Tony Overwater

Tony Overwater is an award winning bass player whose sound and unique way of playing have established him as a key player in the European Jazz world. He is a remarkable solo performer and leader of his own projects but also a collaborative and attentive sideman. Tony plays a wide variety of musical styles, and is particularly known for his pioneering work with Arab music with Rima Khcheich. Besides composing for the bands he leads and works with, Tony writes for modern dance, documentaries, movies and children’s music.

In 1989,Tony graduated cum laude from the Royal Conservatory of the Hague and received the Podium Prize for most promising Dutch Jazz Musician. This year also saw him invited to tour and record with Sunny and David Murray. Shortly after this, he joined the Yuri Honing Trio which, over the years, has established itself as one of Holland’s leading groups touring regularly in Europe, Asia, South America and the Middle East. His own band, The Tony Overwater Trio, received an Edison for Best Dutch Recording of 2001 for their CD ‘OP’ and his first children’s album, ‘Kikker Swingt!’, went Gold in 2008. His trio performed with Calefax Reed Quintet on the Ellington Suites. Tony is musical director of the group of Rima Khcheich in Lebanon. Throughout his career, Tony has worked with a variety of acclaimed musicians; David Liebman,Ack van Rooyen, Misha Mengelberg, Paolo Fresu, Sylvie Courvoisier, Gilbert Paeffgen, Dave Burrell . He continues to collaborate as both leader and sideman with many other musicians including Jess Abrams, Karin Hammar, Marc van Roon and Lotte van Dijck.