Bob Kaper

Bob's musical career started in 1955, when he played with various local bands in and around his hometown of Zaandam. In 1957 he founded the Beale Street Seven, a Chigago type Dixieland Swing group. Bob has won a number of prizes in soloist competitions. During his military service he was a band master, but it was in 1966 that he was asked to take Peter Schilperoort's clarinet place in the DSC Band during Peter's illness, after which Bob stayed with the band as the second reed player. When Peter died in 1990, Bob was asked to take over the musical leadership of the Dutch Swing College Band. Over the years he developed a 'hot swinging' clarinet style that influenced many clarinettists and his creative altosaxophone work has always given added tone variations in the concept of a small band. He does most of the orchestrations for the DSCBand and contributes his own compostitions. Bob is an enthusiastic tennis player but music is still mistress.