Toon Roos Group

Toon Roos is considered one of the finest tenor and soprano saxophonists in Europe whose lyrical, intuitive and well-balanced style of playing is appreciated by international audiences, press and colleagues alike. Since the start of his career in 1984 Toon has developed his own sound by playing different styles of music, from the big band swing tradition to hardbop, from bossa nova to funk and fusion. Toon has performed with many groups and artists in clubs, theatres and at jazz festivals in most European countries, as well as in the United States, South Africa, Mexico, the Caribbean and China. He has worked with some of the world's leading artists like Joe Zawinul, Toots Thielemans, John Scofield and Steely Dan. Walter Becker personally invited Toon in 2009 to open the shows of Steely Dan on their European 'Left Bank Holiday' tour. The Toon Roos Quartet played nine large halls among which the Hammersmith Apollo in London and the Olympia in Paris. Becker commented that ‘Toon's playing is so well balanced, that every note has a musical meaning... the opening shows were excellent all the way.' After performing with Toon at the North Sea Jazz Festival, keyboard legend Joe Zawinul invited Toon to play at his club Birdland in Vienna. Zawinul stated after their performance: ‘A great player… easy, nice and easy… you feel the music.’