Circus Square Jazz Band 1952 – 1971

In october 1952 youngster Arnout Haalman (see photo) at that time student at the Delft Technical University founded together with some fraternity jazz lovers a jazzband originally called “The Phoenix Washboard Stompers” related to the name of their fraternity Phoenix. Soon they changed the name into “Circus Square Jazz Band” (CSJB).
Circus Square is named after a square in the multiracial and musical melting pot “Big Easy” New Orleans. This city is considered to be the cradle of jazz, music born at the beginning of the 20th century from the blues, honky tonk, veaudeville, worksongs, ragtime, streetparades etc.
In the early fifties the CSJB mainly performed for student and highschool parties in the vicinity of Delft and The Hague.
During that period the band was a great success and they even became second at the AVRO Jazzcontest in The Hague.
The band fell apart in 1956 since its members graduated and were drafted to fulfil their military duties for 2 years. Arnout always had in mind to restart the band as soon as he was employed. It turned out that he found a job at the Central Laboratory of the Dutch State Mines in Geleen-Lutterade, where he became appointed as a physicist.
Soon Paul Zelders’ father (also an employee of this laboratory) heard that his young colleague Arnout was planning a jazzband. After being informed by his father Paul, musician and devoted to classical jazz (traditional jazz), quickly seized the opportunity to assist Arnout in founding a jazzband. On 21 and 28 of August 1958 an article on the birth of a new jazzband was published in the News of the Staatmijnen and the journal De Nieuwe Limburger.
Several jazzmusicians showed their interest too and soon thereafter the CSJB was lounched in a small setting.
It was Arnout’s intention to play pure traditional jazz only. No spectacular swing, not noisy and not overexaggeration. Music not addressed in wild shirts, long hair and funny faces, but so to speak in evening dress, clean shaven and with subdued faces.
“Jazz for connaisseurs“. It was impossible to maintain Arnout’s concept up to 1971 because of different line-ups and management changes through the years.
The first small band consisted of: Wil Heynen (trumpet), Fred Bosman (banjo), Kees Bakker (clarinet), Paul Zelders (trombone) and Arnout Haalman (piano). (see photoalbum).
Soon cornet player Wim Vranken joined the band. Paul Zelders had bad luck and was drafted into the military in 1959.
On 24 April 1959 after a few months of rehearsing the first live appearance took place in the Jazzclub of the AMVJ Building in Geleen (see reviews in photoalbum).
During the following years the CSJB has given a number of musicians a chance to more or less successfully play with the band.
It finally turned out that studies, drafts into the military and migration were fatal to the band forcing Arnout to temporarily stop his activities.
After fulfilling their military obligations by some of the musicians, the newly reborn Circus Square Jazz Band could get-away in September 1963 in a complete setting.
The frontline consisted of Jan Breuer (cornet),Wim Schulpen (trombone and vocals) and René Ziedses des Plantes (clarinet) completed in the rhythm section with Joop Dings (banjo), Paul Zelders (tuba, business manager), Harrie Bongaerts (drums) and Arnout Haalman (piano, artistic manager).

After many intensive rehearsals the first public performance of this new line-up (see reviews in photoalbum) took place on 25 January 1964. The interest of the audience for this concert was so overwhelming that after half an hour the doors of the concertroom had to be closed.

On 5 May 1964 the CSJB made its first appearance (debut) on the AVRO radio followed by many other radio broadcasts.

In the sixties The Regional Broadcast South paid much attention to Dixieland Jazz in its program “Rendez Vous at the Limburgse Jazz Society”. The CSJB frequently participated in this program.

On 2 August 1964 the band took place in the Loosdrecht Jazz Concours at the Yacht Club van Dijk in order to gain more experience. Michiel de Ruyter, Aad Bos and Rolf ten Kate were members of the jury. Max van Praag invited Paul Zelders after this contest to sit in in a session band that was selected by members of the jury. This band was scheduled to perform on TV one week later. Paul kindly refused this invitation since he had the impression that there was more interest in his well polished tuba than in his musical capacities.

The CSJB finished ex aequo on the 13/14th place together with the Windy City Jazzband from Baarn. A modern jazzband took home first price.
In 1966 the CSJB joined the Loosdrecht Jazz Concours for the second time. This time the band finished 9th out of a poule of 50 participating orchestras.

From the beginning of January 1965 Gérard van Waesberghe (pupil of Peter Schilperoort, leader of the Dutch Swing College) enhanced the CSJB as an alternate clarinettist together with René Ziedses
des Plantes
. At that time Gérard stayed in Heerlen doing teaching practice. Due to his amazing routine he was able to sit in with the band a few days later during a pub concert at café Heinsberg (de Paerssjtal) in Roermond.
His virtuoso performance together with recognisable influences of master Peter Schilperoort are due to his fabulous technique and his own “voice” (listen to the tracks).
That concert in the “Pearssjtal” was introduced by Arnout Haalman, who gave a sound explanation about the origin and essence of traditional jazz. It became a successful and educational evening concert!
Gérard van Waesberghe stayed with the band till November 1965 after completing his traineeship.

On 19 June 1965 downtown Geleen was startled by the “noise” of a CSJB streetparade as a part of a recruitment campain for new members of the AMVJ Jazzclub. The downtown area was twice faced with a big traffic jam.

A very unique and successful appearance was the concert in a large tent at the
Old Limburgs Schuttersfeest in Tegelen during the first weekend of
July 1965
.
Over 4,000 attendees jostled one another in the tent in order to catch a glimpse of the band, to enjoy both music and beer. This was the first time that a dixieland band played at the Old Limburgs Schuttersfeest!

On Saturday 6 November 1965 the CSJB appeared at the second reunion of Doctor Jazz Magazine at Hotel Florida in Boskoop (for copy program see photoalbum), which resulted in more contracts for this Magazine. Nowadays these traditional jazz reunions are still organised at the WICC Building in Wageningen.
One of the reviews in those days in Doctor Jazz Magazine:
“The Circus Square Jazz Band from Geleen performs in the tradition of the black bands from the twenties. Sometimes you hear the band of Oliver, later you recognize Clarence Williams and all of this with an unusual large originality and creativity”.

More concerts were given e.g. at de Hanenhof Geleen, Bisschoppelijk College Sittard, several Jazz Festivals and Jazzclubs, Beambten Casino of the Dutch State Mines in Geleen, and even during the opening of the new Promenade in downtown Heerlen.

In 1966 the CSJB successfully featured at the Intertone Jazz Festival in the Irenehal of the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht.

During the same year Arnout Haalman left the band and was succeeded by pianist
Hans Gieling, who also was bandleader until 1969. Hans immediately attracted attention by the audience because for his own particular style of performing. He was not only a swinging virtuoso but also an excellent embassador of traditional New Orleans jazz, Boogie Woogie and Honky Tonk (listen to the tracks).

The CSJB also has sweet memories of the Hammerfeld Jazz Festivals in Roermond
. The band attended this Festval twice: in June 1966 and August 1967.

In 1966 drummer Harrie Bongaerts had to leave the band due to pressure of work. He was replaced by Wim Peeters.

Various local jazzconcerts and regional radio broadcasts were given by the band.

In April 1967 the foundation of the Circus Square Jazz Club became a fact. The Club was officialy opened and located in the basement of the AMVJ Hostel in Geleen. Well known domestic and international bands played in this club.

Trumpet player Jan Breuer left the band also due to pressure of work.
Ton van Kampen
proved to be a fine replacement for Jan, since he had been his stand-in when Jan was unable to play. Like nobody else Ton mastered his instrument perfectly. He could “talk” through his instrument (listen to the tracks)!

On 26 October 1968 Paul Zelders and Joop Dings organised the 1st Jazzconcours of the International Dixieland Trophee in the Circus Square Jazz Club at the AMVJ Hostel in Geleen. The first price of this contest was carried away by The Training College Jazz Band from Doetinchem. CSJB trombone player Wim Schulpen from Roermond received the solo instumentalist award.

In 1969 this competition was organised for the second time. This time the winner was the famous Seatown Seven (see picture) of Adriaan von Saucken from Wuppertal (D).
As a result of this victory the band was invited by Tonny Schiffersteyn to appear on AVRO television.
Mayor van Banning of Geleen attended this contest and proudly presented the awards.

In 1968 the CSJB produced two LP’s. The first: a Honky Tonk elpee “Wilde Willem” recorded with a 4-piece formation; the second: “Limburgs Dixieland Festival” elpee.
At the end of 1969 Hans Gieling left the band. Joop Dings took over the band’s management. The band continued to play without piano with a 6-piece formation.

Through 1970 the CSJB participated in several radio broadcasts and performed in many cities like Cologne – Mönchengladbach – Helmt – Venlo – Heerlen – Belfeld – Sittard – Maastricht and Roermond.
At the end of 1970 the CSJB was disbanded because of study reasons or employment/address changes of its members.

Meanwhile the Barrelhouse Jazzband of Martin Koekelkoren from Eysden had taken over the “stick” from the CSJB.

P.Zelders.

Landgraaf, November 2005.