Thomas ‘Tommy Tornado’ Streutgers is a 38 year old saxophone player from the Netherlands.
A saxophone player who is so closely connected with his instrument that – during the 38 years he is old – he has blown more air through his mouthpiece than he has exhaled normally !
In 1997, Tommy Tornado won the Big Boss Jazz Award at just 17 years old and ever since then his star is rising............
With several bands he tours music stages all over the world.
He played in the ska / rocksteady / reggae formation Rude Rich & the Highnotes with which he toured and made records with legendary Jamaican artists such as Rico Rodiguez https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi7Nz6c-HG8 , Derrick Morgan, Alton Ellis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtjxdsOTLIE , Dennis Alcapone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF4iw9fUiCg , The Heptones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOf0Z9ICpGM , Ernest Ranglin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g54hCCAP1lk Winston Francis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRxC5M2MdmA Bitty Mclean https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foVUn7g5m_Q and U-Brown.
With Rude Rich & The Highnotes he played twice on the Lowlands Festival (1999 and 2004), and other big festivals around Europe (Summjam - Koln (D), Pole Pole - Zeebrugge (B), Gentse Feesten - Gent (B), Houtfestival - Haarlem (NL), Reggae Geel - Geel (B), De Uitmarkt - Amsterdam (NL), Noorderslag - Groningen (NL), Sunsplash - Wiesen (A), they toured, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Austria, Tjech Republic, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Scotland, Italy and Japan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC-Ih6mEidI and played shows on national TV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV4DXTkD_EI
In 2006 he backed up Dave Barker (JAM) for a show with the ska-reggae band The Continentals, in 2006 and 2007 he toured in France with the Bordeaux based rhythm & blues band Mudzilla, in 2007 and 2008 he toured in Ireland with Holland's best guitar player Arthur Ebeling, in 2007 he played with the Boyd Small Band (USA) in Denmark, in 2009 tll now he played as substitute sax player several gigs with the Rotterdam Ska Jazz Foundation (NL), Mdungu (NL), The Beatbusters (NL) , Rilan and the Bombadiers (NL) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkwDKxNJXe0 Laura Vane & The Vipertones (UK\NL) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU6kcJZheWI , The Rootsriders, Meta & The Cornerstones (USA) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBQMNqBldmo , Kai Strauss Band (D), JJ Thames (USA), Fats Domino Tribute (NL), Sax Gordon (USA), Lee Perry (Jamaica) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB_xl-WwO3A Addis Pablo (Jamaica) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqKrAZnUFYM Denise Gordon (UK) , Nico Wayne Toussaint (France) , Pee Wee Ellis (USA), Georgina Peach & The Savoys (NL) , Mr.Boogie Woogie (NL), Fats Domino Tribute(NL), Chef'Special (NL), and many many more!
With his Jumpjazzz band JZZZZZP he recorded 2 CD's (Vledderbop 2001 and Swinin' All Day 2008) and one DVD (Live @ Audiomaniacs 2005), and toured countrie's like Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark.
In 2007, 2008 and 2011 he brought over one of his biggest hero’s ‘King of the Honkers’ Big Jay McNeely to Europe, this resulted in much talked-about performances such as during the Haarlem Jazzfestival https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX6aRee-Ias , Jazzfestival, Ascona (CH) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwn7AMg5kjE and on the television show Vrije Geluiden (VPRO).
In 2008 he joined hip hop \ reggae star Postman for his CD recording and 4 sold out gigs in Het Sportpaleis, Antwerpen (B) and Gelredome, Arnhem (support act for Anouk), in 2013 he did a CD recording Postmen, followed up by a sold out show in Paradiso Amsterdam, wich was later broadcasted on national TV (Veronica) see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNgZFDhoLPI
From 2009 tll 2017 he played in the Soul-Funk band THE SOULSNATCHERS (made 3 CD's) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj9BdrU4-vA and toured the UK, Spain, Germany and Turkey.
Together with voilin player Jelle van Tongeren he started the jazz-comedy act The Busquitos in 2009, made 4 cd's and tour all over Europe (120 shows a year) and Asia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v23HUnmetfA, with this band he won several international prices.
From 2010 tll now Tommy is touring around the world with the legendary The Toasters (USA), in 2012 he did a 2 month world tour with The Toasters (USA, Hawaii https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQYnVGgO7gQ , Australia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eNY9tDFk_o , Indonesia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yoM9koEOnw and China).
In 2016 he was asked for a tour with an all-star ska big band , Western Standard Time (USA) (with members from Hepcat, The Aggrolites, Brain Setzer Orchestra) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psBIYi6ja9o
Beside live performance's, Tommy did a lot of studio work (see Discography ) , is a saxophone teacher (since 1997) www.saxofoonlesinhaarlem.nl , and runs his own booking agency Dynamite Bookings (since 2001) www.dynamite-bookings.com
In 2009 he has released his long- awaited solo record “Sunrise” on which Tommy is assisted by members of The Highnotes with guest performances of a.o. Rico Rodriguez, Ernest Ranglin and Winston Francis, followed by his second solo album "Cool Down" in 2012, 2019 there w'll be a new Tommy Tornado record together with German no.1 backing band The Clerks!!!