Keep (it) Swinging: Rony Verbiest acc. by the De Cauter Family

Rony Verbiest acc. by the De Cauter Family ( English) morgen: Rony Verbiest met de familie De Cauter (Nederlands) ( To a (selected) Rony Verbiest - De Cauter Discograpy )
RONY VERBIEST accomp. by the DE CAUTER FAMILY ( Koen - Waso and Dajo) in PORGY EN BESS
Hans Koert
In the Porgy en Bess Jazz Club in Terneuzen, in the southwest part of the Netherlands, Rony Verbiest and the De Cauter family played at the so-called Nieuwsjaarsconcert, the New Year concert scedulded on the 18th of January 2009. The club was jam-packed thanks to a lot of people from Belgium, who wanted to hear this unique group.

Rony Verbiest ( Porgy en Bess Jazz Club - Terneuzen - January 2009) ( photo courtesy Hans Koert)

A year ago Rony Verbiest performed in Porgy en Bess with bass player Hein Van de Geyn and vocalist and actress Cyrille Carreon and for me, and the audience in the club, this concert was a bit disappointed, so it was good to have Rony Verbiest back on stage, to take revenge. And he did! In a relaxed and swinging concert the audience enjoyed a great performance of this popular accordionist together with the Koen De Cauter family ( Koen, Waso and Dajo)

Rony Verbiest ( Porgy en Bess Jazz Club - Terneuzen - January 2009) ( photo courtesy Hans Koert)
Rony Verbiest, born in Zelzate, on the Dutch-Belgian border, in the summer of 1956, plays the accordion since he was a young child, raised in a musical family – his father, Michel was a skilled accordion player too. Later he studied the drums and saxophone. After he left the School of Music in Ghent, Belgium, he started as a professional player on saxophone at La Musique Royale des Guides, a band that played classical music, but he was also fascinated by jazz music and played with Johnny Griffin, Rob Madna, Jeff Clayton and the Belgian Etienne Verschueren, leader of the BRT big-band, who loved to play the accordion too. Rony is an expert on baritone saxophone, but at this concert he played the accordion ( and on one tune the harmonica).

Koen De Cauter (Porgy en Bess - January 2009) ( photo courtesy Hans Koert)

He took up the accordion again in the 1990s when he accompanied the Flemish singer Johan Verminnen. He loves to play this instrument and during this concert they played several swing tunes, like Avalon and I Got Rhythm; classical tunes, like The Blue Danube and a tune by Irving Berlin My Walkin' Stick sung in a humouristic way by Koen; French chansons, like Le Parapluie originally sung by George Brassens; tangos like El Choclo or musettes made famous by Jo Privat and Gus Viseur, his model on the accordion in the swing-musette tradition.

Rony Verbiest (Porgy en Bess - January 2009) (photo courtesy Hans Koert)

Rony brought three members of the De Cauter family to Terneuzen: Koen De Cauter and two of his sons, Waso and Dajo. Koen De Cauter founded, together with Fapy Lafertin, his Waso Quartet in 1975, named after his first child. This group became very popular during the 1970s and 1980s, which played in the Hot Club du France-style made famous by Django Reinhardt in the 1930s and 1940s.

Waso De Cauter (Porgy en Bess - January 2009) (photo courtesy Hans Koert)

They started the concert with the well known Django Reinhardt composition Swing 42, a great tune, with a smooth tone, swinging and with that typically belle pompe des manouches, the steady beat of the Hot Club jazz and I realized how varied and divers jazz music can be, and how important it is to listen to all kinds of music styles, like this Hot Club swing. Koen and his sons, together with accordion virtuoso Rony Verbiest played some Argentine tangos, gypsy -music, French chansons all served up with a certain amount of Flemish humour, like a play upon words around the famous composer Cole Porter, only the Dutch and Flemish audience understood, announcing his compositions Anything Goes.

De Cauter Family ( f.l.t.r. Waso, Dajo and Koen De Cauter) (Porgy en Bess - January 2009) (photo courtesy Hans Koert)
Both Waso De Cauter on the rhythm guitar as Dajo De Cauter at the bass did do a good job. Both have been raised into music, thanks to their father and are active in numerous other bands too. Waso is now active in his project Radio Lume which combines gypsy music, Flamenco and jazz. He's also producer and loves to makes cover designs for record productions. Dajo, the youngest one of the two sons on stage, had brought his great love: Mijnen Bruinen Bas ( = My brown bass ), although I believe he also brought his wife an little child to this concert ( And why not? Learn young, learn fair). He is active in several jazz and folk bands in and around Ghent.

Dajo De Cauter ( Porgy en Bess - January 2009) (photo courtesy Hans Koert)
I was pleased that they played the musette Flambé Montalbanaise by Gus Viseur; one of the greatest accordion players of Belgium. A months ago I published an article about Gus Viseur written by Georg Lankester. I learned that I had one track in my collection, recorded by this great band (enlarged by Willy Seeuws on drums), titled ........... Flambé Montalbanaise as played by the Les P'tits Belges released on the 2CD 30 Jaar Breda Jazz Festival. (Feel The Jazz FTJ CD 60/61 )
This first concert was the great starter of the second part of jazz concerts scheduled at the Porgy en Bess Jazz club in Terneuzen – a great place to be !!
Hans Koert – keepswinging@live.nl

A (selected) RONY VERBIEST - DE CAUTER Family DISCOGRAPHY.
Both Rony Verbiest as the De Cauter family made numerous recordings, alone and with all kinds of groups. I found a few records where they play together. Enjoy this limited selective discography:

Musette - Les p'tits Belges - Destelbergen, België (Juni 1994 )
Koen De Cauter chante Brassens... Live - Koen De Cauter ( Westouter, april 1996)
Les P'tits Belges: 30 jaar Breda Jazz Festival (2000)
Djalt - Waso De Cauter presents The De Cauter family & friends ( Gent, summer of 2004)