Although Holland has one of the best jazz scenes in the world, the number of Dutch musicians who have made an impression outside of Europe is surprisingly small. One who has made it "out" is guitarist Jesse van Ruller, who brings his trio to Japan for a rare tour this week.
Working his way through local clubs through Europe, van Ruller has slowly worked up a solid following, and not just of guitar heads. All jazz musicians have to strike some balance between past, present and future, but van Ruller does that with ease. His handful of CDs released since 2000 (many available only on smallish European labels) brim with fresh guitar work yet remain immersed in the best traditions of jazz.
Though he has recorded with some of New York's and Europe's best musicians, he plays hollow-body electric guitar like he has nothing to prove to anyone but himself. That self-confidence drives his sleek, understated approach, whether playing in a quintet or sextet, as on his recordings, or in a trio, as on this Japan tour. The woody, full tone of his guitar will appeal to fans of no-nonsense, straight-ahead players such as Jim Hall and Tal Farlow, but his endless supply of ideas and a distinctly north European sense of cool mark him as a very modern player.
Van Ruller, like many musicians who have emerged over the last few years, knows that a strong, personal voice never goes out of style. In turns, soulful, passionate and post-bop, his playing engages with depth and intimacy.
