View source for Pierre Courbois

{{Short description|Dutch jazz drummer, bandleader, and composer (born 1940)}}
{{nofootnotes|date=June 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
[[File:Pierre courbois-1552579681.jpg|thumb|]]
'''Pierre Courbois''' (born 23 April 1940 in [[Nijmegen]], [[Netherlands]]) is a Dutch jazz drummer, bandleader, and composer.

==Career==
He is the younger brother of actress [[Kitty Courbois]].<ref name="NOS2017">{{cite web|url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2162808-als-ik-niet-speel-gaat-het-niet-goed-met-me|title='Als ik niet speel, gaat het niet goed met me'|last=|first=|website=[[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|NOS]]|date=March 12, 2017|access-date=May 16, 2025|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250516172439/https://nos.nl/artikel/2162808-als-ik-niet-speel-gaat-het-niet-goed-met-me|archive-date=May 16, 2025}}</ref> After studying percussion at the ''Hogeschool der Kunsten'' in [[Arnhem]], Courbois left for [[Paris]], the center of jazz in Europe in the early 1960s. He worked with pianist [[Kenny Drew]], violinist [[Jean-Luc Ponty]], saxophonists [[Eric Dolphy]], [[Ben Webster]], [[Stan Getz]], and [[Johnny Griffin]], and guitarist [[René Thomas (guitarist)|René Thomas]].

Courbois was one of the first musicians {{citation needed|date=November 2016}} in Europe to experiment with [[free jazz]].  In 1961 he became the drummer and leader of the (Original Dutch) Free Jazz Quartet. In 1965 he started another group, the Free Music Quintet, composed of international musicians. He also played and recorded with [[Gunter Hampel]]'s Heartplants Group with Manfred Schoof and Alexander von Schlippenbach.

In 1969 Courbois founded the first {{citation needed|date=November 2016}} European jazz-rock group, Association P.C. This ensemble, winner of the ''Down Beat'' poll, existed until 1975 with [[Toto Blanke]], Sigi Busch, different keyboardists, including [[Jasper van 't Hof]], [[Joachim Kühn]] and [[Sigi Kessler]]. In 1982 he founded New Association with Heribert Wagner, Ben Gerritsen and Ferdi Rikkers. He has also played with the pianists [[Mal Waldron]], and Rein de Graaff, horn players [[Willem Breuker]], [[Hans Dulfer]] and Theo Loevendie, and Ali Haurand's European Jazz Quintet with Gerd Dudeck, Leszek Zadlo and Alan Skidmore.

In 1992 Courbois started a quintet  and for the first time in his career performed pieces all composed by himself. This ensemble pleasantly surprised both the critics and the public {{citation needed|date=November 2016}} with a return to the [[Charles Mingus]] tradition - thematic, melodic ensemble jazz and an experimentation with linear improvisation. In 1999 he founded the Double Quintet and in 2003 the Five Four Sextet, with Eric Vloeimans, [[Ilja Reijngoud]], Jasper Blom, Paul van Kemenade, and Niko Langenhuijsen.

During the 1994 [[North Sea Jazz Festival]] the [[Bird Award]], the highest award in the Dutch Jazz World, was bestowed upon Courbois.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}} Since 2000 he has been a [[Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau]] and in 2008 he received the [[VPRO / Boy Edgar Award]].{{citation needed|date=April 2015}}

==Discography==
* ''Perpetuum Mobile'' with Jasper van 't Hof (Varajazz, 1981)
* ''Independence'' (Timeless, 1983)
* ''Live in Germany'' (A Records, 1996)
* ''Reouverture'' (Challenge, 1997)
* ''Unsquare Roots'' (Calibre, 2000)
* ''Revocation: Live at the Bimhuis'' (Daybreak, 2007)

'''With Association'''
* ''Earwax''  (Munich, 1970)
* ''Sun Rotation'' (MPS, 1972)
* ''Rock Around the Cock'' (MPS, 1973)
* ''Erna Morena'' (MPS, 1973)
* ''Mama Kuku'' (MPS, 1974)

'''With New Association'''
* ''To Be Continued'' (BV Haast, 1984)
* ''Four Wheel Drive'' (Inak, 1987)

'''With Compass'''
* ''Sanstitre'' (Traction Avant, 1987)

===As sideman===
'''With [[Gunter Hampel]]'''
* ''Heartplants'' (SABA, 1965)
* ''Music from Europe'' (ESP Disk, 1967)
* ''Gunter Hampel Group + Jeanne Lee'' (WERGO, 1969)
* ''Legendary: The 27th of May 1997'' (Birth, 1998)

'''With others'''
* [[Willem Breuker]], ''Contemporary Jazz from Holland: Litany for the 14th of June 1966'' (Relax, 1966)
* [[Peter Brotzmann]], ''Mayday'' (Corbett vs. Dempsey,  2010)
* [[Lol Coxhill]], ''Ear of Beholder'' (Dandelion, 1971)
* [[Lol Coxhill]], Jasper Van't Hof, ''Toverbal Sweet'' (Mushroom, 1972)
* [[Gerd Dudek]], Leszek Zadlo, Alan Skidmore, ''III'' (Fusion, 1982)
* [[J. R. Monterose]], Jon Eardley, Rein De Graaff, ''Body and Soul'' (Munich, 1970)
* [[Ramses Shaffy]], ''Sunset Sunkiss'' (Philips, 1969)
* [[Mal Waldron]], ''[[A Little Bit of Miles]]'' (Freedom, 1974)
* Mal Waldron, ''[[Blues for Lady Day]]'' (Black Lion, 1993)

==Electoral history==
{{Incomplete list|date=December 2023}}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" border=2 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 style="border: 1px #aaa solid; font-size: 90%; text-align:center;"
|+ {{sronly|Electoral history of Pierre Courbois}}
! scope="col" rowspan=2 |Year
! scope="col" rowspan=2 |Body
! scope="col" colspan=2 rowspan=2 |Party
! scope="col" rowspan=2 |{{abbr|2=Position on the party list|Pos.}}
! scope="col" rowspan=2 |Votes
! scope="colgroup" colspan=2 |Result
! scope="col" rowspan=2 class="unsortable" |{{abbr|2=References|Ref}}.
|-
! scope="col" |Party seats
! scope="col" |Individual
|-
! scope="row" | [[2023 Dutch general election|2023]]
| [[House of Representatives (Netherlands)|House of Representatives]]
| style="background-color:{{party color|Socialist Party (Netherlands)}};"|
| [[Socialist Party (Netherlands)|Socialist Party]]
| style=text-align:right | [[List of Socialist Party candidates in the 2023 Dutch general election|49]]{{efn|Courbois participated as a {{lang|nl|[[lijstduwer]]}}.}}
| style=text-align:right | 102
| style=text-align:right | 5
| {{no2|Lost}}
| <ref>{{Cite web |url = https://www.kiesraad.nl/adviezen-en-publicaties/proces-verbalen/2023/12/04/proces-verbaal-van-de-uitslag-van-de-tweede-kamerverkiezing-2023 |website = Dutch Electoral Council |language = nl |access-date = 21 December 2023 |format = PDF |date = 4 December 2023 |title = Proces-verbaal van de uitslag van de verkiezing van de Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal 2023 d.d. 4 december 2023 |trans-title = Report of the results of the election of the House of Representatives on 4 December 2023 |pages = 43–44 }}</ref>
|}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

* Ian Carr, Brian Priestley, Digby Fairweather (eds.): ''Rough Guide Jazz. Der ultimative Führer zum Jazz''. Metzler Verlag, Stuttgart 1999, {{ISBN|3-476-01584-X}}
* Wolf Kampmann (ed.): ''Reclams Jazzlexikon''. Reclam, Stuttgart 2003, {{ISBN|978-3-15-010528-3}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Courbois, Pierre}}
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Musicians from Nijmegen]]
[[Category:Dutch jazz bandleaders]]
[[Category:Dutch jazz composers]]
[[Category:Dutch jazz drummers]]
[[Category:European Jazz Ensemble members]]
[[Category:Dutch male drummers]]
[[Category:Male jazz composers]]