About

Jean-Clair de Ruwe is a Dutch drummer, improviser and music producer whose playing is rooted in jazz tradition. On the other hand exploring new musical landscapes. Whether performing on stage, recording in the studio or teaching, his focus is always the same: honest music, creativity, interaction and personality.

Based in The Hague, Jean-Clair teaches at his private studio sharing not only technique, but also the art of listening and expression.

After earning his stripes at the Utrecht Conservatory (cum laude, 2004), Jean-Clair deepened his musical voice in New York, where he studied with jazz legends Rodney Green and Kenny Washington, and Billy Hart. Jean-Clair blends deep tradition with a forward-looking touch.

Throughout his career he has performed with internationally acclaimed artists including Philip Harper, Roy Hargrove, Charles McPherson, Bert Joris, Benjamin Herman, Marjorie Barnes, Denise Jannah, and with ensembles like the Jazz Art Orchestra and Millennium Jazz Orchestra. Whether supporting a Sinatra crooner or reimagining Bach with a modern trio, Jean-Clair listens with intention and plays with purpose.

As a bandleader and co-creator of UMAX — a project merging classical roots with contemporary improvisation — he explores new sonic landscapes, always in search of beauty, honesty, and groove.

Also Jean-Clair joins forces with guitarist Martien Oster and bassist Uli Glaßmann in a guitar trio that celebrates swing, groove, and melodic integrity. Rooted in the rich tradition of jazz but always alert to the moment, the trio focuses on interplay, listening, and space—letting the music breathe, move, and tell its own story. With Martien’s warm, blues-inflected guitar lines and Uli’s elegant, grounded bass work, Jean-Clair provides the rhythmic heartbeat: subtle, propulsive, and deeply responsive. This trio is not about virtuosity for its own sake, but about connection—between players, audience, and the timeless pulse of jazz itself.

He is also active as a producer and curator of live music events, bringing refined, heartfelt jazz to audiences both intimate and grand.

He is proudly endorsed by Canopus Drums.

For Jean-Clair, music is not a job — it’s a calling. And every note is a step on that path.

“Jean-Clair is one of those fine drummers who plays the drums with respect for the past. He absorbed the language and carries on the tradition like all accomplished jazz musicians. But most of all his playing is honest, supportive, swingin’, personal and sensitive at the same time. Jean-Clair is a team player and great guy to work with. He is both connected to the new and established generation jazz musicians. He takes care of business and is serious in the projects he is involved in.”

John Marshall, former trumpet player WDR Big band