After studying classical violin, Carmen was introduced to the Gypsy jazz music of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. That was the turning point: she’s been improvising to her heart’s content ever since. Starting in 1987, she performed at numerous jazz festivals with Naguine and later with other Hot Club de France orchestras. She then ventured further afield, traveling with various jazz ensembles to Germany, Belgium, Canada, and Sweden. In 2008, she founded her own combo, Carmuze.

It’s not just jazz music that appeals to her. In Het Land van Ooit, she played many styles, such as Klezmer, Balkan, Irish folk music, and ragtime—basically anything that the performing musicians came up with on the spot.

After purchasing her cool 7-string electric violin, the VIPER, she found her way into the rock scene, first with Francis Levoy and later recording a CD with “Ontroerend Goed.” She also let her VIPER rip with The Lowlanders.

After “Het Land van Ooit,” musicals, and numerous jazz orchestras, violinist Carmen Jacobs is now primarily active in the bluegrass style withBlauwgrasand rocks out with the Bruce Springsteen tribute bandThe Boss Brothers. Of course, she also remains loyal to jazz music, performing with the gypsy jazz ensemble Hotclub de BoZ from Bergen op Zoom and as a guest soloist with theJazz-o-matic Fourfrom The Hague, among others.