Roos Jonker

Foto: Hans Kreutzer

While attending the jazz department of the Amsterdam Conservatory, Roos Jonkers developed in the world of traditional jazz and improvisation. But at the same time she exposed herself as someone willing to go down uncharted paths in the making of very personal music. Part of the Dox Family, Roos composes intuitively and without concessions. "You have to make music as if you are living on an uninhabited island."

As one listens to her debut album Mmmmm, one... Meer »

Foto: Hans Kreutzer

While attending the jazz department of the Amsterdam Conservatory, Roos Jonkers developed in the world of traditional jazz and improvisation. But at the same time she exposed herself as someone willing to go down uncharted paths in the making of very personal music. Part of the Dox Family, Roos composes intuitively and without concessions. "You have to make music as if you are living on an uninhabited island."

As one listens to her debut album Mmmmm, one hears a combination of different styles: jazz, hiphop, pop, etc. ‘As soon as I’ve made a beat and hear a few fitting chords, I pick up my guitar to make a melody.’ Her unique songs also arise from much improvising and trying many different instruments in the search for that perfect sound — whatever that may be. Her texts are personal, imaginative, light-footed and layered in meaning. Roos does it all: sings, plays piano, guitar, harp and saxophone and produces her own beats. For this CD she also collaborated with befriended musicians such as guitarist Rory Ronde, saxophonist Benjamin Herman and even her mother. As a singersongwriterproducer, she actually stays in her living room to record while being surrounded by her piano, harp, laptop, plants, clean laundry and endless cups of tea. Staying stubborn but focused.

For her debut album, Roos also involved herself in the design, presentation and choice of photographers, designers and copywriters — everything had to serve her own singular style. And the total package is very special indeed: from dreamy to confrontational, sweet to cool, small to big, acoustic to heavy. Each song is an independent artwork that begins subtly before forming into a full story.

So where should this album be filed? "Maybe just under the “R” of Roos,’ says Jonker, as she sends her songs into the world without a care for the critics. ‘Of course it’s exciting what others will think of it, but the most important thing is that I like it.’

The debut album of Roos Jonker has spawned critical acclaim in the press and the positive response has not been limited to the Netherlands. Japanese music lovers are equally enthusiastic about this original artists, resulting in very high positions in the Japanese charts. On top of that, her album "Mmmmm" is also be released in Thailand (September 2010) and will be released in Taiwan early 2011.

In September Roos travelled to Thailand for a "Jazz Expedition" organized by the Dutch Jazz Agency. Alongside 14 other musicians she took part in workshops and perform during the "Dutch Jazz Night" at the Samui Jazz Festival.

Roos Jonker starts the year 2011 with a show on the prestigious Noorderslag festival. ? A special vinyl EP of ‘Mmmmm’ will be released early 2011. « Minder