(Oss, Netherlands, December 22, 1961)
studied Musicology at the Amsterdam University and trumpet at The Jazz Department of The Amsterdam Sweelinck Conservatory. His own bands are: Sextet The Houdini’s: internationally released CDs on Timeless Records (Live At Paradox, Headlines, Kickin’In The Frontwindow), Challenge Records (Hybrid, Play The Big Five, Gooee, Live At Kiama Jazz Festival, Stripped To The Bone), Channel Classics (Porgy & Bess) and Munich Records (Chasin’ The General).
Toured Europe, The USA, Canada and Australia. Did co-productions with string orchestra Nieuw Sinfonietta Amsterdam conducted by John Adams; Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw conducted by Henk Meutgeert; Trijntje Oosterhuis and Nieuw Sinfonietta Amsterdam conducted by Wayne Marshall. The last production has been released on Blue Note records.
Trio Toïs: internationally released CDs on Via Records (An Angel’s Work Is Never Done) and Turtle Records (Forbidden Fruit). Provided the music for the Blok & Steel dance production Samo together with Louis Andriessen, and for the Dutch movie Wilde Mossels. Amsterdam Jazz Trio (Verploegen, Verhoeff & van der Westen): played their debut at the 2001 Rotterdam World Port Jazz Festival, toured the country since then and recorded the album The Night & The Day Dreamer, released on A-Records. In 2004 The Amsterdam Jazz Trio performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival and toured Japan, followed by the release of the album For The Time Being on EWM-Music.
Executive Lounge: a semi-electric quartet with key board player Jeroen van Vliet, bassist Eric van der Westen and drummer Jasper van Hulten, initiated for a 2005 Bimhuis ‘carte blanche’. Recording released on EWM-Music in 2007.
Performed and/or recorded as free lance trumpeter with: Frank Grasso Big Band, Maiden Voyage Big Band, Corrie en de (Grote) Brokken, Bik Bent Braam, Martin Fondses The Groove Troopers, Jaap Blonk’s Splinks, Denise Jannah, Ronald Douglas, Zut Alors! (with Jasper Blom and Michael Moore), Eric van der Westen’s Quadrant Extended, Misha Mengelberg, Satoko Fujii and Natsuki Tamura, Transatlantic Jazz Orchestra conducted by Gunter Schuller (with Philip Harper, Bobby Watson, Sean Blake, Kenny Drew Jr., John Hicks and others), Bob Brookmeyer’s New Art Orchestra, Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, Soo Cho, Tony Overwater Quintet, De Dijk, Frank Boeijen, Candy Dulfer, Kim Hoorweg, Metropole Orchestra, Gerard van Maasakkers, Stef Bos, Gino Vannelli a.o.
Produced most of the recordings of The Houdini’s and furthermore internationally released CDs of vocalists Denise Jannah, Ronald Douglas, Leny Andrade, Lisa Michel (with Sam Newsome, David Berkamn, Ugonna Okegwo and Brian Blade), Heleen van den Hombergh (with Bert van den Brink, Tony Overwater and Joshua Samson) and of instrumentalists Benjamin Herman (with Jesse van Ruller, Larry Goldings and Idris Muhammad), Maarten van der Grinten & Jesse van Ruller, Wolfert Brederode-Eric Ineke Quintet (with Jarmo Hoogendijk and Harry Sokal), Kenny Wheeler with the UMO Jazz Orchestra, Misha Mengelberg, Nimbus (with Dave Liebman), latin jazz quintet Bye-Ya! (with Jarmo Hoogendijk), Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, Holland Big Band
amongst others.
Teaches trumpet at the Jazz departments of the School of the Arts Utrecht (HKU) and the School of the Arts Arnhem (ArteZ).
2007-2008: Artistic Director of the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw.