Ruud Jacobs and The International Youth Band

[Durium]

Ruud Jacobs, Dutch bass player and producer for over fifty-five years, was selected in 1958 to play the double bass at the International Youth Band, better known as Babel's Band, scheduled at the 1958 Newport festival ............ The first contribution in Keep (it) Swinging is entitled Babel Band's Birth, and the opener of a series of blogs which will recollect this event, which was remembered by Ruud in 1958 as: 't was fantastisch ( = it was great).

Babel Band's Birth

Durium

[JSngry]

The took a shot and got a shot, andnow they come to dilvver the bill

Pot roast naybudy?

[Durium]

The took a shot and got a shot, andnow they come to dilvver the bill

Pot roast naybudy?

I wonder what you want to tell me :-(

[clifford_thornton]

Beats me.

Pim & Ruud = greatness.

[Durium]

When George Wein and Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Brown took off for Europe in mid-winter (1958) to recruit a band of top young sidemen from 16 countries, they carried with them only a dream of such a band. When they returned to the US in late Msrch, they brought back a reality. The Dutch auditions for the Babel's Band, De Toren van Babelband, were scheduled at the Bellevue Theatre in Amsterdam, March 1958: The Battle of Newport

Part 2 - Newport '58: The Battle of Newport

Durium

[Durium]

In spring 1958 George Wein and Marshall Brown hopscotched Europe conducting auditions on a back-breaking schedule ..... They heard hundreds upon hundreds of musicians, amateur, professional, and every stop in between. In a series of blogs Ruud Jacobs, Dutch bass player, remembers his debut at Newport. Today Ruud won't speak, but you can learn more about the brass section, Brown selected for his International Youth Band, aka the Babel's Band

Part 3: Newport '58: The brass section of the Babel's Band

Durium

Edited November 26, 2012 by Durium

[Big Beat Steve]

In a series of blogs Ruud Jacobs, Dutch bass player, remembers his debut at Newport. Today Ruud won't speak, but you can learn more about the brass section ...

AN interesting (if controversial) topic, this International "Youth" band.

Just out of sheer curiosity: What do you mean by "Today Ruud won't speak"?

Is he no longer able to (health-wise) or is he UNWILLING to discuss this subject?

[Durium]

In a series of blogs Ruud Jacobs, Dutch bass player, remembers his debut at Newport. Today Ruud won't speak, but you can learn more about the brass section ...

AN interesting (if controversial) topic, this International "Youth" band.

Just out of sheer curiosity: What do you mean by "Today Ruud won't speak"?

Is he no longer able to (health-wise) or is he UNWILLING to discuss this subject?

Neither both suggestions - I would have said that this time I'm introducing you to the members of the brass section and that's why Ruud, who is a bass player, has no part in this blog ...... In December i'll inuduce the reeds - and rhythm section. He'll be back in January 2013 when we discuss the trip to the US and the two weeks rehearsals, July 1958 - So don't worry about Ruud.

Durium

[Big Beat Steve]

You know ... the reason I was asking is that - judging by contemporary writeups - this particular Newport tour was taken VERY, VERY badly by a significant number of the European participants once they arrived on U.S. soil and saw what they had to put up with (not least of all due to the "Mr knows it all" attitude of Marshall Brown). Bernt Rosengren from Sweden wrote some extremely candid and bitter reports about the Stateside experiences in contemporary Swedish jazz mags and if only half of what he wrote is true it is easy to see why he felt the urge to publicly let off steam. So I would not have been that surprised if the memories of Ruud Jacobs had not mellowed in full even after all these decades either and he still had somewhat ill feelings about that tour.

Edited November 26, 2012 by Big Beat Steve

[Durium]

Back in the US Marshall Brown selected, with the help of his extensive notes, he made during the numerous auditions all along Europe, the members for his International Youth Band to play at the 1958 Newport Festival. Ruud Jacobs, a young Dutch bass player was invited to represent Holland - sixteen other young talented European jazz musicians got an invitation too. Today an introduction to the reed section.

Newport '58: The reed section

Durium

[AllenLowe]

Brown was a major pain in the ass; told everybody what to do, not just these kids, but PeeWee Russell, Red Allen, and Dick Katz.

[Durium]

Marshall Brown and George Wein joined, spring 1958, within a few weeks span, dozens of auditions .. "they hopscotched Europe conducting auditions on a back-braking schedule." They heard a hundred young talented musicians. "If we were able to take everyone who impressed us, we’d have 13 trumpets, 9 trombones … that kind of band ..." Marshall Bronw told the journalists at the airport when they returned from their search for members of their band. It was a pity that a young talented Spanish piano player was not available - the Swiss piano player George Gruntz, who passed away a couple of weeks ago, was invited. The guitar player was found in the States - a political refugee, a talent on his instrument. Dutch bass player Ruud Jacobs represented The Netherlands.

The rhythm section of the Babel's Band

Durium

Edited January 30, 2013 by Durium

[Durium]

Finally ..... June 1958 - Brussels Airport Zavetem: The trip to Newport would start for fourteen excited young European musician, including Dutch bass player Ruud Jacobs ... They all hoped to make it in The States, but the start - the first rehearsals - were rather disappointing ... Marshall Brown: A moody, nervous band leader who built a Tower of Babel.

Newport '58: A Tower of Babel

Durium

BTW: I wonder if visitors of this forum can help me with photos or aditional info about this 1958 Youth band. contact me off-list.

Thanks Steve for our kind support.

[Durium]

Dutch trombonist Paul Duynhouwer was invited by John Lewis in the summer of 1958 for a scholarship at the famous Lenox School of Jazz. He met Ruud Jacobs by accident in a jazz club, Birdland, at a concert. Ruud was selected to be the bass player in the 1958 Newport International Youth Band. He was familiar with some of the trombonists, who were selected for the orchestra: Albert Mangelsdorff, Kurt Jarnberg and Christian Kellens.
The mutual relations between director Marshall Brown and the members of the band were completely fouled up ...

Paul Duynhouwer remembers the International Youth Band

Durium

[Durium]

The Tower of Babel's band at Newport 1958

The 1958 Newport concert

The 1958 Blokker concert:

Durium