PARTICIPANTS PRELIMINARY ROUND HARELBEKE
As a run-up to the finals of B-Jazz 2023, two Belgian preliminaries will be organized, on Saturday, March 4 at CC het SPOOR (Harelbeke) and on Friday, March 17 at 30CC/Schouwburg during Leuven Jazz.
All information on who is performing when exactly can be found below.
Saturday, March 4 @ CC het SPOOR
Eilandstraat 6, 8530 Harelbeke
| 19:00 Teddy’s Brain Drain | 20:00 Mojo Jojo | 21:00 Koala Swim | 22:00 Elias D’hooge Trio | 23:00 Late Night Jam |
Teddy’s Brain Drain
bio
Teddy’s Brain Drain straddles the line between innocent, almost naive melodies and dark, enigmatic atmospheres. The trio uses songs as a vessel to build a larger narrative, while allowing each musician to explore their own. Expect expansive grooves, suspenseful themes and everything in between. All of the band’s compositions were written by Machiel Heremans and originated just before a hazy/grey period for music (2019). But once past this period, when the musicians got together, they quickly grew into a real band and a first EP was recorded. This EP will be released in mid-March 2023 on the Honolulu Records label.
line-up
Machiel Heremans guitar
Federico Stocchi double bass
Gaspard Sicx drums
Mojo Jojo
bio
Mojo Jojo is a quartet that invites lyrical melodies driven by deep-rooted pulsations. The musicians discovered that they have a very strong and dynamic bond both personally and musically. Each of them has a very strong and different musical background and identity. Those identities are combined in this project.
line-up
Emanuel Van Mieghem double bass
Umberto Odone drums
Yuxiang Zhang guitar
Warre van De Putte tenor saxophone
Koala Swim
bio
Koala Swim is a contemporary jazz collective inspired by everyday life, swimming Koalas and hip hop. Having just completed their first tour of Belgium and the Netherlands, you can expect a fresh sound consisting of compositions by guitarist and bandleader Alessio Santoliquido that reflect the friendship, vibe and musicality of this young Belgian jazz quintet. The band has been in existence since May 2022 and found each other after playing numerous different gigs together in a variety of lineups. Currently, all members are in their masters phase at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp.
line-up
Alessio Santoliquido guitar
Seppe De Bleser saxophone
Thibaut Deryckere Piano
Simon De Rover drums
Toon Rumen double bass
Elias D’hooge Trio
bio
With our trio, we want to tell our own unique story with original compositions rooted in stories, dreams and great inspirations. We like to mix jazz tradition with more modern musical concepts of improvisation and composition in a way that we can start a conversation that can be fun, humorous, tense, sad … Starting a conversation with each other, our inner selves and the audience through musical parameters and the beautiful language of “jazz” makes us have fun on and off stage. 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 his way through his life as a young ‘traveler’ who loves the sound of the past, present and future. ‘Creating’ is a big part of him, resulting in very unique compositions and ideas. Zjef started playing electric bass when he was 12. After high school, he began his musical studies in 2012 at ‘De Kunsthumaniora’ in Antwerp, where he was taught by Piet Verbist. The following year he continued these studies at the conservatory in Ghent. Here he was taught by Nicolas Thys, Yannick Peeters, Vincent Pierins and Janos Bruneel, among others. Meanwhile, Zjef graduated with a master’s degree in electric bass and completed his teacher training combined with an extra year of double bass studies with Janos Bruneel. Tom is a drummer from Ghent who began playing drums at the age of seven. Learning from such masters as Jean-Philippe Komac, Toon Van Dionant, Arnoud Gerritse, Wouter Van Tornhout, Jan Samyn and Wim Leo, his style became appreciated in the modern Belgian jazz scene, although he does not shy away from other genres either.
line-up
Elias D’hooge piano
Zjef Van Steenbergen double bass
Tom Peeters drums
Late Night Jam
After the four concerts and while the judges deliberate, the musicians in attendance show and, more importantly, hear what they have to offer musically.