Biography

I was born november 10th 1967 and I was raised in the village of Urmond, in the southern part of the Netherlands. At age 5 my father teached the fingerings of the soprano saxophone, but I started playing seriously this instrument at age 12 in the local woodwind band.

After my graduation in 1991 from the Eindhoven University of Technology as a mathematician in 1994 I started at the Hilversum conservatory the maincourse jazz saxophone. My teachers were Ferdinand Povel, Albert Beltman and Jasper Blom. I graduated in 2000 as a Master in Jazz Saxophone playing lead-alto in a big band. I specialised in doubling and now I play all saxes and clarinet, bassclarinet, flute and piccolo. I had lessons and masterclasses from Dick Oatts, Wynton Marsalis, Jerry van Rooyen, Chris Potter, Mike Mainieri, Jiggs Wigham and Bill Dobbins.

Now I work as a freelance saxophonist and composer. My most important influences are Charlie Parker, Phil Woods, Cannonball Adderley, Dick Oatts, Ferdinand Povel, The Brecker Brothers, Jan Garbarek, Pat Metheny, Astor Piazzolla, Steve Reich, Gustav Mahler, Igor Stravinsky, fado singers Mariza and Dulce Pontes.

My own projects are :

Jazzquartet Janssen 4! with own compstions around the Hammond Organ
Tangoquartet Consorcio Fuente Y Caudal
History of Jazz saxophone concert with piano player Orjan Graafmans
Jazz Eater's Lounge. Mainstream jazzgroup, opt. with singer Leah Kline
Trio Jazzissimo with italian songs
Trio New Winds around Portuguese singer Vanessa Campos

As a sub in the Metropole Orchestra I had the chance to work with Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Toots Thielemans, Ray Brown, John Clayton, Vince Mendoza, George Duke, Gino Vanelli, Maria Schneider, Dave Liebman, Cliff Richard and Steve Vai. I also work with the WDR Big Band (Cologne, Germany), the Dutch Jazz Orchestra, the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, Wil Saldens Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Dutch Navy woodwind band and the Beau Hunks Saxophone Soctette. Amomg the national artists whom I worked with, are Lee Towers, Helmut Lotti, Frans Bauer, Blof, Robert Long, Trijntje Oosterhuis, Paul de Leeuw and Ernst-Daniel Smid.

I played in Musicals like "Annie", "Chicago", "Cats", "Evita", "Assepoester" and in the opera's "Buwalski", "Sancta Susanna" and "God's Videotheque". I play regularly on Dutch Televsion shows, like The Musical Award Gala and concerts with the Metropole Orchestra.

One of the things I like to do most is teaching. I teach maincourse Jazz saxophone at the DJAM, a private school for jazz music in Amsterdam. I like to inspire people who are interested in jazz improvisation and offer them a personal lesson. I also give workshops from saxophone section to jazz improvisation to an educational concert history of jazz and the role of the saxophone.

The instruments I play

Selmer Mark VI soprano saxophone, serial number 187.xxx with Selmer E mouthpiece
Selmer Mark VI serial number 75.xxx or P.Mauriat PMSA alto saxophone with Meyer 7SM or 8SS mouthpiece
Selmer Mark VI tenor saxophone, serial number 102.222 with Vandoren T95 mouthpiece
Selmer Mark VI baritone saxophone, serial number 276.xxx with Berg Larsen 115 SMS 1 mouthpiece
Buffet Crampon RC clarinet with Viotto N1 (classical) or Vandoren B45 mouthpiece (Jazz) mouthpiece
Yamaha YFL 311 flute
Yamaha YPC 62 piccolo