New Cool Collective

The enduring Dutch ensemble New Cool Collective originated in the early 1990s and sustained activity deep into the following century, fusing jazz, dance, Latin, salsa, Afrobeat, and boogaloo into a distinctive, high-energy blend. Their guiding principle centers on forging grooves that balance musical complexity with dance-floor appeal through layered arrangements, ensemble dialogue, and spontaneous improvisation, qualities demonstrated on the 1998 release More Soul Jazz Latin Flavours Nineties Vibes and the 2015 set Electric Monkey Sessions. Extensive road work took the group across Benelux, Great Britain, Germany, Africa, Canada, Russia, and Asia, where they appeared in intimate jazz venues and large-scale pop and rock festivals alike. Renowned for partnerships, they joined forces with fellow Dutch artists alongside Tony Allen, Mapacha Africa, Andrew Roachford, Jules Deelder, Matt Bianco, and Georgie Fame.

Benjamin Herman, the saxophonist and orchestra leader, joined DJ Graham B in 1993 to launch the project by merging live performance with beats and samples inside an Amsterdam nightclub. The debut album Soul Jazz Latin (1997) and its 1998 follow-up More Soul Jazz Latin Flavors Nineties Vibe established the collective’s singular synthesis of Latin rhythms, DJ techniques, and vigorous post- and hard bop, quickly captivating both listeners and club crowds. Expansion to a 20-piece big band occurred in 2000 for the recording Big with Fame, after which the lineup alternated between that format and a quintet on later projects. Recognition followed in the form of the Edison Jazz Award, the Golden Nutcracker, and the Heineken Crossover Music Award. A brief Sony tenure yielded Bring It On, featuring guest vocals from Hooverphonic’s Geike Arnaert on “Comin’ Back for More” and from Andrew Roachford on “Bring It On” and “Do Anything.” Weekly local performances supplemented their touring schedule, while dozens of tracks appeared on various compilations. The 2004 move to Dox Records led to early 2005 studio sessions that produced the widely praised Trippin’ by year’s end. Concert commitments intensified, yet the band repeatedly returned to recording; between 2006 and 2010 they issued the studio albums Out of Office and Pachinko plus two live sets. Late that decade they teamed with Cuban rumberos Los Papines and Kenyan ensemble Mapacha Africa for Sugar Protocol, which aired across Europe, Asia, and the United States.

A Golden Calf award at the Dutch Film Festival arrived in 2013 for the score the group composed, arranged, and performed for the Dutch film Toegetakeld door de liefde, in which they also appeared as a fictional band. The 2014 album Eighteen reached number 64 on the Netherlands’ year-end album charts. Its immediate successor was the first installment of Electric Monkey Sessions. Early 2015 brought the Guus Meeuwis collaboration Hollandse Meesters, consisting solely of Dutch hit covers, along with Chin Chin, the original quintet’s recording of the Toegetakeld door de liefde soundtrack. Additional work that year included the EP The Things You Love with Mark Reilly and Matt Bianco. Following a year of European and Asian touring, the band reconvened to mark its 25th anniversary with The Electric Monkey Sessions, Vol. 2 and a further Meeuwis cover single. On New Year’s Eve 2017 New Cool Collective suffered the loss of lead trombonist Bart Lust, who died after a brief illness.