Special immersive concert
Saturday 14 September - 22:30-23:30Wintercircus
SCHNTZL
- Hendrik Lasure (keyboards, electronics)
- Casper Van De Velde (drums, electronics)
Schntzl has come a long way. For their earliest music, Hendrik Lasure and Casper Van De Velde drew inspiration from jazz, pop and chamber music, while their love for outdated synths and approach resulted in poetic miniatures. Their third album Holiday (2023) marked a bold departure, incorporating elements from frenetic hyperpop and musique concrète reminiscent of Pierre Bastien. The musicians surprised everyone along the way with hyper-visual pop music. As they prepare for their next album, they are crafting a live show with immersive sound, navigating between the raw sound of drums and hyper-digital synths and electronics. In this process, they shed the dated synth sounds and acoustic piano of their previous records, venturing into a futuristic sonic landscape exuding a darker club experience.
manager: sam@rockoco.be
booker: daan@daan.agency
Zenith Award winner 2024 concert
Saturday 14 September - 11:30-12:15De Bijloke
Liv Andrea Hauge trio (Norway)
- Liv Andrea Hauge (piano)
- Georgia Wartel Collins (double bass)
- August Glännestrand (drums)
Originally from Northern Norway, Oslo-based pianist Liv Andrea Hauge leads a trio with two Swedes, bassist Georgia Wartel Collins and drummer August Glännestrand. They were selected for the Footprints Europe programme, and their second album “Ville Blomster” has just been released on Hubro Records. Liv’s compositions focus on groove, simple and singable motifs and exploratory interplay. The music contains playfulness and melancholy in songs that always have a lot of room for improvisation. Hauge has been commissioned to write a major work for trio, three vocalists and full symphony orchestra for the opening of Bodø24 - European capital of culture.
booker: livandreahaugetrio@gmail.com
Fringe
Thursday 12 September - 23:00-00:40Club Telex
FNUSSJEN
- Nicolas Chkifi (drums, percussion)
- Ann Eysermans (harp)
- Ananta Roossens (violin)
- Christian Mendoza (piano)
Fnussjen is the brainchild of drummer/percussionist Nicolas Chkifi. In this band, he brings together some extraordinary musicians in an unusual line-up: harpist Ann Eysermans, violinist Ananta Roosens, pianist Christian Mendoza and himself on the drums. Their music hovers between the folkloric and the contemporary, yet always with a meditative character, and is presented as a sequence of miniature compositions written by Chkifi and linked together by adventurous improvisations. The tempo is lowered, allowing the listeners to immerse themselves in a blend of spiritual chamber music, healing music and jazz. Despite its meditative nature, their sound never becomes predictable. Their latest album Breathe (W.E.R.F. Records, 2023) was praised because of its bold, but subtle sound and consistency.
booker: nicolas.chkifi@gmail.com
press contact: nicolas.chkifi@gmail.com
Fringe
Thursday 12 September - 23:00-00:40Trefpunt
Camille-Alban Spreng's ODIL feat Nina Kortekaas
- Camille-Alban Spreng (fender rhodes + keyboards)
- Nina Kortekaas (keys, voice + fx)
- Sam Comerford (tenor saxophone)
- Tom Bourgeois (alto and soprano saxophone)
- Geoffrey Fiorese (keyboards)
- Paul Berne (drums)
Since 2010, Swiss-born pianist Camille-Alban Spren has been active in a diverse range of bands and projects within jazz, improvised (electronic) music, art performance and theatre, on stages all over Europe and beyond. Currently, he is an active presence in the colourful Brussels music scene. With his longtime band ODIL, he displays his knack for unusual, imaginative songcraft. Their third album, titled Unheimlich, features vocalist Nina Kortekaas (Noa Lee, Portland, Eefje de Visser), and is a gorgeous, eccentric and iridescent hommage to beat generation poet Allen Ginsberg. It was released in 2023 on W.E.R.F. Records and eagerly explores the zone between contemporary pop and improvised electronic fusion, with influences ranging from a.o. Jim Black's AlasNoAxis and Deerhoof to John Zorn and Carla Bley.
booker: lynn@ld-musicagency.com
Fringe
Thursday 12 September - 23:00-00:40Hot Club Gent
Karen Willems - Terre Sol Four
- Karen Willems (drums, percussion, vocals)
- Naomi Sijmons (vocals, electric guitar, synth, percussion)
- Marc De Maeseneer (baritone sax)
- Vincent Brijs (baritone & tenor sax)
Karen Willems 'Terre Sol Four' delves into the territory between rugged jazz and vigorous rock music with an unstoppable forward thrust. Willems explored pop, jazz, kraut, experimental music, avant-garde and free improvisation. Her personal quest - 'Terre Sol' - gained the addition of 'Four,' referring to the number of musicians: Karen Willems (drums, percussion, vocals), Naomi Sijmons (vocals, electric guitar, synth, percussion), Marc De Maeseneer (baritone sax), and Vincent Brijs (baritone & tenor sax). They explore post-rock, minimal jazz, and electronic music and on Juju (W.E.R.F. Records, 2024), the interaction feels even more confident. The music is infectious as hell, packs a punch and more accessible than ever before. It’s the sound of an artist always digging deeper with obvious glee.
manager: hi@labestia.be
booker: hi@labestia.be
press contact: amelie@lesfabuleux.rocks
Fringe
Thursday 12 September - 23:30-01:10Missy Sippy
Le Monde Merveilleux de Pepito
- Pierre-Antoine Savoyat (trumpet)
- Simon Groppe (piano)
- Fil Caporali (double bass)
- Oscar Georges (drums)
Le Monde Merveilleux de Pépito is the quartet of trumpeter and composer Pierre-Antoine Savoyat, who recently shared the stage with AKA Moon and Stéphane Galland & The Rhythm Hunters. This quartet shares his colourful music and reflections on society. Although the beginnings of this universe are rooted in France, it truly blossomed within the walls of the legendary Sounds Jazz Club in Brussels. With the help from pianist Simon Groppe, bassist Fil Caporali and drummer Oscar Georges, Savoyat delivers music in which improvisation and reinterpretation are always at the service of stories, unique atmospheres and human emotions. The band released their debut Memories from a Winter Journey in the fall of 2023. Newspaper Le Soir immediately recognized the album’s thoughtfulness and intelligence, praising its sincerity.
manager: lemondemerveilleuxdepepito@gmail.com
booker: lemondemerveilleuxdepepito@gmail.com
press contact: lemondemerveilleuxdepepito@gmail.com
Fringe
Thursday 12 September - 23:30-01:10Bar Lume
Black Flower
- Nathan Daems (saxophones, kaval, washint)
- Jon Birdsong (cornet, conch shells)
- Karel Cuelenaere (keyboards)
- Filip Vandebril (electric bass)
- Simon Segers (drums)
In the course of a decade, Black Flower, led by saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Nathan Daems, has released five full-length albums and two EPs. With this quintet, Daems has developed new systems to combine Ethiopian, Arabic and western scales, chords & harmonies. The band collaborated with The Gaslamp Killer and has been featured on various international compilations. Their tours have taken them across continents, while also securing spots at a diverse range of showcase festivals. The international press has embraced Black Flower's distinctive and eclectic blend, often describing their live performances as synergistic, groovy, suspenseful, bewitching, and hypnotic. Their latest album Magma has received rave reviews from both specialised and mainstream media, in Belgium and abroad.
manager: info@blackflower.be
booker: kati.vandevelde@redcatartists.com
press contact: info@sdbanrecords.com
Showcase
Friday 13 September - 12:00-12:30De Bijloke (Kraakhuis)
Eve Beuvens 'Lysis'
- Eve Beuvens (piano)
- Lynn Cassiers (vocals & electronics)
- Lennart Heyndels (double bass, electronics)
Inspired by the poetry of Robert Frost and Edna Millay, Eve Beuvens used several of their texts as starting points for new music. To interpret them, she needed a voice, but she also wanted an instrumentation that opened new perspectives. Straight away, she invited singer Lynn Cassiers (Imaginary Band, Yun, Lilly Joel) and double bass player Lennart Heyndels (Hi Hawaii, Kaja Draksler Octet), who both use electronics as well. The musicians create atmospheres that are alternately unsettling or humorous, can introduce introspection or let startling images appear. Their album Lysis will be released in 2025 by Igloo Records. Lysis refers to a biological process, but is also an illustration of their musical process: transcending boundaries to patiently let the unexpected appear.
manager: info@christine-peterges.be
press contact: promo@sowarex.be
Showcase
Friday 13 September - 14:30-15:00De Bijloke (Concertzaal)
Wajdi Riahi Trio
- Wajdi Riahi (piano)
- Basile Rahola (double bass)
- Pierre Hurty (drums)
This trio was founded in Brussels in 2020 by the inseparable Wajdi Riahi (piano), Basile Rahola (double bass) and Pierre Hurty (drums), young musicians united by a strong friendship and involvement in a number of musical projects. The trio’s debut album Mhamdeya was released in 2022 and was immediately praised by the Belgian and French press. It also took them to the stages of clubs and festivals during a successful first tour in Belgium and France. In June 2023, the Trio recorded their second repertoire at the legendary La Buissone studio in the South of France. Essia was released at the end of 2023, with several major concerts scheduled for 2024. Stambeli and Gnawa traditions form the basis of this second album, the (North-) African rhythms merging seamlessly with the complex, dense fabric of jazz.
manager: pamela@aubergineartistmanagement.com
booker: pamela@aubergineartistmanagement.com
press contact: pamela@aubergineartistmanagement.com
Showcase
Friday 13 September - 17:30-18:00De Bijloke (Kraakhuis)
Donder
- Harrison Steingueldoir (piano)
- Stan Callewaert (double bass)
- Casper Van De Velde (drums, percussion)
Since the release of their debut album Still (2016), Donder has consistently alternated between a trio album and a collaboration with a guest. After the most recent album, Het Verdriet featuring Sigbjørn Apeland, the band returns to the core of their playing. De Wonderen is an ode to the art of the song. Songwriters have always been an inspiration for the band: the music on Keukenpraat (2018) was largely inspired by the songs of a.o. Elliott Smith, and Het Verdriet (2020) started from Flemish folk songs. On their upcoming album, they present compositions built from triads and innocent melodies, and even a song with Norwegian lyrics. Due to the familiar bursts of sound, rough textures and imperfections,, De Wonderen never lapses into predictability. Their fifth album will be released later in 2024.
manager: Jens@insidejazz.be
booker: Jens@insidejazz.be
press contact: Wouter@insidejazz.be
Showcase
Friday 13 September - 21:30-22:00Ha Concerts
GingerBlackGinger
- Yannick Peeters (double bass)
- Frederik Leroux (guitar)
- Frans Van Isacker (saxophone, clarinet)
- Samuel Ber (drums)
Bass player Yannick Peeters is a household name in the Belgian jazz scene and now the moment has come to launch her very own project. Peeters was in search of a more spiritual sound, with elements from jazz, rock, avant-garde and improv. The musicians she invited are creative artists that won’t settle for mediocrity. Frans Van Isacker and guitarist Frederik Leroux are among the most idiosyncratic representatives of Belgian jazz and improvisation. Master drummer Tom Rainey (now replaced by Samuel Ber) is a player swerving between avant-garde notions and mainstream sensibility. The band released its debut album GingerBlackGinger in January of 2024 on the Belgian W.E.R.F. Records. It is a showcase for their unique sound, combining extensive soundscapes, brief bursts of energy, and mesmerising grooves.
manager: Jens@insidejazz.be
booker: Jens@insidejazz.be
press contact: Wouter@insidejazz.be
Showcase
Friday 13 September - 22:15-22:45Ha Concerts
Stephane Galland & the Rhythm Hunters
- Shoko Igarashi (tenor saxophone)
- Sylvain Debaisieux (alto saxophone)
- Pierre-Antoine Savoyat (trumpet)
- Wajdi Riahi (piano)
- Louise van den Heuvel (electric bass)
- Stéphane Galland (drums)
Stéphane Galland & The Rhythm Hunters integrate rhythmic principles from different parts of the world into a highly personal language, with polyphonic, groovy and trance-like aspects (Africa), mathematically complex ones (India) and irregular pulsations (Balkans). The objective: to explore different approaches to rhythm and to integrate them into a fluid musical discourse. The group consists of youngsters Shoko Igarashi (Japan),Sylvain Debaisieux (Belgium), Pierre-Antoine Savoyat (France), Wajdi Riahi (Tunisia) and Louise van den Heuvel (Netherlands). Drummer Stéphane Galland, a founder of AKA Moon, composed the pieces as divergent musical territories inviting ‘rhythm hunting’. The band’s debut album appeared on Challenge Records in April of 2024. Bring your adventurous ears!
manager: jens@insidejazz.be
booker: jens@insidejazz.be
press contact: Wouter@insidejazz.be
Fringe
Friday 13 September - 23:00-00:30Club Telex
MDCIII
- Mattias De Craene (reeds/electronics)
- Simon Segers (drums & electronics)
- Lennert Jacobs (drums & electronics)
Tribal voodoo band MDCIII was founded by Mattias De Craene (Nordmann) and creates a sublime crossover, starting from the possibilities of drums and saxophone. Drummers Simon Segers (De Beren Gieren, Black Flower) and Lennert Jacobs (The Germans) have been part of the Belgian pop, jazz and experimental scenes for years, while De Craene has a reputation for being equally at ease in diverse surroundings. Together, they explore a legacy that started with John Coltrane & Rashied Ali, keeping the spiritual and explorative in a fascinating balance. An eponymous EP and their debut album Dreamhatcher established the band as a powerhouse unit. Sophomore album Drawn In Dusk (2022) further strengthened their reputation, with a sound that dives into psychedelia, combining the contemplative, cosmic and epic.
manager: hi@labestia.be
booker: daan@daan.agency
press contact: amelie@lesfabuleux.rocks
Fringe
Friday 13 September - 23:00-00:30Trefpunt
Vitja Pauwels Early Life Forms
- Frederik Leroux (guitar)
- Laurens Dierickx (hammond)
- Casper Van De Velde (drums)
- Vitja Pauwels (guitar, pedal steel, roncoco)
Early Life Forms is a quartet led by Belgian guitarist Vitja Pauwels. In January of 2024, they released a stunning live performance recorded with American guitarist Marc Ribot (Robert Plant, Tom Waits, John Zorn). In 2022, Pauwels was invited as a special guest by the BRAND! Festival in Mechelen, and he came up with the idea of putting together his ‘dream’ live band, which included his hero Marc Ribot, one of the most accomplished and acclaimed guitar players around. Ribot agreed to perform with Pauwels and Early Life Forms in what would be the band’s first ever live show. Joined by Frederik Leroux (baritone guitar), Laurens Dierickx (Hammond organ) and Casper Van De Velde (drums), the band now tours as a quartet drawing on latin, jazz, and rock with a touch of exoticism and cinematic explorations.
manager: vitjapauwels@gmail.com
booker: arno@greenhousetalent.be
Fringe
Friday 13 September - 23:00-00:30Hot Club Gent
Under the Reefs Orchestra
- Clement Nourry (guitars, keyboards)
- Jakob Warmenbol (drums)
- Marti Melia (bass saxophone)
Not a large aquatic ensemble, but a power trio capable of obsessive, biting riffs and asymmetrical sonic cycles. Inspired as much by French chamber music of the 19th century as by Jim O’Rourke or Moondog, Under The Reefs Orchestra’s hypnotic music unleashes a cosmic energy and leads the listener to a pure trance. Combining the deep theoretical understanding of a skilled mathematician (which he actually is) with a true musician’s soulful instinct, guitarist Clément Nourry is as comfortable with John Fahey as he is with experimental jazz. Swerving between post-jazz, post-rock and experimental music, the band touches upon a wide range of influences, from The Comet Is Coming to Kamasi Washington, Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden and Ryuichi Sakamoto.
manager: nicolas@capitane-records.net
booker: max@odessamusic.be
press contact: clemenourry@yahoo.fr
Fringe
Friday 13 September - 23:30-01:00Missy Sippy
NΔBOU
- Nabou Claerhout (trombone)
- Gijs Idema (guitar)
- Trui Amerlinck (double bass)
- Daniel Jonkers (drums)
Since 2018, NΔBOU has been a breath of fresh air in the Belgian jazz scene. On the trombone, band leader and composer Nabou Claerhout is looking for a sound all her own: with a diverse range of effects, she creates a framework with a strong atmospheric and melancholic resonance. The quartet N∆BOU won over audiences internationally and visited an impressive series of renowned venues and festivals: the foursome has already played at Ancienne Belgique, Gent Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Bimhuis, Brussels Jazz Weekend, Leuven Jazz, and many more. Four star reviews for the band's debut You Know appeared in De Standaard (BE) and NRC Handelsblad (NL), alongside praise by London Jazz News (UK) and Jazz News Magazine (FR). The quartet will release its second album in 2025 on W.E.R.F. Records.
manager: maaike@aubergineartistmanagement.com
booker: kati.vandevelde@redcatartists.com
press contact: gilles@aubergineartistmanagement.com
Fringe
Friday 13 September - 23:30-01:00Bar Lume
Aleph Quintet
- Akram Ben Romdhane (oud)
- Marvin Burlas (violin)
- Wajdi Riahi (piano)
- Théo Zipper (bass)
- Diogo Alexandre (drums)
Aleph Quintet is one of the revelations of the Brussels music scene. Supported by the Igloo Records label, the group's debut album Shapes of Silence (2023) highlighted the union of these five musicians, bears witness to their roots, and retraces the years of travel during which the collective united around this music. Without imposing borders and driven by their generosity, North-African music blends with jazz improvisation, Gnawa rhythms and Sufi culture. In 2024, the follow-up Shapes of Silence (Live) will be released, recorded in Brussels with Belgian saxophonist Fabrizio Cassol and Turkish percussionist Ismail Altunbas. This live recording highlights the expression of a group at the height of its energy after a long tour through Belgium, France, Spain, Morocco and Jordan.
manager: nora@chouetteasbl.be
booker: nora@chouetteasbl.be
Showcase
Saturday 14 September - 14:30-15:00De Bijloke (Kraakhuis)
AKI
- Willem Heylen (guitar)
- Anke Verslype (drums)
- Marjolein Vernimmen (harp)
- Ruben De Maesschalck (bass)
- Joachim Badenhost (reeds)
- Niels Van Heertum (euphonium)
Aki is a jazz collective led by drummer Anke Verslype, also including guitarist Willem Heylen, bassist Ruben De Maesschalck, and harpist Marjolein Vernimmen. Their music explores uncomplicated melodies and warm waves of melancholy, allowing improvisation to seep into the interplay. Aki creates the kind of jazz existing near the axis of alluring cinematic imagery, nostalgia and minimalism. In the fall of 2022, they surprised audiences with their first full-length Nader, released on the W.E.R.F.-label. This album featured an inspired collaboration with Joachim Badenhorst on clarinet. For their upcoming album and tour, aki once again joins forces with Joachim Badenhorst and invites Niels Van Heertum (euphonium) as an extra guest, further enriching the colour palette of their slowly addictive music.
booker: griet@rumoer.be
Showcase
Saturday 14 September - 16:15-16:45De Bijloke (Concertzaal)
Orchestra Nazionale della Luna
- Manuel Hermia (saxophones, flute & bansouri)
- Kari Ikonen (piano & moog)
- Sebastien Boisseau (double bass)
- Teun Verbruggen (drums)
Orchestra Nazionale della Luna, founded by Kari Ikonen and Manuel Hermia, is a modern quartet rooted in the jazz tradition as well as inspired by all the horizons of our vast world. On top of their piano and saxophone, the moog and the bansuri invite sounds from Indian and Arabic music, as well as electronic effects. Piano and sax are supported by an intense rhythmic complicity between bassist Sébastien Boisseau (France) and drummer Teun Verbruggen (Belgium). An intoxicating swing rocked by modernism, occasionally with a spiritual depth and an almost Fellinian, quirky humour turns this Orchestra Nazionale della Luna into a unique musical meteorite. Their new repertoire questions the social disruptions caused by new technologies and AI, and their third album will be released in 2024 by BMC and Igloo.
manager: jackalprod@gmail.com
booker: tinka@tinkasteinhoff.com
press contact: promo@sowarex.be
Showcase
Saturday 14 September - 21:00-21:30Ha Concerts
De Beren Gieren
- Fulco Ottervanger (piano, keys, fx)
- Lieven Van Pée (double bass)
- Simon Segers (drums, fx)
For post-contemporary jazz trio De Beren Gieren, minimalism and explosive energy remain key ingredients. Also, it might be no coincidence that this trio is based in Belgium, the home of surrealism and techno music. De Beren Gieren unites three musicians - Fulco Ottervanger, Lieven Van Pée and Simon Segers - highly active in the European music scene. Their music is multi-layered, improvised and visionary, full of quirky twists and unpredictable turns, always looking for unfamiliar territory to explore. Looking for references? What about Visible Cloaks, Radiohead, Erik Satie and Jon Hassell? In 2024, De Beren Gieren released their 7th full album What Eludes Us via Sdban Ultra, receiving multiple four star-reviews and presenting the music on stages in Belgium, and abroad.
manager: maaike@aubergineartistmanagement.com
booker: daan@daan.agency
press contact: gilles@aubergineartistmanagement.com
Showcase
Saturday 14 September - 21:45-22:15Ha Concerts
Julien Tassin Quartet
- Julien Tassin (guitar)
- Nicolas Thys (bass)
- Dré Pallemaerts (drums)
- Hermon Mehari (trumpet)
Sometimes we hold high hopes and great expectations, only to be caught off-guard by life’s unforeseen twists and turns. That is what guitarist Julien Tassin explores on Great Expectations. Ron Miles was slated to be Julien’s special guest for a performance in Brussels. Sadly, Miles passed away unexpectedly. Despite this loss, Tassin continued writing music for the project. He then invited American trumpet player Jason Palmer to join his trio. The surprising twists and turns in the music align with the overarching theme, while maintaining a cinematic undertone. The outcome is an exhilarating combination of blues, jazz and rock. The album was released in November of 2023 on W.E.R.F. & Igloo. Expect a fresh and vibrant sound that showcases the quartet’s endless creativity.
manager: Jens@insidejazz.be
booker: Jens@insidejazz.be
