Eric Ineke ( b. April 1(!), 1947), mostly self-taught, began playing gigs in late 1964 with people like Ferdinand Povel, Rob Madna, Piet Noordijk, Wim Overgaauw and Frans Elsen. From 1971 until 1989 he was a member of the now legendary Rein de Graaff/Dick Vennik Quartet. He toured through Europe accompanying a lot of visiting American and European musicians, such as: Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin, Don Byas, George Coleman, Al Cohn, Lee Konitz, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles McPherson, Dave Pike, Doug Raney, Frank Foster, Frank Wess, Curtis Fuller, Bud Shank, David Liebman and played on numerous Jazz festivals in Europe and the USA. He was the drummer behind Jimmy Raney on almost all of his European tours.
Since 1984 Eric Ineke is member of the Dutch Jazz Orchestra that went to the USA in 1995 to play a concert for the Duke Ellington-conference in Pittsburgh and also recorded the Music of Billy Strayhorn (CHR70089/92). In 1990 he started as a teacher at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. In 1999 he formed the Wolfert Brederode/Eric Ineke Quintet and recorded the CD's "Trinity" and "Pictures of You" (A-records). With David Liebmann and Marius Beets he recorded “Lieb Plays Wilder” (DBCHR75214).
In 2006, Eric Ineke’s JazzXpress came about. “While driving to a gig with David Liebman in Antwerp, Belgium, Dave said it was about time I started my own hardbop group. ‘You should do this, and ask some good youngsters.’ That night, Marius Beets was on bass and tenor saxophonist Sjoerd Dijkhuizen came by. Marius said: ‘This is what we’ve been waiting for!’ Sjoerd immediately asked if he could be part of it. Of course he could!” For the piano chair Eric asked Rob van Bavel, with whom he had developed ‘a great rhythmic rapport’ after they both had been part of the Piet Noordijk Quartet and the high-energy Jarmo Hoogendijk/Ben van den Dungen Quintet. Young trumpet sensation Rik Mol – just 22 while I’m writing this - was recommended by his former teacher Jarmo Hoogendijk, who had to retire from stage because of a lip injury.
The band’s name was made up by Eric’s fellow musicians. “They decided that my name should be part of it, and they invented the word Xpress, with the capital X. It looks good on jazz club and festival posters.”