The Victoria Trio is not your usual swing trio: it features an accordion where the piano would be in most ensembles of its kind. Actually it is not just a swing combo either: The repertoire comprises an amazing array of musical styles. Although a basic influence from swing-era jazz is felt throughout every one of their performances, French Paris-style "musette" waltzes, Argentine tango fierceness, wild Romanian gipsy dances, Russian melancholia, mainstream jazz and classical balance all add up to make the unique blend that is served up by Bouke Feleus and his men. Still, this would make for a typically accordion-based style if not for the inclusion of many pieces that are not normally associated with the accordion.
Tjitze Vogel (double bass) is originally a jazz man (albeit one with a conservatoire diploma) but he gave concerts with professional musicians from many different cultural backgrounds from all over the globe and is well known in Holland as the artistic force behind a great many projects in the field of musical cross-over. Some famous people who shared a stage with Tjitze are Chet Baker, Burton Greene, Johnny Meijer (yes, the Dutch swing accordion legend), Louis Andriessen, Guillermo McGill en Anouar Brahim .
Frank Wienk trained and graduated as a classical percussionist which gave him a rare refinement of ear and approach to drum playing that makes for a very distinct sound of his own. This does not mean he ain't swingin'...
Bouke Feleus has been playing many folkloristic and jazz-based styles alongside classical and baroque music before forming his Victoria Trio. He originally trained and graduated from the conservatoire as a composer and pianist. He plays a beautiful chromatic button accordion, hand-made in Italy and equipped with a "convertor" system for the left hand.
Freedom of improvisation combines with classic poise and fiery rhythm to form a musical amalgam that is either cast in the comfortable and re-assuring mould of well-known old tunes and standards or occasionally set free to follow the whims of imagination.
