Jesse van Ruller

Profile

Jesse van Ruller started his studies in 1990 as a student with Wim Overgaauw at the Hilversum Conservatory and he completed his studies there, with the highest possible scores, in 1995. In the same year he won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Guitar Competition, being the first European to be awarded with this prestigious prize. The jury included John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Jim Hall and Pat Martino.

He recorded two CDs under his name and plays with his own trio and quartet (with Karel Boehlee, Frans van Geest and Martijn Vink). He can also be heard in lots of other bands including The Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, Michiel Borstlap Group, The Piet Noordijk Quintet and in duo with guitarist Maarten van der Grinten.

Jesse shared the stage/studio with musicians including Tom Harrell, George Duke, Christian McBride, Mike Stern, Kenny Washington, SfeQ, Benjamin Herman, Larry Goldings and Idris Muhammed. Along with Peter Erskine he was soloist in ‘Blood on The Floor’ by the British composer Mark Anthony Turnage with the Asko Ensemble and with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.

Jesse van Ruller teaches at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.

Jesse appears on

Polyphony
by Jasper Blom