Ad is a personality in the Dutch jazzscene with his interpretator, compositions and his unique sound on the tenor and sopranosaxophone. Colen was born on July 12th 1961 in Geleen, Holland. In his formative years he played a variety of instruments, concentrating on the guitar for several years, before discovering his everlasting love: the saxophone. In 1990 he graduated from the Hilversum Conservatorium as a jazz musician, under the tuition of Adri van Velzen, Albert Beltman and Ferdinand Povel.Later on he went to New York to study with Dick Oatts. His talent was already in demand in the professional arena.
It was Colen's versatility that attracted attention. Modern jazz, Big Band, funk, rock and Afro Caribbean music have all passed through his repertoire. With different groups and projects hetoured the United States, Morocco, Austria, Finland, Sweden and Greece .
Since 1997 he has released 4 albums with his jazzquartet where he showed his capabilities as a composer and saxophoneplayer.
In 1997 the Ad Colen Quartet released their debut album “Naked” (Via Records). On “Naked” they are accompanied by Michiel Borstlap, winner of the Thelonius Monk Award 1997.‘Eyes Wide Open’ was the next cd that the quartet ( Rob van Bavel, Erik Robaard and Chris Strik ) released in 2000.
The album ‘Bitter but Sweet” was released in march 2005 also by Ad’s own label Sweet Briar Music.
Starting from September of 2008, Ad Colen got to work with a new quartet. The new Quartet consists of Gé Bijvoet (winner of the soloist award at the NOS Meervaart Jazz Festival). He was joined by bassist Wiro Mahieu, (winner of the Wessel Ilcken prize) and drummer Yonga Sun (winner of the Dutch Jazz Competition). The new cd ‘free’ was a result of this collaboration and was released in 2009.
All cd’s were received very well by the national and international musicpress.
The quartet has played at the international jazzfestivals such as: the North Sea Jazzfestival in the Hague and the JavaJazz festival in Jakarta.
The Erasmushuis in Jakarta invited the group two times (2003 , 2006 ) to tour in Indonesia.

Discography
As a leader:
• 2009: Ad Colen Quartet, Free (Sweet Briar Records)
• 2005: Ad Colen Quartet, Bitter but Sweet (Sweet Briar Records)
• 2000 : Ad Colen Quartet, Eyes Wide Open, (Sweet Briar Music)
• 1997 : Ad Colen Quartet, Naked (Viarecords)

As sideman:
• 2008 Symbiosis Saxion V Joost Swart, Gustav Klimt Quartet
• 2006: Roots & wings Antonia Sweet Briar Music
• 2005:Nonstop Cuban Descarga Alberto Muñoz Martinez Live at Rasa
• 2005:Trapperdetrap 2. Kindercd van Thijs Borsten met o.a. Peer de Graaf en Wende Snijders
• 2003 : Trapperdetrap 1. Kindercd van Thijs Borsten met o.a. Mathilde Santing en Peer de Graaf
• 2002 : cd Carla Bley project van het Jan van de Boomen septet
• 1999 : Ann Thomas, Secret dreams (A-records)
• 1994 : Lex van Wel Orchestra
• 1993 : Metronoom bigband1992 : Time design, Hands & Hearts

Ad performed with amongst others: Masha Bijlsma, Tamara Maria, Rachel Gould, Greetje Kauffeld,Tet Koffeman,Lydia van Dam, Denise Jannah, Digna Janssen,Pauline van Schaik,Miett Molnar,Boris,Xander De Buisonjé,Michiel Borstlap,Tilmar Junius,Bertlt Bustra,Glenn Corneille,Dirk Balthaus,Jaco Benckhuizen,Emiel van Rijthoven, Heleen Schuttevaer, Wim Bronnenberg,Stefan Blankestein,Emiel van Egdom, Sander Hop,Floris,Wim Kegel,Tilmar Junius,Marc van Rooy, DJ Kypski.Hein van de Geyn,Wiro Mahieu,Alex Oele,Hans Mantel, Theo de Jong,Joost Lijbaart, Wim kegel,leon Klaassen,Roy Dackus, Bart van Lier enz.

Equipment Ad Colen