Timo de Jong live. Living room show Haarlem, Sunday 9 February 2025

Photo: Wout de Natris

Timo de Jong played a support show for Hackensaw Boys in April of 2024 at the Patronaat in Haarlem. De Jong stood on stage with just a guitar strapped to his chest and gave the impression to be playing in his own living room. Telling stories between his songs, as if there was no time constraint as a support act in any way, nor a stage he was standing on. In between he got the audience singing as if we all knew his songs by heart. "Olivia"!

Last Sunday we actually got to see him play in a living room and there was no difference in his presentation, except that here he really did have the time and took it to tell his stories like real singer-songwriters can. As that he is. Moving between folk, roots, country (of old), all his songs tell a story or comment on life in all the various ways it occurs. From personal observations of (his) life, to ants with a fatal disease or American TV preachers, it may all come by.

If you had asked me a year ago, before that live show in Haarlem, I would have said that Timo de Jong's music is not for me. It is too country. His show won me for him, but since his music has too. And then that voice. It has a great quality, as he can go deeper and then go some more. The kind of voice that resonates and commands. Thanks to a great articulation, every word can be heard and processed to connect to the story he's singing.

Photo: Wout de Natris

Although Timo will tell you about singers like Marty Robbins as his favourites, I noticed something else as well. It would not take an awful lot of editing his lyrics to fall into a musical niche like Tom Lehrer or Jaap Fischer, where musicality is mixed with comedy. His music may be serious, his lyrics have a touch of fun as well. The stories told add to that impression. The combination is totally entertaining. On record, it makes for great listening.

Currently, Timo de Jong is on route to new things, as he will start playing with Amsterdam bluegrass band Leadbetters soon and record songs with them to be released later this year. Watch this space folks for more later this year.

And beware, should Timo play a living room concert in your neighbourhood, don't forget to go over.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can find Timo de Jong's music here:

https://timodejong.bandcamp.com/album/save-yourself-from-falling-session