Jesse Van Ruller. Inspiring

Dutchbopper · 12-04-2014, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by Klatu

I agree with the high praise directed at Jesse Van Ruller. There seems to be a golden age of jazz guitar going on right now in the Netherlands because Mr. Van Ruller has company in the world of jazz guitar greats. Another Dutch player who I discovered not too long ago is Martijn Van Iterson. He plays with a lot of the creative fire of Jesse and adds his beautiful vintage Gibson 125 tone to the equation.

Well, that has been going on for almost 20 years now. Jesse won the Thelonious Monk competition as early as 1995. Martijn graduated around the same time. I have been writing about them for years and years.

Some of my favourite early Jesse van Ruller solos on standards (compilation not available elsewhere) can be listened to here:

Dutchbopper's Jazz Guitar Blog: Jesse van Ruller - The Complete Solos at the Crow

Really marvellous stuff.

and some of my favourite Martijn van Iterson solos are on video here:

Dutchbopper's Jazz Guitar Blog: MVI the solos

There's lots of material on my Blog about Jesse, Martijn and their teacher, the late Wim Overgaauw. I interviewed both Jesse and Martijn. Just look for the topics on the right in my Blog.

DB

**David B** · 05-01-2015, 01:14 PM

My copy of Jesse Van Ruller's new album, 'Phantom', arrived today. It's another gem! Trio with bass and drums. All Joe Henderson tunes.

Jesse Van Ruller. Inspiring-image-jpg

**kris** · 05-01-2015, 01:30 PM

I like very much the sound of Jesse on his Elferink guitar.
The best hollow sound in the guitar world.

**Rob MacKillop** · 05-01-2015, 05:31 PM

Well, I've now listened to everything on this thread, by way of making up for my embarrassment at not knowing Jesse's playing at all. I've seen him posing with an Elferink guitar in the Jazz Guitar magazine, but that's about it.

I can tell you I am now a fan!

He must be one of the best players in the world. So musical, great tone, fire and chops. Circles is incredible!

Thank you so much for bringing me enlightenment!

**PMB** · 05-01-2015, 07:28 PM

That's right, Rob. definitely one of the greats. Incredible playing on his new disc and as fine a tribute as Peter Bernstein's 'Monk' album.

**boatheelmusic** · 05-01-2015, 07:34 PM

Dutchbopper has been singing Jesse's praises for ages!

**pushkar000** · 05-05-2015, 10:44 AM

Oh man what a great player!

**feral guitar** · 05-05-2015, 09:40 PM

REINIER BAAS is a revelation - hes' on that 4 dutch guitars vid- he must be 20 or so

**kris** · 05-06-2015, 05:26 AM

Originally Posted by dortmundjazzguitar

i first heard JVR when he was rehearsing with a trumpet trio in the living room below my room. i remember waking up and almost falling out of bed hearing this incredibly fluent jazz guitar playing below. that was around 1992. i was fortunate enough to play many jamsessions with jesse and getting lessons when he fell in for overgaauw. i still treasure all those tapes i recorded

Is it the true that JvR do not transcribe solos and licks?

**cpike** · 06-21-2015, 08:44 PM

I'm guessing 55 Records just wants to sell CDs in Japan. It would be awesome if they would offer CD-bitrate downloads to us far-away customers. I got the CD from CD Japan, it arrived about five days after I ordered it, but I would have downloaded it for the same price if the option had been available.

**Little Jay** · 06-22-2015, 07:06 AM

Originally Posted by kris

Is it the true that JvR do not transcribe solos and licks?

This is what Jesse said about that to Dutchbopper in his interview:

Did you study transcribed solos as a student?

I've never used any books while studying. Also didn't transcribe much myself, actually just one solo: Pat Martino's solo on Just Friends on El Hombre. I've been obsessed with that solo for some time when I went to school. I never felt a lack of ideas or material so I didn't feel the need to transcribe. I did copy a lot from other players, but not note for note.

**grahambop** · 06-22-2015, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by Little Jay

This is what Jesse said about that to Dutchbopper in his interview:

Did you study transcribed solos as a student?

I've never used any books while studying. Also didn't transcribe much myself, actually just one solo: Pat Martino's solo on Just Friends on El Hombre. I've been obsessed with that solo for some time when I went to school. I never felt a lack of ideas or material so I didn't feel the need to transcribe. I did copy a lot from other players, but not note for note.

Have to say, if you're only going to transcribe one solo, that's one of the best! There are enough ideas in it to keep you going for ages.

**kris** · 06-22-2015, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by grahambop

Have to say, if you're only going to transcribe one solo, that's one of the best! There are enough ideas in it to keep you going for ages.

anyway Pat Martino's solo over Just Friends is great.
John Scofield copy and transcribe licks till today...:-)...I/ve heard...

**DrDre** · 07-02-2015, 12:51 PM

Hi everyone,

I'm currently a student of Jesse's and used to be a student of Reinier's for two years. As far as Reinier's age goes, you're about 10 years off, but he's incredible nonetheless. Great inspiration. Jesse is playing on his Gibson ES-150DC on the record, he's not really been playing on the Elferink publicly for some years. The Gibson is also depicted on the album cover. Jesse has mostly just been figuring out the instrument and listening a lot and taking little bits and pieces from what he hears, rather than transcribing a lot of solos completely. He always took this approach (which is sort of no different from what anyone would do with a curiosity for the instrument), but it later got reinforced by his teacher, Wim Overgaauw, who also just sort of figured everything out by himself. I would call him a natural, but in his own words: "Talent is that you just keep on doing it, right?"

**pushkar000** · 07-05-2015, 11:55 AM

Man Jesse is the king. His lines are magical and his solos are so coherent.

**johnnybobcat** · 08-12-2015, 08:35 PM

Does anyone have some suggestions of players to listen to that are similar to Jesse Van Ruller? I've bought his entire discography, and I can't get enough of his sound.

**steves3972** · 08-12-2015, 08:53 PM

not sure how similar but if you like JVR then you'd probably like Peter Bernstein.

**PMB** · 08-12-2015, 08:59 PM

I can hear the legacy of everyone from Farlow, Raney and Pass to Benson and Scofield (to consider guitar players only) in Jesse's playing but he definitely has his own voice.

Of his generation and younger, take a listen to Romain Pilon:

Jesse's student Reinier Baas is also worth checking out:

**David B** · 08-13-2015, 11:42 AM

If you like Jesse's body of recordings on the Criss Cross label, you may like the following players:
- Pat Martino's first album, 'El Hombre' (Jesse has said in interview that Pat's solo on Just Friends is the only solo he ever transcribed in full)
- Joe Cohn (try his two albums as a leader on Criss Cross and '+4' under Grant Stewart's name)
- Jim Mullen
- Martijn van Iterson
- Bobby Broom (both the albums under his own name and as part of the 'Deep Blue Organ Trio')
- Sheryl Bailey
- Rodney Jones
- Henry Johnson
- Roni Ben-Hur
- Dave Stryker

All the above have a joyous feeling in their playing and swing like crazy.

**disco~juice** · 08-13-2015, 01:44 PM

All these David suggested,
I would also add Ed Cherry.

**yebdox** · 08-15-2015, 01:58 PM

I love all those guys, but I think the closest to Jesse's feel and harmonic complexity that I'm listening to right now, I would think about Kreisberg, Jesse's student above (Reiner Bass), Daan Kleijn, of course Lage Lund, Quentin Angus and Andreu Zaragoza, and the guy who has it all (chops, writing, voice, looks) Chico Pinheiro.

How can I get any practicing in, when there is so much great music to listen to?

dortmundjazzguitar · 08-16-2015, 03:19 AM

well, you guys should really check out rory ronde. think a combination of jesse and rodney jones. i provided a link.

**PMB** · 08-16-2015, 03:39 AM

Originally Posted by yebdox

I love all those guys, but I think the closest to Jesse's feel and harmonic complexity that I'm listening to right now, I would think about Kreisberg, Jesse's student above (Reiner Bass), Daan Kleijn, of course Lage Lund, Quentin Angus and Andreu Zaragoza, and the guy who has it all (chops, writing, voice, looks) Chico Pinheiro.

How can I get any practicing in, when there is so much great music to listen to?

I'd forgot to mention Daan Kleijn. I picked up his 2013 Trio CD as a present for a friend and the playing/sound is scarily close to van Ruller (even down to the Levin guitar). He's only young and on the evidence of recent clips, he seems to have changed his style somewhat since moving to the States to study with Peter Bernstein.

**gggomez** · 08-16-2015, 04:55 AM

Exciting to read about and discover all these modern cats. They do not get enough attention in the big world. Quite a few I have not heard of, look forward to hearing them.
Thanks