A highly talented guitarist who has demonstrated the highest levels of musical achievement” Alma Berk, Jim Hall Jazz Award, USA Equally at home in high energy electric jazz or fusion as in his romantic classical and contemporary acoustic solo guitar arrangements… His albums and concerts read like a who’s who in contemporary music and jazz…Bob MIlitello, Bob Sheppard, Eric Gale, Bob Berg, John Patitucci, Brian Bromberg, Tom Brigandi, Steve Curry, Joel Taylor, Alex Acuna, Peter Gordon, Michael Pedicin Jr., Jan Knooren, Ron van Stratum, Bart Rademakers, Consuelo Candelaria, Demetrios Papas, Corey Allen, Cheryl Bentyne, Tony Galla, Bob Leatherbarrow, Bob Jones etcetc The man, his life, his music… With the projects already released, the upcoming releases and the international presscoverage, it seems that this ’83 Fulbright alumni, composer/arranger/guitarist and producer has indeed a great international career. His unique approach to form and harmony, as well as his jazz and classical compositions, arrangements, and orchestrations, place him among the top contemporary musicians. He is respectful of tradition and their heroes. He is able to combine business acumen with versatility. He is a rhythmical, melancholic composer who pushes his music to energy with lots of emotion and momentum. His concerts are energetic and powerful and his radio waves to his audience are convincing and open. He has complete control over the music and the band, and is able to inspire them with creative and inspiring performances. After a very interesting and intense youth, he was born in the Netherlands. He began his musical career when he was 18. Although he had the desire to be a musician, life took precedence. He was influenced by Jimi Hendrix and Manitas de Plata. Andres Segovia was also a local musician. That attitude kept me from trying to play 15 different versions of the same song in different tempos …” After performing in many bands throughout Europe, he received a classical conservatory diploma in ’81 with Hans Lutz Nieessen. He also studied privately with American musicians, Charly Green and Greg Badolato. In 1983, he moved to Boston (USA), where he studied at the BERKLEE College of Music. It is one of the most prestigious institutions of its kind. John Scofield. His career took off after that. His contacts at Berklee, particularly with Peter Gordon and Maestro Corey Allen, led to many concerttours with fellowstudents. It also created a lot activity in his country, which was considered valuable and influential by many. Under the direction of producer/pianist Corey Allen, his first album “The Corey Allen Project”, which he released with his band CULEA on “Da Capo Records”, showed him as a talented guitarist, arranger, and bandleader. He signed his second record deal with “Optimism Incorporated” in 1989. “This is For You” was also released. This was the first of a series to be released internationally. This CD featured some of the most talented players in the world: Alex Acuna (with John Patitucci), Cheryl Bentyne and Eric Gale. Also, Bob Berg, Bob Militello. Joel Taylor, Peter Gordon, Corey Allen, and Tom McCauley, the engineer. He toured a lot over the years with many other musicians, including Bob Militello (with Dave Brubeck), Bob Jones, Eric Gale (w/Lenny White), Tony Guerrero and his US 5-tet, along with Kenny Goldberg and Chico Huff. Also, with Tony Galla (RAVEN), Glenn Corneille, Emiel’s 4-tet, which included Bart Rademakers (Pno. Jan Knooren. Bs. Ron van Stratum, Drs. He also did a lot of composing and studio-arranging work, ranging from Acid Jazz to Frans malschaert and Anandi Teeuws theaterplay “VLUCHTEN”, for Theater SIRKEL. For which he wrote the original score and mostly a capella arrangements that were a huge hit with the media. He also toured in the USA, South America, and Europe at, for example, the JAZZMECCA of the late NORTHSEA JAZZ promoter Paul Acket. There he performed in the REMBRANDT Hall at the NORTHSEA JAZZ FESTIVAL, The Hague. He was a part of the CANCUN Jazzfestival in Mexico with Bob Leatherbarrow and Bob Jones, as well as smaller events like the Middelburg Jazzfestival and others. This was a period with strong exposure and radio/radio coverage. It was a time when a musician had a bright future. He quit the business in late 1992 to be with his family and return to it mid-’96 stronger and more focused than ever. One thing he did in his “break” was to become a licensed swordmaster. He studied with the most respected maitres d’escrimes, including retired Olympic Coach Maitre Dick van Winden and fencingchampion Emiel Slojpen, both from the Netherlands. He records “Venys maternon” with Tom van Giesen of BTEA, then finishes “Hybrid Groove”, and later signs with California-based “NEFERTITI records”. After completing “Hybrid Groove”, he records “CLUES” with Bob Militello and Bob Jones, Steve Curry as well as Consuelo Cadenaria. His new CD, “VI “…This”, is in production. He also has many other projects. A life of touring, studiowork, his own music, teaching, projects to produce, commissions for compositions and arrangements, all mostly done in his own PROTOOLS HD3 Accel studio under the flag of his own production company CULEA Productions, founded in 2003 or in Los Angeles with engineer Tom McCauley.He now works with a production/management team headed by Jolanda Merkelbach. from http://alumni.berklee.edu/
