VDE West Coast Collective

Kevin van den Elzen (1991) is a young drummer from the Netherlands who is working and residing in Los Angeles. He left the Netherlands in 2015 to do his master studies at the Thornton School of Music. He studied there with Peter Erskine, Roy McCurdy, Ndugu Chancler, Aaron Serfaty, Bob Mintzer and Russell Ferrante. Privately he studied with Jeff Hamilton and Joe LaBarbera. He graduated in May 2017 with departmental honors.

In 2014 he received his bachelor degree from the Conservatory of Amsterdam where he studied with Martijn Vink, Marcel Serierse, Lucas van Merwijk and Gerhard Jeltes. He has played with a number of musicians such as: Dick Oatts, John Clayton, Paquito d’Rivera, James Carter, Bob Mintzer, Bill Cunliffe, Ben van Gelder, Eric Reed, Benjamin Herman, Trijntje Oosterhuis, Joris Roelofs, Jasper Blom, Jesse van Ruller, Miguel Rodriguez, Jay Anderson and many others. He played also with professional big bands like the Dave Richards Big Band, Kim Richmond Concert Jazz Orchestra, Bill Holman Big Band, Elliott Deutsch Big Band, Brussels Jazz Orchestra, the Bravo Big Band (Belgium), Millenium Jazz Orchestra and more.

He was selected to tour with the German Kehrwieder Jazz Sextet from the Elb Jazz Festival. This group played at the Bimhuis (Amsterdam), Kopenhagen Jazzfestival and Elbjazz festival (Hamburg). In 2013 he formed the Dutch Concert Big Band. This is a professional big band with some of the best young Dutch jazz musicians. They have played together with Ack van Rooyen, Theo Loevendie, Shirma Rouse and Trijntje Oosterhuis. In 2015 he received the VSB Scholarship, Van den Ende Scholarship, Prins Bernhard Scholarship and Dullert Foundation Scholarship organisations to pursue his studies in Los Angeles. He currently plays with the Nick Mancini Group, LAHO Group, VDE Big Band and the VDE Group feat. Dick Oatts and Bob Mintzer.

VDE West Coast Collective

The VDE West Coast Collective will play a repertoire of obscure tunes from the 50’s and 60’s West Coast Era. The tunes that will be performed are written by a.o. Shorty Rogers, Victor Feldman, Bob Brookmeyer, Bill Holman and others. These tunes, although rarely performed, have beautiful melodies and are accessible to a wide audience.

The members of the VDE West Coast Collective are all admirers of this Era and the musicians connected to this period of Jazz music. The group consists out of Jason Fabus (tenor), Nick Mancini (vibes), Josh Nelson (piano), Jonathan Richards (double bass) and Kevin van den Elzen (drums)