Robert Rook playing with the Jazz orchestra of the Concertgebouw in the Bimhuis in Amsterdam 2005
Here you can see the Robert Rook trio playing in a program on Dutch national television called 'Vrije Geluiden' (Free Sounds).
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Phone: +31.(0)30.2612964
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BIOGRAPHY ROBERT ROOK
BIOGRAPHY ROBERT ROOK
..Robert Rook was born in 1966 in Utrecht, the Netherlands. His first band experience on the piano was when he was 10 years old. At eleven he did his first radio performance where he played Dave Brubeck's Blue Rondo a la Turk. His first classical music radio performance was at sixteen in the Spiegelzaal of the Concertgebouw for the radio program Für Elise, where he played a Rachmaninov piece next to Crystal Silence from Chick Corea.
After highschool Robert studied Mathematics at the State University of Utrecht. While studying Mathematics he played in 1991 and 1992 in the quartet of Wim Overgaauw (godfather of Dutch jazz guitarplaying), with Frans van der Hoeven on bass and Marcel Serierse on drums. In 1993 he received his Master's degree in Mathematical Logic.
During 1994 and 1995 he played in the band Kova, with a.o. Michael Varekamp and Simon Richter.From 1994 to 1998 he was a steady member of the group of saxophonist Kees Smit with Thomas Winther Andersen on bass and Bart van Helsdingen on drums. Starting in 1995 he regularly collaborated with Ghasem Batamuntu, resulting in the CD 'Life on Uranus ' of The Nova Ghost Sect*Tet (1998). In 1996 Robert worked with the group SFEQ for six months.
His first CD under his own name was released in 1997: 'Introducing Robert Rook', and rereleased in 2003 at Kyoto Records (Japan). On this CD Robert plays with three different trio's: on bass Frans van der Hoeven, Sven Schuster and Thomas Andersen, and on drums Joost van Schaik and Chander Sardjoe . From 1997 till 1999 Robert worked together with alto saxophone player Miguel Martinez, Thomas Andersen en Chander Sardjoe in a group called Sketch, that released a CD with the same name in 1998 and with which he toured Norway in 1999.
From 1999 till 2004 Robert worked as a senior software developer at software company Micros B.V. During this period Robert played with his own trio with Thomas Winther Andersen on bass and Dick Verbeeck on drums and with his own quartet with Rob Armus on the tenor saxophone. For the rest he played a.o. with Miguel Martinez, Henk Zomer, Jasper Blom, Chander Sardjoe, Ghasem Batamuntu, Sven Shuster, Victor de Boo, Ernst Glerum , Han Bennink , Saskio Laroo and many more.
Because Robert was not satisfied with the combination software developer/jazz musician and because he didn't like the influence that the job had on his musical life he decided to resign from his software developing job on the end of May 2004.
Robert played in the finals of the Deloitte Jazz Award 2005 where he played with the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw (conductor: Henk Meutgeert) and he was awarded with a prize of 2500 euro.
Recently Robert launched his new CD (recorded live) entitled 'Dangerous Cats', on which you can hear both his trio and his quartet. This CD contains both standards as well as compositions of Robert Rook.
The CD was released both in the Netherlands as in Japan.
Furthermore the trio Bennink/Glerum/Rook is being started up with Han Bennink en Ernst Glerum .
In February 2006 Robert Rook presented his CD 'Dangerous Cats' at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam and got a great review in the Volkskrant ). The concert was also broadcasted on the radio (Concertzender). The CD 'Dangerous Cats' also got a lot of airplay on the radio.
In March 2006 the Robert Rook Trio appeared on a Dutch national television program called
'Vrije Geluiden'.
In 2006 Robert played again in the finals of the Deloitte Jazz Award with the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw (conductor: Henk Meutgeert) and he was awarded with a prize of 2500 euro.
Also his CD 'Dangerous Cats' got raving reviews both in the Netherlands .
After the concert of Robert Rook 'Dangerous Cats' at the Northsea Jazz festival in July 2006 the Robert Rook trio launched a new CD called 'Hymn for Fall'. On this CD the trio is playing compositions written by bass player Thomas Winther Andersen.
In the first half of 2007 Robert Rook will release a double CD called 'Dangerous Cats 2'. This double CD is recorded live at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam and will contain one CD trio and one CD quartet.
Further more the Robert Rook trio got funded to make a DVD.
CD's:
Dangerous Cats 2, Ultimate Jazz Productions, UJRR03
Hymn for Fall, TWA Music, NORCD0664
Dangerous Cats, Ultimate Jazz Productions, UJRR02
Introducing Robert Rook, Ultimate Jazz Productions, UJRR01
Life on Uranus, A-Records, AL73109
Talking Woods, (Sophia Plate, 3022-31807-29)
Sfeq utd (DOX003)
Sketch, VIA Records, CD9920672