vintage vocal Jazz
"How About Rita?" is an experienced and refined jazz quartet with a very original repertoire. Vintage vocal jazz is a term not often heard anymore. Songs from the repertoire of Louis Armstrong, Judy Garland, Peggy Lee, but also tunes from musicals and theater; cheerful, swinging and always danceable.
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The four musicians are always looking for a new repertoire where they then apply their own twist with sophisticated arrangements and often polyphonic vocals. This, in combination with the exuberant flamboyant singer, makes that 'How About Rita?' greatly differs from your average trio-with-singer formation.
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"How About Rita?" delivers a quality show that is full of musicality and joy. Attending one of our concerts is a party, created by the musical and humorous chemistry between the musicians and your audience. Accessible, inviting, and never choosing the obvious, "How About Rita?" guarantees a stimulating event that invites everyone to participate. AND!!, someone in your audience will win a delicious ‘Shoo-Fly-Pie’!
In 2017 the first CD was released with the relevant name "How About Rita?". Meanwhile ‘How About Rita?’ performs at Jazz festivals and clubs throughout Europe.
Angela van Rijthoven is our leading lady. On stage she makes the audience part of the 'Rita' feeling: happy-go-lucky. As a regular guest vocalist she sings with 'Jazz Connection' and with 'Joe Wulf and the Gentlemen of Swing'. Besides her singing career, Angela has also built up an excellent reputation as a singing teacher.
With 'How about Rita?', Angela can fully utilize her musical and exuberant expressiveness. And her cooking skills are also covered: at every performance of 'How About Rita?' an Angela-baked 'Shoo-fly-pie' is raffled ...
Bart Wouters is not only a fine bass player, but also an indispensable singer in "How About Rita?". Bart sings, plays double bass and performs duets with Angela with ease; always tasteful, always clean, always swinging. It is the same role he plays so well in The Jazz Connection, the internationally renowned Jump & Jive swing band.
Since 2014, Bart is also the chairman of the wonderful Breda Jazz Festival.
Harry Kanters has gathered a large record of achievements in the span of his forty-year career. He was member of the famous JoJo Swing Band and the popular Swing Cats. Harry is a well-recognized international pianist who has performed in many special All-Star line-ups and with international soloists as Leroy Jones, Scott Hamilton and Lillian Boutté.
His repertoire ranges from New Orleans and Harlem-stride to Swing and early Bebop. You can hear Harry on over 50 albums and he is featured in Jazz clubs and festivals from Breda to New Orleans to Tasmania.
Han Wouters works regularly in studios and on stage accompanying popular professional artists and is an accomplished percussion teacher. He has toured with the Belgian band "Vaya Con Dios" throughout Europe and plays concerts as the regular drummer of famous Dutch singer Rob de Nijs.
Included in this busy life, Han enjoys playing as much Jazz as he can. With his inventive playing and surprising ideas, he is the ideal drummer for ‘How About Rita’.