STriCat

STriCat is a balkan jazz trio from the Netherlands. Formed in 2006, its members are trumpet player Gijs Levelt, accordionist Theo van Tol and cymbalist Bokkie Vink. Their original and virtuosic blend of Romanian folk music and jazz appeals to both jazz and world music audiences.

STriCat’s debut album “rats & gentle people” (released in 2007) was highly praised in the Dutch music press and their captivating live performance at the Dutch national television program Vrije Geluiden in the same year helped to raise the attention of a broader audience. The trio performed concerts at prestigious festivals and venues like the North Sea Jazz Festival (2008), Jazz op het Dak (2008), Contrabande Festival (2008), ZomerJazzFietsTour (2007), Karnatic Lab Festival (2007), RASA (2007), Paradox (2007) and Bimhuis (2007). With their successful showcase at the Dutch Blend Meeting (2008), an international fair for world music pros, STriCat attracted the attention of many international concert promoters and journalists, which amongst others resulted in a tour to Taiwan (2008). In March 2009 STriCat released their second album “Jab” on the independent label Karnatic Lab Records. The same year the trio toured the Netherlands in a collaboration project with the Bulgarian kaval virtuoso Theodosii Spassov. Together they performed at the International Gipsy Festival Tilburg and the Music Meeting in Nijmegen.