Saskia Laroo (born 31 July 1959 in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

), is a Dutch jazz musician who has been dubbed the "Lady

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

". Her music style can be described as a combination of jazz, pop, electronic dance music, Latin and world music.

Biography

The beginning Laroo was born in de Jordaan,

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

as the eldest of four daughters. When she was six the family moved to

Den Ilp Den Ilp () is a Dutch village. It is located in the municipality of Landsmeer, North Holland, just north of Amsterdam. The village's population was 809 as of January 2007. In the Netherlands, the village is known for its abundant lighting displays ...

, a nearby

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

. A year later she started with general music lessons and lessons on soprano recorder, later also

alto recorder The alto recorder in F, also known as a treble (and, historically, as consort flute and common flute) is a member of the recorder family. Up until the 17th century the alto instrument was normally in G4 instead of F4. The alto is between the s ...

at the

music school A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger ins ...

Purmerend Purmerend () is a city and municipality in the west of the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and in the region of West Friesland. The city is surrounded by polders, such as the Purmer, Beemster and the Wormer. The city became the tra ...

. In Den Ilp she started age 8 to play the

cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B, though there is also a sopr ...

fanfare orchestra A fanfare orchestra (Dutch ''fanfareorkest'', French ''harmonie-fanfare'') is a type of brass band consisting of the entire saxophone family, trumpets, trombones, euphoniums, baritone horns, flugelhorns and alto/tenor- or F-horns, as well as perc ...

. Laroo went in 1971 at age 11 to secondary school
het Zaanlands Lyceum

Zaandam Zaandam () is a city in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland, Netherlands. It is the main city of the municipality of Zaanstad, and received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1811. It is located on the river Za ...

. She switched from

recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a news ...

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

and took lessons for 3 years with cellis
Olof Groesz
who became cellist of the

Metropole Orchestra The Metropole Orkest (Metropole Orchestra) is a jazz and pop orchestra based in the Netherlands, and is the largest full-time ensemble of its kind in the world. A hybrid orchestra, it is a combination of jazz, big band and symphony orchestra. Com ...

. When she was fifteen Saskia became interested in learning guitar and self-studied classical and folk music on the instrument for a year. A year later she was introduced to jazz music by the newly founded bigband on her high school and became member of the trumpet section. This bigband was conducted by pianis
Jan Molenaar
who is owner o
Molenaar Muziekuitgeverij
She got her first lessons in jazz improvisation with this band and heard for the first time bebop trumpet soloing b
Peter Kuyt
then age 17 and also member of the bigband's trumpet section. After high school graduation in 1977, Saskia moved back to Amsterdam to study mathematics at the

University of Amsterdam The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, nl, Universiteit van Amsterdam) is a public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The UvA is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the other being ...

, but instead soon got involved in the city's music scene, and switched from cornet to trumpet. A year later she stopped her mathematics study and went to th
Muziekpedagogische Academie Alkmaar
where she studied for two years with main subject classical trumpet with trumpete
Jan Schut
and secondary instruments classical piano and upright bass; then continued her music studies with focus on improvised music at th
Conservatory of Amsterdam
then named

Sweelinck Conservatorium The Conservatorium van Amsterdam (CvA) is a Dutch conservatoire of music located in Amsterdam. This school is the music division of the Amsterdam University of the Arts, the city's vocational university of arts. The Conservatorium van Amsterdam ...

. She had trumpet lessons in improvised music with trumpete
Boy Raaijmaker
then member of the Willem Breuker Kollektief, continued her studies classical trumpet with trumpete
Dick Jonker
then member of the

Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra The Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra (NedPhO; nl, Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest) is a Dutch symphony orchestra based in Amsterdam. History The NedPhO was formed in 1985 from the merger of three orchestras: the Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestr ...

, took jazz piano lessons and classical upright bass lessons with bassis
Hans Krul
In 1982 she was released from the school but took up her studies a year later at th
Muziekpedagogische Academie Hilversum
current part of th
Conservatory of Amsterdam
There she studied jazz trumpet with trumpeter

Ack van Rooyen Ack van Rooyen (1 January 1930, The Hague – 18 November 2021) was a Dutch jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist. He was the brother of Jerry van Rooyen. Van Rooyen began playing with a military band as a teenager, touring bases in Indonesia. He the ...

, and continued with jazz piano and classical upright bass lessons. In 1985, when she was 25, she graduated as a jazz trumpet music teacher after two years Later years In 1982 she made her first recordings that were released on LP with the band Fra Fra Sound and the reggae ban
PI Man & Memre Buku
In 1985 she played a solo on the song Don't you leave me Baby for

Billy Preston William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, during which he ba ...

's album: You can't keep a good man down. In 1994 she founded her own record label,

Laroo Records Laroo may refer to: * Laroo T.H.H., American rapper *Saskia Laroo Saskia Laroo (born 31 July 1959 in Amsterdam), is a Dutch jazz musician who has been dubbed the "Lady Miles Davis". Her music style can be described as a combination of jazz, pop, ...

. Her first CD album It's Like Jazz(1994), was co-produced by her and Rob Gaasterland, and was released in more than fifteen countries, amongst others in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, and speeded up the development of her international career. She toured with her own formations, amongst others with the

Saskia Laroo Band Saskia is a Germanic feminine given name. There are at least two different sources of the name. One is of North German and Northeast Netherlands origin, where it originally meant "a Saxon woman" ( metathesis of "Saxia"). Notable people with the n ...

, Jazzkia and Duo Laroo/Byrd with Warren Byrd to countries such as

the USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

;

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

;

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

in 1996 and 2007;

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

in 2004 and 2007 and she went for multiple tours to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. She played on international festivals, like the Montreux Jazzfestival in 2006 and again in 2007 after receiving the Montreux Jazz Award. She received in 2010 an Indian peace prize, the Karmaveer Puraskaar of the iCongo organisation in

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...

, India. In 2013 she recorded a DVD Live in Zimbabwe with her eight piece

at the

Harare International Festival of the Arts The Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) is one of Africa's largest international arts festivals. Established in 1999 by Manuel Bagorro the festival takes place each year in late April or early May in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. T ...

. This DVD was released on 28 March 2014 and a limited edition on CD on 15 October, both in Paradiso, Amsterdam. In 2019 she celebrates 40 years performing live on stage, 25 years her record label Laroo Records and 25 years the Saskia Laroo Band. A new album releas
Trumpets Around The World
is scheduled in the Netherlands for 1 November 2019 in het

Concertgebouw The Royal Concertgebouw ( nl, Koninklijk Concertgebouw, ) is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch term "concertgebouw" translates into English as "concert building". Its superb acoustics place it among the finest concert halls i ...

, Amsterdam and in the US on 29 November 2019 a
The Buttonwood Tree
Middletown, Connecticut.

Bands

Laroo's first performances started around 1978 with pop, fusion and dixieland bands. She was part of the all-female ban
Alice in Dixieland
played around 1981 in the Surinamese band Fra Fra Sound and was part of the free jazz workshop orchestr
De Boventoon
she started working with American blues vocalist and saxophonist

Rosa King Rosa King (March 14, 1939 – December 12, 2000) was an American jazz and blues saxophonist and singer who made her fame in Amsterdam. Career King was born in Macon, Georgia, United States. During her career, she worked with Ben E. King, ...

, with Dutch saxophonist

Hans Dulfer Hans Dulfer (born 28 May 1940) is a Dutch jazz musician who plays tenor saxophone. Life and music Hans Dulfer was born on 28 May 1940 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He began at age 17 and has been referred to as "Big boy" because of his album of ...

, and his daughter

Candy Dulfer Candy Dulfer (born 19 September 1969) is a Dutch jazz and pop saxophonist. She is the daughter of jazz saxophonist Hans Dulfer. She began playing at age six and founded her band Funky Stuff when she was fourteen. Her debut album ''Saxuality'' ( ...

, with Edsel Juliet's group Saljuco, toured wit
Dutch Connection
an avant-garde project with American conductor/trumpeter/composer

Butch Morris Lawrence Douglas "Butch" Morris (February 10, 1947 – January 29, 2013) was an American cornetist, composer and conductor. He was known for pioneering his structural improvisation method, ''Conduction'', which he utilized on many recordings. B ...

, and with Heleen Schuttevaer's all female jazzpop ban
Five Times A Lady
Later on in her career she performed with jazz greats such as

Teddy Edwards Theodore Marcus Edwards (April 26, 1924 – April 20, 2003) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Biography Edwards was born in Jackson, Mississippi, United States. He learned to play at a very early age, first on alto saxophone and then ...

and

Ernie Andrews Ernest Mitchell Andrews Jr. (December 25, 1927 – February 21, 2022) was an American jazz, blues, and pop singer. Life and career Andrews was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but grew up in Los Angeles, and is said to have been discovered b ...

and performs currently with Warren Byrd's grou
The Byrdspeak Ensemble
as well as Warren Byrd an
David Chevan
s grou
The Afro-Semitic Experience
She did dance cross-overs with 100% Isis,

Ken Ishii is a Japanese Disc_jockey, DJ and record producer from Sapporo. He graduated from Hitotsubashi University. He has released work under his own name as well as under the pseudonyms: FLR, Flare, UTU, Yoga, and Rising Sun. Strongly influenced by De ...

DJ Dimitri
Ronald Molendijk and has done recent performances with Hungarian DJ and produce
Dansor
Israelian Dj and bassis
Oded Nir

Own formations

1982 - 1986: Salsa Caliente 1986 - 1990: Caribbean Express 1990 - 1994: Caribbean Colours 1993–present: Salsabop 1993–present: Saskia's Solo Act 1994–present: The Saskia Laroo Band, at first named: the Laroo Colour 1996–present
Jazzkia
2009–present
Duo Laroo/Byrd

Performances

2020: India (World Jazz Fest in Mumbai and Goa), the Netherlands, the US 2019: Burundi (Dutch Kings Day), the Netherlands, Thailand (Krabi Naga Fest), the US 2018: the Netherlands, the US, Vietnam (Dutch Kings Day, 45 year relations Holland-Vietnam 2017: Serbia (Dutch Kings Day), South Korea, the Netherlands, the US 2016: Belgium, China Tour, Croatia Tour, France, India Tour, Indonesia tour, the Netherlands, the US. 2015: Bangla Desh, Italy, India, Lithuenia (Klaipeda Jazz Festival), Poland, the Netherlands (Aalsmeer Jazz Weekend, Amersfoort & Apeldoorn Jazzfestivals), Russia, the US (a.o. Cape Cod, MA; Carlyle, PA) 2014: Germany, the Netherlands, Poland (Jelenia Gora Jazzfest), the US (a.o. Atlanta, GA; Winston Salem, NC; Sacramento, GA) 2013: DR Congo (Jazzkif Fest), Thailand (a.o. Bangkok Festivals), the Netherlands (a.o. festivals Amersfoort, Zandvoort), the US, Zimbabwe (a.o. HIFA) 2012: Mexico & Guatemala (a.o. Eurojazz), Oman (Sohar Music Festival), US (a.o. Distinctively Dutch Tour), the Netherlands (a.o. Festivals Breda, Leeuwarden, Oisterwijk ) 2011: Belgium (a.o. Gouvy Jazz), Brazil (Rio das Ostras Jazz e Blues Fest), Canada (Sunfest), Croatia, Finland (Imatra Big Band Fest), India, the Netherlands, the US. 2010: Belgium, Bulgaria (Balcik Fest), Chile (8 concerts a.o. Bicentenario, International jazzfest Puerto Montt), Georgia, Germany (Women in Jazz Festival, Halle), Hong Kong (Music Beyond Borders), India, Italy, Moldavia, the Netherlands (jazzfests Amersfoort, Apeldoorn, Heiloo etc), Poland, Russia, Serbia (Nisville Jazzfest), Thailand (Koh Samui JF, Jazzup Bangkok), the US. 2009: ao Bahrain jazzfest, France (Hotel de Ville, Paris), India (jazz Utsav Fest), Kuwait jazzfest, Netherlands (jazzfestivals Almere; Amersfoort; Breda; Hoofddorp), Oman (Sohar Music Fest), Qatar jazzfest, the US (ao Hartford, CT; Chicago, MI; New York; Nedfest, Nederland, Colorado; Boston; Detroit). 2008: Brazil (ao Sampa Jazz Festival /Sao Paulo, Olinda Jazz Fest), Germany (Women in Jazz Festival, Halle), India (Chivas Jazz Fest 4 cities), Moldavia (Ethno Jazzfest), Netherlands, Poland (Era Jazzu), Russia, Singapore (Mosaic Festival), Senegal, Taiwan (Taichung Jazzfest, Holland Days Tainan), Ukraine, the US (Nedfest). 2007: Austria (Steyr Jazzfest), Brazil, China, Croatia (festivals Osijek, Histria), India(2 tours: Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Pune), Italy (Lucca Donna Jazz Fest), Netherlands, Poland (Bielska Zadymka Jazzowa), Ukraine, Russia, South Africa (Cape Town Jazzfest), Swiss (Montreux Jazzfestival), Taiwan, Thailand (Bangkok Festivals), the US (Rochester Jazzfest / Parkville Bluesfest/Montreux-Atlanta Jazzfestival) 2006: Belgium, Croatia (Jazzfestivals Zadar & Losinj), France, Italy (Women Jazz series), Germany, Nepal (Garden of Dreams Jazz Affair), the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovenia (Festival Lent), Swiss (Montreux Jazzfestival), Ukraine (Koktebel Jazzfestival), the US. 2005: Austria, Croatia (Split Jazz Festival), Czech Republic (Prague Jazz Festival), France, Indonesia (Java Jazz Festival), Japan, Lebanon (Grand Hills Jazz Festival), the Netherlands, Nicaragua (Tolerancia Festival), Poland (Ladies Festival), Russia, Surinam (Surinam Jazz Festival), the US. 2004: China, Croatia, Czech Republic (Prague Jazz Festival), France, India (Jazz Yatra Festival), Indonesia (Bali Jazz Festival), Kuwait Jazz Festival, Lithuania (Gaida Contemporary Music Festival), the Netherlands, Poland. 2003: Croatia (several international festivals), the Netherlands, Poland (several international festivals), Russia. 2002: Baltic States (Mama Jazz Festival), Croatia, Curacao (Curacao Jazz Festival), France, Germany, the Netherlands, the US. 2001: Germany (Burghause Jazzwoche), the Netherlands, Switzerland, the US (Atlanta & Savannah Jazz Festivals). 2000: Belgium, Colombia, Dutch Antilles tour (5 islands), Germany, Japan (Sunset Jazz Festival), the Netherlands (North Sea Jazz Festival), Spain, the US. 1999: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria (Sofia Jazz Festival), France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands (North Sea Jazz Festival), Spain, Switzerland, Russia, the US. 1998: France, the Netherlands (North Sea Jazz Festival), Switzerland 1997: Bulgaria (Sofia Jazz Festival), Lebanon (Hamra Jazz Festival), Lithuania, the Netherlands, Russia. 1996: Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain 1995: Czech Republic, the Netherlands (North Sea Jazz Festival), the Philippines, Poland, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea.

Discography on Laroo Records

Albums

* Saskia Laroo
It's Like Jazz
(1994; CD album) * Saskia Laroo
Bodymusic
(1998; CD album) * Saskia Laroo
Jazzkia
(1999; CD album) * Saskia Laroo meets

feat.

- '' Sunset Eyes 2000'' (1999; CD album) * Saskia Laroo
Really Jazzy
(2008; CD album) * Duo Saskia Laroo and Warren Byrd
Two of a Kind
(2011; CD album) * Saskia Laroo Band
Live in Zimbabwe
(2014; DVD) * Saskia Laroo Band
Live in Zimbabwe
(2014; CD album) *Saskia Laroo - Trumpets Around The World (2019; LP) *Saskia Laroo - Trumpets Around The World (2019; CD album)

External links

Detailed biography at Muziek Encyclopedie

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laroo, Saskia 1959 births Living people Nu jazz musicians Dutch jazz trumpeters Dutch jazz saxophonists Dutch jazz double-bassists Musicians from Amsterdam 21st-century saxophonists 21st-century trumpeters 21st-century double-bassists Women saxophonists