Iris & Friends

4+ (group) performers

Indoor and outdoor

Band

2,5 hours

Very flexible.

DE, FR, NL, EN

Iris & Friends has built an extensive, highly varied repertoire that ranges from ´traditional jazz music and blues to the finest standards from the American Songbook. We also perform songs by Burt Bacharach and Stevie Wonder, among others, and several beautiful pop songs, depending on the location and occasion. We play at home and abroad at festivals, in jazz clubs, but also as musical accompaniment of your event, party and corporate party, and dinner and during a diner dansant on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, among others.

With her warm voice Iris has for years been a welcome guest in jazz clubs, at festivals, concerts and (company) parties. She has built up an extensive repertoire that ranges from traditional jazz and blues to the most beautiful standards from the American Songbook.

Iris & Friends' repertoire guarantees a solid contemporary approach to the mainstream idiom. Iris' friends find it a challenge to accompany her in a dynamic way. But each band member also comes into his own soloistically. The concerts offer a very varied program in which the show element is certainly not forgotten.

Iris & Friends regularly play with well-known musicians. Already four times they have given a concert with the world famous saxophonist Scott Hamilton (the last time September 2021). Not only Iris but also the Friends have all earned their spurs in jazz and have been playing together for a long time.

Cornet player Bas Toscani has been on the national and international jazz scene for quite some time. He did his military service as first trumpet player in the Royal Military Band. He masters many different styles. He is often on the road with his mobile Dixieland formation The Thundering Dixie Hearts, but he also plays be-bop in, among others, the Alexander Beets/Bas Toscani Quintet. With his brother Pim he founded the formation The Swinging Brothers and is also associated with the now internationally known Pim Toscani's Dixieland all Stars.

Pianist Nick van den Bos began his musical career as a trumpet player. After being taught piano by his father, he took up the trumpet at the age of thirteen and taught himself to play the instrument. At the age of seventeen he won third place with his then band "SCARAB" at the Loosdrecht jazz festival and also managed to win the soloist prize. All this resulted in him joining Boy Edgar's band at an early age and playing a lot in the evenings with jazz greats such as Toon van Vliet, Hans Dulfer, Gerrie van der Klei. At 23, he went to study piano at the conservatory in Amsterdam. Over the years he accompanied Scott Hamilton, Ge Titulaer, Rita Reys, among others, and played with the Metropole orchestra conducted by Jerry van Rooyen.

Bassist Rob Veenhuizen has many years of national and international experience. He played for 4 years with the Henk Meutgeert Bigband, with Rudi Brink, Slide Hampton and Toots Thielemans, among others. Rob has performed many times with Ray Kaart, Frits Katee, Jan Verwey, Sytze van Duin, Bert Boeren (formerly in Dutch Swing College Band). He is known for his great drive and beautiful solos.

Pim Toscani began his career with various dixieland orchestras. On a freelance basis he was part of many occasional formations, including with Ray Kaart and Ruud Brink. He was a substitute with, among others, the Dutch Swing College Band (for Huub Janssen), the New Orleans Syncopators and the famous German Allotria Jazz band. He is leader of the internationally known Swing Fire Quartet and Pim Toscani's Jazz All Stars. He is known for his dynamism driving drumming style and his spectacular solos.

Iris & Friends feel at home both on the concert stage and at a party (during a reception, for example, the sound can be adjusted to whisper-soft). Also, depending on the location and occasion, we can play in a smaller or extended composition. Moreover, we offer you a well-kept and enthusiastic presentation. Composition and duration of performance according to your wishes. Please send us a request for a customized offer. On this page you will find a small selection of our playlist.

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