Hugo Beukema (65) has put his soul and bliss in Jazzcafé Alto for five years with all his experience in the catering industry. But Alto stopped on the night of April 1 to 2, 2017. Get to know the story of the proud founder of Alto. After five years, he gradually realizes that he should be proud.
Jazzcafé Alto was located in the Kleine Kromme Elleboog number five in Groningen. Due to renovation plans by the landlord of the building, Wijnand van Smeden, the cafe is officially closed this weekend. On Saturday April 1, team Alto, consisting of Hugo, Kim and Tertia, said goodbye to the cafe and its guests.
farewell party
The amount of guests who came to the farewell party on Saturday evening showed how popular the cafe was. A big party with beautiful speeches and acts by regular guests. The music of the band that originated in café Alto, Shake Some Dust, made many people swing and sing along. Around two the doors closed to the public and team Alto, friends and band stayed behind in a small circle to seal it off among themselves.
In conversation with Hugo Beukema
How would you describe Alto?
“As a very cozy cafe that had to be and was accessible to everyone. And yes, I do value jazz very much, that's what I care about and that mixes really well with the audience that came here. But even outside of jazz, it was actually a café where nobody – and I think that's one of the most important things – had something to uphold. That is not necessary and I think that is a nice feature of the cafe.”
So everyone could be themselves?
"Precisely. And that has something to do with the interior of course. It was an old brown cafe, so you don't have to be trendy either. You can do that, but that is like pincers on a pig. But apart from the fact that it was just a brown café, bizarrely beautiful things have happened in the jazz field, especially in collaboration with the Jazz Foundation in Groningen. Almost all of the really big people from the Netherlands have been here. I think that's so special.”
How did you come up with the name Alto?
“I myself started on the alto saxophone. But there's also a jazz saxophonist named Cannonball Adderly. Often when he was announced at gigs, it was said 'Mr. Cannonball Adderly on Alto'. I always thought that was a fantastically beautiful name and he was also a great saxophonist. But there is also an Alto in Amsterdam, a fantastic jazz café. So that combination made me decide to call it Alto. I asked if that was allowed, but in terms of competition there was not a single stone in the way because the distance was too great. And afterwards I also think, how many Café's Bos do you have, or Zeezicht, or do I know.”
“I really like how it works here in the A-quarter, almost an example of how it should be in the rest of the catering industry.”
You ran the cafe on your own for a while. But when was the right time for you to hire staff?
“It was one night when there was a football game on TV. I was very sweetly offered a beamer from Arnold, van de Wolthoorn. That is also a different story by the way. That's something I'm not used to in the hospitality industry at all, it was really just envy and envy.
I think that's so special to experience in the A-quarter, that you can get along so well as colleagues here. Arnold, Paul, Floris and Jan-Bas were extremely helpful, I really had to get used to it. I really like how this is done here in the A-quarter, almost an example of how it should be in the rest of the catering industry.”
But…
“Yes, back to your question… hiring staff. Well, so it was a busy night because of the football, I couldn't really handle it. And then a young lady came in who had arranged to meet a friend at the time. She said, "Shall I help you, sir?" I thought, if she has some experience and can handle the work, come on. She said, "Then we should meet behind the bar that if I say 'for' you take a step back and I say 'back' that you take a step forward." I thought to myself 'Wow, great God, what's happening here?' She couldn't stand it I guess I was so busy and maybe I was a little confused, I don't know.
But that's the kind of luck you just have to have – to meet someone like Kim. And, never left each other. That is very special. Kim is also such a huge hospitality person, also from home. So I think that's also what we feel about each other; she is not making extra money, she is really busy with the profession.”
What were your experiences with the Ellebogenbuurt before you started a business there?
“When I still had my own business on Korreweg, I regularly came here for a beer. That was generally in the Wolthoorn, then still under the owner Koos Huizenga. But I wasn't busy with the catering industry at the time, I came because I thought it was almost the most beautiful cafe in town. And actually everything that Koos Huizenga has made is fantastic; it was an artist. I once invited him here too, asking what he would change here. I remember Koos poking his head around the door here and he looked. All he asked was, "Do you have any kindness?" I said "Amazing." "Don't do anything about it," he said, and it was gone. Nice huh."
How was the last period?
“I'll tell you honestly, I wasn't really into it that much. I'm so mad that it's over now. I do not know how to do that. I am also looking forward to it, but on the other hand I also had such a good time, it has become my house. So many things happened too. At home you finish it, you have a list with things that still have to be arranged and canceled and then you come here in the afternoon, you set up the bar, light the candles and make it cozy again. How weird is that?
It's like you're in the car and you want to break up with the relationship and you come home and you're still madly in love. It all runs together. But it became a bit less light towards the end, it became a bit heavier. But that is also out of self-protection so that the blow on April 2 would not be too hard."
Where can Hugo be found next?
“I think at home. And occasionally in France. I will also occasionally show up in the Wolthoorn, but then the quality will be different. But I just really want to be home, I haven't had that in so long. I'm working on a sound booth to rehearse and practice on my saxophone, wonderful. And I want to put on simmering steaks…”
Read the entire interview in the book 'Alto', which Kim van der Es made together with Dick Muileman, published by Publisher Van Berkel† A tangible memory of five years of Alto, full of stories from friends, catering colleagues and regular guests. There are still a few copies available in Café Wolthoorn & Co.