(24-04-1967)

Anton Goudsmit (guitar), born in Haarlem in 1967, was given his first guitar at the age of twelve. This was followed a couple of years later by an electric guitar and lessons at home. Teachers included Maarten van der Grinten.

Anton graduated from the Amsterdam Conservatorium in 1994. He was already a regular member of the Eric Vloeimans Quartet, and played clubs and festivals at home and overseas with the Barend Middelhoff Quartet and the Ninsk Project. There were also sessions with John Engels, Sean Bergin, Toon Roos, Ramon Valle, Jesse van Ruller and many others.

Benjamin Herman founded New Cool Collective in that same year and Anton was part of it from the very beginning. NCC’s groovy music appealed to a young public that had been missing from the Dutch jazz scene for a long time. Since then New Cool Collective has been awarded a Gouden Notenkraker (peer group prize, ed.) and several Edisons (Dutch Grammies, ed.) and now plays in jazz and pop venues throughout the world.

Anton began his first quartet with Yuri Honing, Jos De Haas and Arnold Dooyeweerd in 1995. An extensive tour of Dutch jazz venues followed. The bulk of the compositions were Goudsmit’s, and the media response was enthusiastic. At the end of the 90’s Anton played regularly with Corrie van Binsbergen’s group Van Binsbergen - it also included Gerry and Harry Arling – and also contributed various compositions. The album ‘Van Binsbergen’ was well-received and established Anton’s reputation as a composer. In 1999 Arnold Dooyeweerd, Esmee Olthuis and Anton Goudsmit formed the trio Drumless Dog, a vehicle for exploring the extremes of group improvisation.

Anton received a composition commission from the NPS in 2001. The group that arose from this project was called Goudsmit, Trujillo, Vierdag & Vink. Its first CD, Live op het Dak! came out in 2005. All the compositions were from Anton Goudsmit’s pen. This group later changed its name to The Ploctones.

The CD ‘Boom Petit’ by Vloeimans, Fraanje, Reijseger, Goudsmit appeared in 2004. This album is named after an extremely rhythmic piece written by Goudsmit.

Together with Harmen Fraanje, Anton has been part of Eric Vloeimans’ trio Fugimundi since 2005. The trio plays acoustic (jazz) chamber music, giving ample space to improvisation and drama. Its repertoire ranges from contemporary jazz to world music.

In 2005 the New Cool Collective made the album ‘Trippin’ with the Ghanaian kora player Ali Boulo Santo and Tony Allen, drummer with the Nigerian Fela Kuti. The Benjamin Herman quartet, with bassist Ernst Glerum and drummer Han Bennink, brought out the CD ‘The Itch’. Anton’s collaboration with Han Bennink was particularly fruitful, and the pair later formed a duo.

In 2007 Anton made a number of outstanding performances with violinist Oene van Geel. The duo joined forces with pianist Jeroen van Vliet and reed player Mete Erker to form the quartet Estafest. The ensemble plays only original material. Its music can best be described as idiosyncratic chamber music.

The quartet comprising Anton Goudsmit, Efraïm Trujillo, Jeroen Vierdag and Martijn Vink has been known as The Ploctones since 2008. The group made a name for itself immediately and now plays at festival and clubs throughout the world.

Anton was guest programmer for Festival Jazz International Rotterdam in 2009. That year’s edition, titled Anton!, was distinguished by its daring and varied programming. 2009 also marked the appearance of the Ploctones album ‘050’, which was directly nominated for an Edison.  

The 2010 VPRO/Boy Edgar Prijs has been awarded to Anton Goudsmit.