About Alexander
Alexander ‘The Hurricane’ Beets is one of Europe’s most prominent jazz saxophonists, renowned for his commanding sound, charismatic presence, and versatility as a performer. Whether leading his own ensembles or collaborating with top-tier musicians, Alexander brings an explosive mix of technique, emotion, and groove to every performance. His musical preference is rooted in the Hard Bop jazz traditional. Alexander studies his historic masters like Stanley Turrentine, Hank Mobley, Cannonbaal Adderley, Dexter Gordin, Gene Ammons and Freddie Hubbard.
Born into a musical family—his brothers Peter and Marius Beets are also renowned musicians—Alexander developed a passion for jazz at a young age.
His musical projects are as dynamic as his nickname ‘The Hurricane’suggests. With his Hardbop Quintet, he delivers fiery, “in-your-face” hardbop, while Alexander Beets & the Kung Fu Jazz Orchestra blends modern funk, groove and fusion jazz in an electrifying show. As a guest soloist, he has performed with big bands and groups worldwide, including the Takashi Band and Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, showcasing his adaptability and virtuosity. Alexander is also a featured performer in theNew York Round Midnight Orchestra, a vocal tribute to the swing era, and leads the Alexander Beets Legends Program, where he pays homage lengendary musicians in the history of jazz.
Alexander performed on all five continent in the past years. Mostly with his quintet but also as guest feature or with a variety of vocalists like Graziella Hunsel Rivero, Deborah Carter, Baer Traa, Paul van Kessel and Deborah Brown (USA). Alexander has original Big Band repertoire scores available.
Beyond performing, Alexander is deeply rooted in the international jazz community. He is linked to major initiatives like the Amersfoort Jazz Festival, JazzNL, and the World Jazz Network, and contributes to the development of young talent through his affiliation with Fontys University of the Arts. Additionally, he served for 5 years on the Supervisory Board of Buma Stemra (Dutch copyright society), advocating for musicians’ rights and the growth of the music industry. Also Alexander Beets has been chairman of the Dutch labour union for professional musicians (Ntb) for 8 years.
With a career spanning global tours, critically acclaimed recordings, and a tireless commitment to jazz, Alexander Beets continues to be a driving force in the international jazz scene. Internationally he is often named ‘Dutch Jazz Ambassador’. Beginning of 2026 he received the BIMPro Award for his continues work for the (inter) national professional jazzscene.