About
Thisbe Vos is one of the bright new voices that is adding to the revival of romanticism in jazz. Her fans say that they love her unique, clear voice that reminds them of Doris Day and Peggy Lee. Critics hail her songwriting as “the real thing,” likening her work to that of Cole Porter and Irving Berlin.
Her original songs have been featured in primetime TV shows like “Bull,” “The Catch” and “The Blacklist” on ABC, NBC and CBS, as well as in shows and movies on premium streaming services like Disney+ and The Hallmark Channel. They have received airplay on over 230 terrestrial jazz radio stations in the US and Canada, as well as the Sirius XM Real Jazz Channel.
Thisbe enjoys adding new songs to the jazz genre. “I can imagine the thrill of living in the 40s or 50s and hearing new songs come out on the radio constantly. I don’t think it should stop—we should keep writing new songs and surprise people with new music in this style.”
Thisbe was born in The Netherlands and grew up in a small town near Amsterdam.
There were no jazz radio channels, but she started discovering songs from the 40s and 50s through TV commercials. There was “What A Difference A Day Made” in a Pickwick Tea commercial, and “Baby Won’t You Please Come Home” promoting Honig soup.
When she heard these songs, Thisbe immediately fell in love with their romantic and yet playful sound.
A 17, Thisbe joined the UK’s number one swing band “The Jive Aces” and embarked on a three-year adventure of jazz festivals and club shows. She visited over 80 cities in Europe and North America and appeared on live radio and TV as the band’s first female singer.
Long van rides in between shows provided time for listening to music, and the Jive Aces’ playlists introduced many new singers of the 30s, 40s and 50s, including Ella Fitzgerald. During a subsequent tour in Europe, Thisbe wrote her first jazz song: “Pordenone,” about the Italian town she had just visited. “After listening to so many songs, I just started getting a feel for the lyrics and the melodies of classic jazz,” she says.
With The Jive Aces in Atomic Magazine, a San Francisco-based swing dance magazine
Thisbe with her Los Angeles jazz mentor, the bass player Henry Franklin
Over the years, Thisbe wrote more original songs and honed her classic vocal style. In 2008, she set out for Los Angeles with the aim of recording an album of jazz standards and original songs.
She met veteran bass player Henry Franklin, who had played with Count Basie, Freddie Hubbard and Sonny Rollins and was the bass player on Stevie Wonder’s Gold Record “The Secret Life of Plants” and Hugh Masekela’s “Grazing in the Grass.” He became a mentor and went on to connect her with numerous musicians in the Los Angeles jazz scene.
After releasing her first album, “Sophistication,” on her own record label Prime Records in 2011, Thisbe gained an international fanbase online. She crowdfunded four subsequent albums with the help of online supporters.
Thisbe performing with Phil Crosby Jr. at the Cicada Club in Los Angeles
Making connections in Los Angeles over the years led to songs being featured in primetime TV shows such as “Bull” on CBS, and “The Catch,” “The Blacklist” and “A Million Little Things” on ABC.
Thisbe’s songs have also been used in shows and movies on streaming channels such as Disney+, Discovery+ and The Hallmark Channel, as well as in independent films.
She performed weekly with her own band at the Marriott Hotel in Woodland Hills. She also performed in venues around Los Angeles as a guest artist, including The Lighthouse, the Cicada Club and the Sweet & Hot Jazz Festival in Los Angeles, and Bayside Restaurant in Newport Beach.
Since the lockdowns in 2020, Thisbe has taken a break from performing but continues to write songs and record albums—her latest album “Renaissance In Blue” released in 2021.
She aims to continue adding new music to the Romantic Jazz genre.
Discography
A sophisticated mix of jazz classics and original songs, backed by a traditional combo of jazz veterans.
A light, summery jazz album with vocal, bass and guitar. The ultimate jazz road trip album.
A romantic album of jazz classics and originals, including some stunning violin arrangements.
A bluesy album inspired by lockdown times, a desire for nostalgia, and Nina Simone.
A fresh, jazzy album of holiday classics and originals that never fail to get you in the mood for Christmas.
As heard on:
ABC’s “The Catch”
“Auggie,” indie film
CBS’ “Bull”
National Geographic’s “The Right Stuff”
ABC’s" “A Million Little Things”
The Hallmark Channel, “Hope at Christmas”
NBC’s “The Blacklist”
The Hallmark Channel, “A Majestic Christmas”
Quick Facts
Five albums
30 jazz standards and 31 original songs recorded in the studio
Airplay on over 230 jazz radio stations in the US & Canada
Music placements in films and in primetime major network television shows, including ABC, NBC & CBS
Awards include IMEA’s “Jazz Song of the Year” and “Holiday Album of the Year,” Finalist of the Great American Song Contest, Honorable Mention in the International Songwriting Competition
As the first female singer of the UK’s No. 1 swing band The Jive Aces, Thisbe toured 80 cities in the United States and Europe before the age of 21