Raoul van der Weide

Raoul van der Weide (Fontenailles, Fr, 1949) played classical violin for six years in his

youth, including a stint in the Noord Hollands Youth Orchestra. Later as an improvising

double bass player he developed his personal language largerly through selfstudy. He did

however study classical double bass with John Clayton and Norma Brooks and counterpoint

with composer/pianist Guus Janssen.

Inspirational and influential composed/improvised voices, noises and concepts came from a

diversity of fine musicans like P Termos, G Janssen, M Mengelberg, S Lacy, J Giuffre, Munir

Bashir, L Tristano, D Bailey, Ch Mingus, Th Monk, O Coleman, D Reinhard to mention a few.

As a (free) improviser his creative focus centers on the exploration of limitless sound

possibilities of the instrument, and its unique potential for new techniques and expressions.

Inventing the double bass everyday again from zero point perspective, opens and deepens

a surprising rich improvising universe that invites communication.

‘Passages; 10 pieces for Paul Termos’- solo double bass, 2005. GeestGronden GG24.e.nl

contact: Westerdok 9 / 1013 AZ Amsterdam NL