Rico de Jeer knew that he wanted to play the bass from the time that one of his brothers played him the LP "Armed Forces" by Elvis Costello & The Attractions with Bruce Thomas on bass. This desire grew when he saw a classmate perform with his band. After another classmate and ever since best friend (poet/writer Ronald Ohlsen) asked him for a 'guitar club' the actual playing of this instrument became reality. In his final year of high school he bought his first bass: a green metalic Maya bass.

In 1986 Rico enrolled at the University of Groningen to study Psychology and after that first year he switched to a study Economics. In 1988 he bought the 1976 Fender Jazz Bass he still plays now and in the summer of that same year he went to Budapest by bus to buy his first doublebass. In 1991 he quit his studies at the University to prepare for his admission to the Hilversum’s Conservatory.

His musical preference by then had shifted from pop to blues to jazz. The Fender bass was left in a corner of his room for a number of years. Tim Nobel, student at the Hilversum’s Conservatory, gave him his first doublebass lessons and with him Rico was preparing for his own admission. In 1992, he was admitted to the Hilversum’s Conservatory.
In 1993 Rico moved from Groningen to Amsterdam to be closer to school. During his training he studied with (amongst others) Koos Serierse, Rob Langerijs, Ruud Ouwehand, Edward Mebius and Ernst Glerum to finally graduate in 1998 with Arnold Dooyeweerd.

After his studies Rico worked with several bands and played several double basses. He stills plays his old time favourite '76 Fender Jazz Bass. Currently he plays a French double bass, which was built approximately in 1850.

From his current hometown Hilversum Rico unfolds a variety of activities including teaching, working as a freelance musician and playing with several bands, amongst them are the Kai von Rosenberg Trio, Klatwerk 3 and Jazz Ex Tempore.