THE AURATONES

Is it jazz? Is it funk? Is it soul? The music of Dutch based band The Auratones is best to be described as soul-jazz with latin and world influences: original, funkin’ hard and danceable. Jazz with a beat: an ideal combination of heavily grooving music and the freedom of jazz improvisation. Hot & steaming crowds can tell! Now-jazz with its roots deep in the past, played by some of the finest musicians of the jazz-, funk- & world scene in Holland. Over the years the band gained a great live-reputation: an enormous drive, excellent music and presentation and humor on stage. The Auratones played countless club gigs & festivals in Holland and abroad: The World Port Jazzfestival in Rotterdam (NL), several times the North Sea Jazzfestival (NL), the Heineken Jazzfestival on Curaçao (Caribbean), the International Summer Jazz Festival in Riga (Latvia), just to name a few. Radio host Cees Schrama of the famous Dutch radio show ‘Sesjun’ - where the top of the international jazz world did play over the last decades - announced a live concert by The Auratones in his show as follows: “a band that combines all the good stuff that was to be heared in our show during the last 25 years”. The last couple of years The Auratones played regularly with a number of fantastic guests: Thijs van Leer (Focus), Candy Dulfer and Gerard Presencer (UK). In November ’07 a compilation of the first 3 cd’s was released: “A Cool And Danceable Adventure”. As bonus the fabulous trumpet player Gerard Presencer (London / UK, worked with Sting, Ray Charles, Joni Mitchell, Brand New Heavies, Jamiroquai ..... amongst others) has performed on three tracks on this album.

2010 is promising to be an Auratones year again! After the compilation The Auratones are recording a brand new album, new Jazz Funky tracks and again with a very spacial guest:

The Auratones feat. Thijs van Leer

Thijs van Leer formed the world famous band Focus back in 1969 and for a few years at the start of the seventies the band became one of the major international attractions, with several world wide best-selling albums and singles. The band finally split in 1976 and Van Leer pursued a solo career. Since 2006 again he is traveling the world with his new Focus band. Being an admirer of Jazz & Funk the combi with The Auratones was not a coincidence. After doing several gigs togehter, both decided that the feel needed to be recorded for the future. The new Auratones album, together with Thijs van Leer will be released in March/April 2010. This will contain the best in now Jazz & Funk.
Of course The Auratones feat. Thijs van Leer perform live on stage as well!

special guest Berenice van Leer

Coming from a family of musicians, Berenice started playing classical violin when she was only four years old. Always surrounded by different kinds off music styles she decided to develope and explore her own skills professionally by studying jazz at the Academy of Music in Amsterdam. Nowadays she is active as a freelance-vocalist and actrice. She sings in a large variety of musical formations, ranging from commercial/Dance acts to Soul/Funk to Jazz/Fusion. She improvises with a whole lot of Soul using her melodious lyrics. Berenice can improvise her melody and lyrics with the use of all kinds of music styles. She is one of the main singers of Wicked Jazz Sounds. Berenice has performed at some of the most renowned Dutch clubs such as Paradiso, Melkweg, Panama, Hotel Arena and many more and festivals such as IDFA, Supernatural, Indian Summer, Extrema Outdoor, Solar, Mysteryland, The Hague Jazz, Eurosonic/Noorderslag and more.... Berenice can be heard on the coming Auratones album and (on request) will perform with them live as well!