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Dick
Willebrandts’ big band often performed for the by the Nazis controlled Dutch radio. From August 1943 until September 1944 several recordings were made for propaganda purposes which were broadcast via the broadcaster Calais II, the new name of the Dutch radio station Hilversum II. Dick
346:. It was agreed upon with the sixteen members of his orchestra that Dick Willebrandts and his orchestra would continue to play because they all had families to support. Calais II was part of the German Europasender during the Nazi regime, and the counterpart of the British
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Nazi
Germany was defeated between 4 and 8 May 1945 during which the remaining German armed forces surrendered unconditionally. This resulted in the liberation of the Netherlands on 5 May 1945. Now life became briefly difficult for Dick Willebrandts. Just like
208:. Around 1928 Willebrandts became a member of German and Danish big bands who performed in the Netherlands. Between 1935 and 1937 Willebrandts was a pianist with “The Internationals”, a big band formed by Jack de Vries (1906-1976) and his brother the jazz
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was at hand. Dick
Willebrandts' big band was disbanded. Some musicians were arrested, others had to go in hiding, like Willebrandts himself. Dick Willebrandts gave financial help and shelter to two Jewish families in his family home in Rotterdam and in
392:, who had equally played for the Germans during the occupation, Willebrandts was not allowed to lead a big band for a period of six months. During this time Willebrandts worked as a pianist in a bar in his home town of Rotterdam.
264:, a government agency in Nazi Germany that was extended to the occupied territories. A rejected inscription resulted in an occupational ban. The Nederlandsche Kultuurkamer played an important role in the Nazi oppression of
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Grannyphone published in 1989 a cd “Dick
Willebrandts and his Radio-Orchestra” with previously unrecorded numbers which Willebrandts had played for the Deutsche Europasender (D.E.S.) in 1943. This cd was rewarded with an
330:: “Diep in mijn hart” (“Deep in My Heart”) (1943) and “Denk je nog aan die tijd' (“Do You Remember Those Days”) (1943). Both songs were recorded between August and December 1943 in
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invaded the
Netherlands on 10 May 1940, the AVRO Dance Orchestra was forced to disband. Willebrandts continued to perform for the Dutch radio from 1940 to 1942. In 1942 he found a
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The son of Dirk
Willebrandts and Sara Bongers, Dick Willebrandts was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He married Maria Margaretha Lucas on 9 October 1935.
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The vocalists were Jan de Vries and Nelly
Verschuur. During World War II Nelly Verschuur was very successful, especially with two songs both written by
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In 1960 the trombonist and band leader Pi
Scheffer asked Willebrandts to join the radio orchestra, the “OK Wobblers”. To honour Willebrandts the
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In 1947 Willebrandts was re-employed by the AVRO and in 1955 he once again became a band leader of an orchestra and a
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of which he recovered, yet it ended his career. He died on 29 December 1970 as the result of a fatal heart attack.
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who helped him to form a big band: Dick
Willebrandts and His Dance Orchestra. Recordings were made by
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547:: Research in 1946 based on two letters dated August 1946 and 28 August 1946 by Holocaust survivors.
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played the trombone in
Willebrandts’ big band. Dick Willebrandts and his band blended jazz and
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had been liberated which caused rumours that the liberation of the occupied Netherlands by the
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in order to be allowed to perform before an audience. Each big band had to be a member of the
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Doctor Jazz Magazine and the Jazz Foundation Doctor Jazz, Traditional Jazz 1900-1955.
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Willebrandts was "dienstverpflichtet" by the German occupiers to work for the
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as a pianist with the AVRO Dance Orchestra, the band leader of which was
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Denk je nog wel eens aan dien tijd? (Do You Remember Those Days?), 1943.
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set up by his brother Philip Willebrandts, for whom he wrote several
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338:. Nelly Verschuur also sang the English version “Deep in my Heart”.
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Het komt wel weer in orde (Everything Will Be Alright), July 1943.
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In 1925 Dick Willebrandts started his career as a pianist in the
597:(Jazz & Improvised Music in the Netherlands), Wim van Eyle,
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for the Deutsche Europasender (D.E.S.) in Studio B of the Dutch
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As the war continued the big bands had to commit to a special
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Among the members of Willebrandts' big band were Wim Kroon (
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Dutch Jazz Archive, The Story of Dutch Jazz: Jazz Heroes.
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From 1937 to 1940 Willebrandts was employed by the Dutch
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447:Ratten op zolder (Rats in the Attic), April 1944.
215:(1905-1935). Louis died in a car crash in 1935.
595:Jazz & Geimproviseerde Muziek in Nederland
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371:so as to avoid their deportation during the
463:Diep in mijn hart (Deep in My Heart), 1943.
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170:, 29 July 1911 – 29 December 1970) was a
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557:Music Encyclopedia, Dick Willebrandts.
442:Wenteltrap (Spiral Stairs), May 1943.
260:, the Dutch equivalent of the German
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575:External links and further reading
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503:The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz
423:In 1963 Dick Willebrandts had a
567:Leeuwarder Courant, 31-12-1970.
268:and music that was considered "
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469:I Cover the Waterfront, 1943.
344:Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft
283:, 5 June 1943, announcing a
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258:Nederlandsche Kultuurkamer
164:Dick Abraham Willebrandts
48:Dick Abraham Willebrandts
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436:With the dance orchestra
336:Broadcasting Corporation
315:, composer and arranger
262:Reich Chamber of Culture
32:Dick Willebrandts, 1943.
530:The Dutch Jazz Archive.
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85:Rotterdam, Netherlands
38:Background information
640:20th-century pianists
352:Soldatensender Calais
279:Advertisement in the
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193:Early life and career
601:, 1978, p. 152.
458:With Nelly Verschuur
419:Retirement and death
281:Algemeen Handelsblad
625:Dutch jazz pianists
505:, 2nd edition, ed.
303:), Tony van Hulst (
295:), Aldert Dekker (
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635:Swing bandleaders
586:Dick Willebrandts
541:Nationaal Archief
519:Keeping Swinging.
309:brass instruments
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79:December 29, 1970
20:Dick Willebrandts
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630:Jazz bandleaders
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247:Decca Records
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599:Het Spectrum
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425:heart attack
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409:Edison Award
404:record label
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390:The Ramblers
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379:Later career
350:broadcaster
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239:Nazi Germany
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233:World War II
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206:arrangements
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140:Years active
81:(1970-12-29)
620:1970 deaths
615:1911 births
431:Discography
356:Mad Tuesday
317:Pi Scheffer
227:Hans Mossel
220:broadcaster
111:Occupations
70:Netherlands
609:Categories
474:References
313:Trombonist
266:modern art
254:repertoire
183:bandleader
131:Instrument
117:bandleader
59:1911-07-29
44:Birth name
545:The Hague
373:Holocaust
369:Hilversum
332:Hilversum
301:saxophone
210:trumpeter
168:Rotterdam
144:1925–1963
66:Rotterdam
590:AllMusic
354:. After
179:composer
120:composer
509:, 1988.
375:years.
285:concert
243:sponsor
185:in the
175:pianist
123:pianist
305:guitar
202:sextet
149:Labels
90:Genres
360:Breda
297:drums
237:When
189:era.
187:swing
172:Dutch
134:Piano
102:swing
293:bass
223:AVRO
181:and
97:Jazz
76:Died
53:Born
588:at
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166:(
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57:(
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