco Keijzer Quartet is playing in Sydney and Melbourne and features Matt McMahon, Ben Hauptman,Chris Hale, Brendan Clarke, Ben Vanderwal and Evan Mannell.
