When the Dutch drummer and percussionist Marcel van Cleef took his first drumsticks in his hands at the age of two, it was the beginning of a lifelong passion. At the time his uncle, also a drummer, actually came by to show his brother a few grooves on the drums. Marcel van Cleef was so impressed that he since then did not let go of his sticks. As a teenager he already had established himself in the local music scene and was a member of the Dutch Bands Patso and One Warp. While studying at the University of Arts in Arnhem, he played in numerous formations with jazz greats such as Eric Vloeimans, Wiro Mahieu, Gerd Dudek and Cécile Verny. With the Henning Wolter Trio he worked together successfully for more than twenty years and has recorded six CDs that found wide recognition in the press. In the Netherlands, Marcel van Cleef long belongs to one of the most sought after drummer. His tours have led him across Europe to France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Benelux, Scandinavia and Germany. After an appearance in 2006 at the Berlin Jazz Festival, where the DVD/CD “DADA Republic! Live at JazzFest Berlin” was recorded, which was nominated for the leaderboard at the German record Critics Award, Marcel van Cleef decided to settle in Berlin. Quickly he found entrance into the music scene and played with Julia Hülsmann, Bene Abdulmalik, J.C. Dook or Ingrid Arthur. He met the balaphon player Aly Keita with whom he won the global Music Contest “creole” in 2009. Finally, Marcel van Cleef fulfilled his long-cherished dream: to record an own solo album. It is the result of a long process of a musical search. His solo CD “Traffic Jam” was hailed in the press as “outstanding album”.