THE SIX FINALISTS OF B-JAZZ 2023

SYMBIOSIS 5

Hungary

The musicians are pretty much neighbors to each other in the land of live music and capital of street festivals. They met within the walls of the Liszt Ferenc University of Music and the Béla Bartók Conservatory. The fact that they are neighbors seems to clash with the increasingly obvious globalization of jazz ensembles. It is almost a countermovement in the current scene, in which the members of young bands come from the same music schools but have their personal and artistic roots in different parts of the world.

Selected by Getxo Jazz Festival (Getxo, Spain)

Máté Drippey tenor saxophone | Benedek Virág guitar | Levente Kapolcsi-Szabó piano | Tamás Gyányi double bass | Roland Majsai drums

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URBAN QUARTET

Italy

Founded only in 2022, Urban Quartet has since played in important venues such as Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome and Umbria Jazz Festival, winning the popular jury prize at the Umbria Jazz Contest 2022. In December 2022, they recorded their first album “Sofà,” with saxophonist Max Ionata as a special guest. Their sound is firmly rooted in the jazz tradition with a contemporary approach to composition and ensemble playing.

Selected by Saint Louis College of Music (Rome, Italy)

Gianluca Robustelli guitar | Giuseppe Sacchi piano | Vincenzo Quirico double bass | Federico Balestra drums

ANTI-PANOPTICON

Belgium/Netherlands

The unique composition of this quartet brings together the different traditions and perspectives of both the Dutch and Belgian music scenes. This symbiosis between two worlds was immediately expressed on their first album “Channeling The Flood. This album – which they released in 2020 – was promptly called “the Belgian jazz record of the year” by De Standaard. Anti-Panopticon is a traditional quartet but aims to revitalize this lineup by putting their very own spin on this setting. In doing so, they strive for constant curiosity, musical layering and full abandon in playing together.

Selected via a preliminary round for B-Jazz (Leuven Jazz, Belgium)

Lennert Baerts tenor saxophone | Floris Kappeyne piano | Tijs Klaassen double bass | Jesse Dockx drums

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PETER WILLEMS TRIO

Netherlands/Poland/Germany

This trio showcases a genuine and authentic sound: a mix of traditional jazz, folk music, singer-songwriter jazz and pop. The musicians do not shy away from risk, the music is intensely personal and likes to tell a story. This young Dutch singer and bassist is simultaneously lead singer and double bassist of his own trio is. Singer and double bassist Peter studied cum laude at the Maastricht Conservatory of Music with a shared bachelor’s degree in Voice and Double Bass. The trio won the second prize of the prestigious ‘Prinses Christina Jazz Concours’ in 2019, the 1st prize of the ‘Conservatory Talent Award’ in 2022 and the 1st prize of the “Maastricht Jazz Awards” in 2023.

Selected by the Conservatory of Maastricht (Netherlands)

Peter Willems double bass | Michal Niedbala piano | Jakob Lingen drums

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ELIAS D’HOOGE TRIO

Belgium

Original compositions rooted in stories, dreams and great inspirations. This trio likes to mix jazz tradition with more modern musical concepts of improvisation and composition. Sometimes very classical looking and then very modern, with numerous rhythmic variations and a lot of interaction between the musicians. Elias is currently graduating (master jazz piano) from the Conservatory of Ghent, where he met bassist Zjef and drummer Tom and formed this trio. The passion for (jazz) music leads them through life as young ‘travelers’ who love the sound of the past, present and future.

Selected via a preliminary round for B-Jazz (De Jazzontspooring Harelbeke, Belgium)

Elias D’hooge piano | Zjef Van Steenbergen double bass | Tom Peeters drums

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SEBASTIAN SPANACHE

Romania

Romanian pianist and composer Sebastian Spanache began his musical journey in his hometown of Timisoara, where he began playing piano at age 5 and studied jazz in ninth grade. While still studying classical piano in high school, Sebastian founded his first jazz/funk ensemble at the age of 14, which later toured throughout Romania and won numerous awards at student competitions. Sebastian’s latest project ‘Upamercado’ – inspired by his travels in Latin America from 2017 to 2020 – has given him the opportunity to take on the challenge of a new solo direction.

Selected by Brașov Jazz & Blues Festival (Romania)

Sebastian Spanache piano

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