Since 2013, portraits of famous deceased Rotterdam jazz musicians have appeared on and around the Oude Binnenweg. The portrait series has grown into a jazz and comics route as a memorial to an important Rotterdam music history. The portraits are made by renowned cartoonists and illustrators. This is a portrait of Annie de Reuver (Rotterdam, 1917 – there, 2016) made by cartoonist and illustrator Erik Kriek. In 1935 she made recordings with The Ramblers and saxophonist Coleman Hawkins. After the war she sang in The Red, White and Blue Stars and The Skymasters, considered by many to be the best big band in Europe at the time. In collaboration with composer and arranger Tom Erich, she later focused on Dutch songs such as Harmonica Jim, Vienna, Song of the Pierement, Many bitter tears and the known Take a look at the dolls of my eyes. For years she was read by the readers of the magazine Tuney Tunes named the most popular singer in the Netherlands. The jazz and comics route was realized by BKOR and Rotterdam Jazz Artists Memorial (R'Jam). With this route they try to save the Rotterdam jazz stars from oblivion. An extensive biography of the artists and musicians included in the series can be found at www.r-jam.nl. The vinyl album is in honor of this project Jazz from R'jam was released, on which all portrayed jazz musicians can be heard.
