The complete Jesse van Ruller in Zandvoort

Dutchbopper · 04-26-2017, 05:30 AM

I have known about this footage for years but now the complete concert is on Youtube. If you haven't seen this before, you're in for a treat guys. Blog entry at:

Dutchbopper's Jazz Guitar Blog: Jesse van Ruller Live in Zandvoort

Have fun,

DB

**Philco** · 04-26-2017, 06:29 AM

Thanks DB. Such a great concert. Such a great player!
That guitar sounds so good in his hands.

**Rob MacKillop** · 04-26-2017, 07:09 AM

One of the best players in the world. Thanks for the link, DB.

**Jehu** · 04-26-2017, 08:04 PM

This is excellent, and the sound quality is great... thanks, DB.

I always admire Jesse's rare ability to just stand there when someone else is playing. I wish there was a class on that at Berklee.

**Eric Rowland** · 04-26-2017, 09:50 PM

Excellent! What a swinging quartet! As usual, Jesse is great. I didn't know Zandvoort was a mecca for swinging jazz. I was familiar with it as the site for the Dutch Grand Prix and other motor races.

**Robertkoa** · 04-27-2017, 11:53 AM

Wow.
A truly Masterful Player.

Great sound, time , pick control ( he can fade down like a ' fall' that Horn Players do- almost' ghosting' some Notes - but he's picking them).

Love this Tone too...brighter and more even than a 175 but not as Homogenized as a 335- but could be his right hand .

Does he do Modern Jazz also and Compose ?

Dutchbopper · 04-27-2017, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by Robertkoa

Wow. A truly Masterful Player. Great sound, time , pick control ( he can fade down like a ' fall' that Horn Players do- almost' ghosting' some Notes - but he's picking them). Love this Tone too...brighter and more even than a 175 but not as Homogenized as a 335- but could be his right hand.
Does he do Modern Jazz also and Compose ?

In fact this concert is an exception. These days he rarely plays standards the way he does it here. Yes, he 's a composer too. There's some very modern stuff on Youtube.

DB

Dutchbopper · 04-27-2017, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop

One of the best players in the world.

That he is.

DB

**Robertkoa** · 04-27-2017, 05:54 PM

Thanks DB - I will check it out.

**yebdox** · 04-28-2017, 10:02 PM

Excellent, thanks so much for sharing this! Absolutely one of my favorite players. Truly appreciate hearing him on standards, just to be able to interpret his approach a bit better. Didn't know he was using that 150 back in 2010, I thought that was more recent. Great audio! Were you there, DB?

**artdecade** · 10-06-2017, 09:50 AM

I want to be Jesse van Ruller when I grow up. Wow! What a player!

His website is down. His Facebook page has few updates. No twitter.... Geez. How does one know what he is up to?!

**fasstrack** · 10-07-2017, 10:40 AM

Hi, Dick.

I met and heard him in the Hague and also here when we both sat in on the Tuesday night gig at Smoke. Good player, nice cat.

Good to see a traditional player who just plugs in and plays good get some props...

**gggomez** · 10-28-2017, 03:10 AM

Massive fan, love him on this, a style from the past but so fresh

**kris** · 10-28-2017, 04:01 AM

Stephane Belmondo Trio - Love for Chet
Great!!!!!!

**christianm77** · 10-28-2017, 07:07 AM

I'm embarrassed to say that despite his reputation I haven't listened much to Ruller. Thanks for posting the concert and giving me a chance to rectify that.

Dutchbopper · 10-28-2017, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by christianm77

I'm embarrassed to say that despite his reputation I haven't listened much to Ruller. Thanks for posting the concert and giving me a chance to rectify that.

Huh? How on earth can you miss van Ruller? I looked you up and you are in Europe right? Together with Bireli he's somewhere in the top 3 of the greatest European jazz guitarists. Or the world for that matter. His trio CD "Live at Murphy's Law" is the best contemporary jazz guitar album I have ever heard. His early CDs feature some of the best European bop playing ever. These days he is taking a more modern approach though.

Regards,

DB

Dutchbopper · 10-28-2017, 10:36 AM

By the way, if you want to hear van Ruller on a set of standards another great resource are the jams that were recorded at the Crow almost 18 years ago. A mere jazz rookie, I was on that stage with him together with some other local playes but I edited out all solos except Jesse's ... With good reason, ahem.

The backline was not a pro one either but Jesse's playing is still incredible. I never tire of this stuff.

**christianm77** · 10-28-2017, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by Dutchbopper

Huh? How on earth can you miss van Ruller? I looked you up and you are in Europe right? Together with Bireli he's somewhere in the top 3 of the greatest European jazz guitarists. Or the world for that matter. His trio CD "Live at Murphy's Law" is the best contemporary jazz guitar album I have ever heard. His early CDs feature some of the best European bop playing ever. These days he is taking a more modern approach though.

Regards,

DB

I know van Ruller, I've even had a lesson with a student of his. Just didn't get around to listening to him. When I do listen to modern jazz guitar players, I tend to focus on modern New York players, which is a little unfair.

Actually, there's loads of jazz stuff I haven't checked out. Tonnes of it. Loads of really important jazz guitarists too. You'd be shocked probably. I'm a working jazz guitarist who has been hired to teach at undergraduate level lol.

I used to feel bad about, but increasingly I realise that it's a product of the way I listen to music... Whatever music I come to I come to in my own way and on my own terms, or else it doesn't go in, and then it's just box ticking bullshit.... It's like painters, food, movies, anything.

Personal taste too... Just cos someone is objectively a badass jazz guitarist doesn't mean I'll be 100% into them.

Even players I am super into, I might just listen obsessively to one record of theirs.

Anyway, I appreciate Ruller's intense musicality, his swing, and his seeming inability to run out of fresh ideas, so I daresay I'll make up for lost time. He is very much to my taste. "Live at Murphy's Law" it is.

Who else is in your top 3, out of interest, Philip Catherine?

**Philco** · 10-29-2017, 01:16 AM

Originally Posted by Dutchbopper

His trio CD "Live at Murphy's Law" is the best contemporary jazz guitar album I have ever heard.

I actually think so too. I keep going back to it. Best sounding archtop recording for my ears.
Jesse inspires me to play more than anyone else, past or present.
Musicianship.
All round musicianship and taste.

**PMB** · 10-29-2017, 02:43 AM

Originally Posted by Philco

I actually think so too. I keep going back to it. Best sounding archtop recording for my ears.
Jesse inspires me to play more than anyone else, past or present.
Musicianship.
All round musicianship and taste.

I reckon I've seen and heard most of the great jazz guitarists working in the US, Europe and Australia and been lucky enough to take a lesson, hang or play with a bunch of them. Philco and Dutchbopper speak wisely - Jesse van Ruller is simply on another level. Everyone from Jim Hall, Pat Martino, Pat Metheny to John Scofield has acknowledged how exceptional JVR is. Romain Pilon even admitted to me that hearing Jesse some years ago made him rethink his whole approach. Even though Live at Murphy's Law contains nothing but standards and blues tunes, IMHO as far as contemporary jazz recordings go, only Bernstein's Monk compares. It's not just the sound and technique but his musical mind that continually astounds me.

By the way, Philco you undoubtedly know one of Australia's top players, James Sherlock from Melbourne. He was here in Sydney last night and borrowed my amp for a gig. Include him on the list of JVR fans (along with James Muller).

**gggomez** · 10-29-2017, 04:48 AM

James Sherlock is tremendously exciting. He often plays just down the toad from me. How lucky am I.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**grahambop** · 10-29-2017, 05:07 AM

Originally Posted by gggomez

James Sherlock is tremendously exciting. He often plays just down the toad from me. How lucky am I.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Those cane toads get everywhere, didn’t realise it was that bad though.

**Eric Rowland** · 10-31-2017, 10:30 PM

The complete Jesse van Ruller in Zandvoort-patjesse-jpg

The complete Jesse van Ruller in Zandvoort-patjesse2-jpg

**Jehu** · 10-31-2017, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by Dutchbopper

His trio CD "Live at Murphy's Law" is the best contemporary jazz guitar album I have ever heard.

Thanks for turning me on to this, DB. I picked it up after you mentioned it... awesome stuff.

Dutchbopper · 11-01-2017, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by christianm77

Who else is in your top 3, out of interest, Philip Catherine?

The 3d position is hard. Not sure. Martijn van Iterson probably. Or Andreas Oberg. Ulf Wakenius maybe.

Philip is nice of course but not in my top 3.

If you don't know Martijn van Iterson you are missing out on one of the best contemporary players as well.

Check out some MVI solos on video here: Dutchbopper's Jazz Guitar Blog: MVI the solos

I have a whole bunch vids of Jesse and Martijn in several postings in my Blog. Interviews too.

Regards,

DB