Hein Van de Geyn
bass
The Netherlands
Dutch Master bassist Hein van de Geyn lived and worked in Seattle in 1980, and in San Francisco from the following year.
After his return to Europe in 1983, he established himself as one of the most sought after bass players in Europe.
He was the bass player with Philip Catherine between 1985 and 1995 and recorded 9 CD’s with him.In 1987 he toured and recorded in Japan with Chet Baker. Hein was also the bassist for Chet’s last concert of in Rotterdam in 1988. This was also the year Hein started to play with, and arrange for Dee Dee Bridgewater, with whom he has been performing at most of the important festivals and stages in Europe, as well as in the USA, and Japan. After three albums and numerous tours and performances Hein and Dee Dee’s paths separated in 1996 since Hein wanted to pursue his own career as a leader and producer.
In July 1990 Hein made the first album under his own name, in duo with Lee Konitz. Several tours followed.
In 1994 he created his group BASELINE with John Abercrombie and Joe LaBarbara. This group recorded several albums and toured all over Europe.
Also in 1994, Van de Geyn co-founded the jazz label Challenge Records, for which he was in charge of artists and repertoire.
In 1996 he became head of the bass section in the jazz department of the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. That same year, he also was awarded the prestigious Prins Bernhard Foundation Music Prize for his importance in the development of European Jazz, as well as for his stimulating role as mentor and producer of many young musicians in Holland.
During a sabbatical period spent in South Africa in 2001/2002 Hein started writing his “Comprehensive Bass Method”. This extensive method on bass playing (950 pages) became available in 2007 and is slowly becoming a standard work for the jazz double bass worldwide.
From 2008 to 2010 Hein was the artistic manager of the Rotterdam Jazz Academy.
In 2010 Hein decided to basically stop his career as a performing bassist and he moved with his family to South Africa, After running a 4-star guest house together with his wife Cyrille, they started a flourishing artisanal bakery.
Hein is a part-time lecturer at the university of Cape Town (UCT) and is writing educational material.
Hein’s playing can be heard on over 100 recordings
Artist on GAM Records
Beauty & the Prince
Guitarist Jeanfrançois Prins has once again created a rich, multi-textured musical tapestry with a collection of grooving jazz standards, originals, and fusion tunes. The interaction between Prins and his band, each a world-renowned player in his own right, shows the intense listening and mutual inspiration felt by all.