van Ruller // Hogenhuis

Jesse van Ruller and Maarten Hogenhuis have recorded their second album: ‘Follow the Sound’. This album was created in the first half of this year and mainly distinguishes itself from its predecessor (Spirits High, 2021) by the joint compositions; the duo composed almost everything on the album together. This results in eight very organic pieces, in which melody and sound are central. Inspiration was drawn from, among other things, flutes from all over the world, the backs of suitcases, the backs of obscure guitars, an impressive collection of effects and a small, but very characteristic guitar amplifier.
In addition, the duo was inspired by a diverse group of artists: from Blake Mills to Sam Gendel and from Sufjan Stevens to Shabaka.

Jesse van Ruller (1972) actually needs no extensive introduction. His intuitive playing is characterized by a deep sense of melody and a great deal of rhythmic agility. He was the first European to receive the prestigious Thelonieus Monk Award from Pat Metheny in 1995. His reputation as one of the most talented guitarists of his generation reaches worldwide and has resulted in collaborations with international musicians such as George Duke, Joe Lovano, Pat Metheny, Peter Erskine, Mike Stern, Tom Harrell, Philip Catherine, Toots Thielemans, Roy Hargrove Quintet, Christian McBride, Seamus Blake, The Metropole Orchestra, Asko Ensemble, WDR Big Band, Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker and many others. In addition, he regularly plays with his Dutch colleagues such as Benjamin Herman, Michiel Borstlap, Bert van den Brink, Maarten van der Grinten, Eric Vloeimans and the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw.

Maarten Hogenhuis (1986) is one of the exponents of a young generation of jazz musicians. He is part of the super jazz formation BRUUT!, leads his own trio and was awarded the North Sea Jazz Composition Commission in 2019. Previously, he was part of The More Socially Relevant Jazz Music Ensemble of Reinier Baas. He is also a much sought-after accompanying musician in various genres.

This versatility in genres is something that connects these two musicians. Although their roots lie in traditional jazz, you can clearly hear in this duo that their influences do not stop at Miles, Coltrane or Parker. Their repertoire consists of their own compositions by both hands, supplemented with standards, roughly written between 1920 and 2020.

Line-up:
Jesse van Ruller – guitar
Maarten Hogenhuis – alto sax