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In the late seventies Greetje Bijma began her musical career giving concerts for private audiences. Her concerts consisted of improvised songs, which she underlined with a few basic guitar chords. In 1979, she participated in the "Laren Jazzpodium". In 1980 the Canadian saxophone player and composer Alan Laurillard, who had settled permanently in the Netherlands, asked Greetje Bijma to join his Improvised Music Ensemble. Shortly afterwards, Alan Laurillard organised the Noodband, with Greetje Bijma as guest singer. After a successful concert at the "Groningse Jazzdagen" in 1981, they toured in The Netherlands and abroad. In 1983, Greetje decided to end her relationship with the Noodband. A few years later she formed her own band: the Greetje Bijma Quintet, with Alan Laurillard as the main composer and arranger. The international breakthrough of the Greetje Bijma Quintet came after a successful concert at the Jazzfest in the Philharmonie in Berlin in November, 1989. The complete concert was broadcast by German television. After this Greetje was invited by festival- and concertorganizers in several European countries. Another result was the cd-recording ‘Tales of a voice’ for the lable ENJA Records in Munich. In 1993 and 1995 Greetje Bijma toured throughout Europe with Marilyn Crispell (piano) and Mark Dresser (bass). The trio also recorded the cd ‘Barefoot’ (ENJA Records).
SoloprojectsSince the early nineties Greetje Bijma has concentrated on solo concerts. In these performances she attempts to exploit every possibility of her voice. These concerts take place in concert halls, theatres and galleries in The Netherlands and abroad. In 1993 Greetje Bijma prepared a special soloprogramme for children commissioned by Antwerp, during this year Cultural Main City of Europe. In 1998 she started her solo-theatreconcerts ‘Songs and Lyrics’ where Greetje combines her singing with poetry and literature.
Special projectsSometimes Greetje joins the Willem Breuker Kollektief, and she also performs with the Dutch composer/pianist Louis Andriessen. In 1994 Greetje Bijma joined the project Freezing Screens of Jasper van ‘t Hof (piano and synthesizer), together with the Swiss percussionist Pierre Favre. The succesful concert on the Donaueschinger Musiktage was live recorded by radio and published on cd (‘Freezing Screens’ - ENJA Records). In 1997 and 1998 Greetje Bijma joined Pierre Favre’s Singing Drums on several performances, including the International Jazzfest Berlin 1997. In 1998 and 2000, together with a symphony orchestra, she performed “Red Shoes”, a piece by the German composer Bernd Konrad about the life of Janis Joplin. Since 2002 Greetje Bijma has toured with the Dutch organist and harmonium player Klaas Hoek in the Netherlands, with a programme mix of improvisation, poetry and English folksongs.
AwardsIn december 1990 Greetje Bijma was presented with the Boy Edgar Award, the greatest honour awarded to a jazz artist in the Netherlands (and never before awarded to a lady). In 1992 a the Dutch radio programme by was awarded with the prestigious international Prix Italia for cultural broadcast-programmes. The programme Zenith & Nadir consisted of an improvised concert of Greetje Bijma and composer Louis Andriessen, based on poems by the Dutch author Sybren Polet.