In 2006, pianist Pierre-François Blanchard and guitar player Rogier Schneemann met by chance in a rehearsal at the Royal Conservatory and felt an immediate musical connection. They teamed up with drummer David Barker and bass player Eric Heijnsdijk and Azure was born. The quartet started working on original material. Azure made a first studio recording called 'There Were Stars' in february 2007, and started playing gigs throughout the Netherlands, on festivals like Utrecht Jazz Fest and The Hague Jazz. Azure is steadily gaining recognition for their unique sound, interplay, lyrical compositions and intense live performances, and will be releasing their official debut album 'When She Smiles' on April 14th, 2009. The album features nine of their original compositions and was recorded and produced by Lauran Jurrius. The album will be internationally available on internet and is gaining critical acclaim from the worldwide jazz press.
Pierre-François Blanchard studied classical piano and jazz piano in Nantes and Paris, and played in bands like Sokyzoom, La Belle Vie Trio and the Bonobo Trio. He has received his Bachelor's degree in jazz piano at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, and is currently studying for the Master's Degree at the Royal Conservatory. Pierre-François was semi-finalist in the YPF Jazz Piano Concours 2009.
Rogier Schneemann started playing guitar at age 11, and enrolled the Royal Conservatory of The Hague in 2004. He has studied with Eef Albers, Toon Roos and Martijn van Iterson, and has performed with Peter Erskine, Benjamin Herman, Peter Beets, Simon Rigter, Rob van Bavel a.o. Rogier represented the Royal Conservatory of the Hague at the IASJ Meeting 2007 in Siena, Italy, hosted by David Liebman.
Rogier graduated Cum Laude for the Bachelor degree and is now in the Master program of the Royal Conservatory.
In addition to playing with Azure, Rogier plays in the Charli Green Big Band.
Eric Heijnsdijk has received Bachelor Degrees for playing double bass as well as trombone. He studied at the Alkmaar Conservatory and later at the Royal Conservatory, with a.o. Hein van de Geijn, Frans van de Hoeven, Martijn Sohier and Arthur Moore. Eric has played with Gary Smulyan, Jazzed To The Max, Jatof Swing Orchestra, the Mike Zinzen Quartet, Das Jazz Band and the Dual City Concert Band.
David Barker has toured with the European Youth Jazz Orchestra and has played with musicians like Michael Brecker, Kurt Rosenwinkel and artists such as Rob Van Kreeveld, Bert Joris and Eef Albers. David studied jazz drums at the Royal Conservatory with Erik Ineke and Stefan Kruger (Zuco 103). Davids plays with Thinktank, who have just released Pek Dek, their debut album on the O.A.P label. In 2007, David won the 1st prize at the 29th Jazz Hoeilaart competition as a member of the Pierre Anckaert Trio.