Jazz Brugge Saturday

In this jubilee edition of Jazz Brugge, we once again explore the world under the banner ‘Crossing Cultures’ and let ourselves be inspired and amazed by a wide variety of artists from its every corner. In past editions we have been proud to welcome now illustrious names such as Jamie Branch, Jakob Bro and James Brandon Lewis to our stage at a very early stage in their career. In this edition, we will again be treated to musical discoveries from home and abroad.

18h30 Clément Janinet & Arve Henriksen

With this new quartet—featuring Norwegian trumpeter Arve Henriksen, French accordionist Ambre Villermoz, and German double bassist Robert Lucaciu—Swiss violinist Clément Janinet continues the aesthetic direction of earlier projects like Ornette Under the Repetitive Skies and La Litanie des Cimes. Yet, he now opens the doors to a rich dialogue between musicians from different cultural backgrounds. At the heart of the project lies an exploration of the intersection between free improvisation and classical or popular repetitive music. The combination of violin, trumpet, accordion, and double bass transcends the boundaries of genre and repertoire. In this unique format, Carlo Gesualdo and John Dowland meet the Swedish nyckelharpa, fiery improvisations give way to microtonal soundscapes, and contemporary chamber music flows into folk dances and oral tradition songs. The quartet's album Garden of Silences, featuring Arve Henriksen as a special guest, was recorded earlier this summer for Hungary’s BMC Records. At Jazz Brugge, audiences will be among the first to experience this music live.

19h45 Benjamin Sauzereau & REMORQUE

Brussels-based guitarist Benjamin Sauzereau is one of the most respected musicians in Belgian jazz, active across the full spectrum—from elegant jazz to fiery improvisation. You might know him from Les Chroniques de l’Inutile, Hendrik Lasure warm bad, Book of Air, and Fur. He recently wrote a large set of compositions presented under the banner REMORQUE, with various line-ups—similar to John Zorn’s Masada compositions. These works are united by their clever exploration of composition, improvisation, and arrangement. The pieces tend to be short but vivid, bursting with color and atmosphere—at times lyrical and contemplative, at others playful, whimsical, or slightly prickly. The first volume, Un, was released late last year on the Bruges-based label W.E.R.F. records. Just in time for Jazz Brugge, the follow-up Deux will be released. Joining Benjamin to perform this exquisite music are cellist Annemie Osborne, violinist Amèle Metlini, and Vitja Pauwels on guitar and pedal steel.

19h45 No Tongues ft. Linda Oláh & Elsa Corre

The French ensemble No Tongues creates an entirely new and unique sound by blending acoustic and electronic elements. Their musical inspiration comes from songs of ancient European cultures. For their latest project Ici, which they’re presenting at Jazz Brugge, they’re joined by two extraordinary vocalists: Linda Oláh and Elsa Corre. The patter of rain on a skylight, the squeak of a toy phone, the soft crackle of a hot oven, the polyrhythmic drip of a wet sweater—everyday sounds are transformed, radically yet poetically, into musical material. A bass clarinet becomes a drum, a trumpet sounds like a modular synth, and a double bass morphs into a drum kit—often without the listener even realizing. All the while, the group draws the audience into a trance-like sonic spell.

21h00 Craig Taborn – Tomeka Reid – Ches Smith

Pianist Craig Taborn can rightfully be called one of the leading figures in contemporary music today. As both composer and pianist, he is internationally acclaimed—and none other than John Zorn counts himself a devoted fan, having released several of Taborn’s albums on his Tzadik label. Today, Taborn is also proudly part of the prestigious ECM Records roster. You may have seen him perform his ECM album Shadowplays at Bruges’ Walburga Church during the AMOK Festival in 2022. In 2018, Taborn composed a completely new body of work that probes the boundaries between contemporary chamber music, jazz improvisation, and roots music from Africa and the Caribbean. This layered music required an ensemble capable of navigating rapid stylistic shifts. To realize this, he enlisted cellist Tomeka Reid and drummer Ches Smith, forming a powerful new trio. With Reid’s mastery of both cello and improvisation, Smith’s versatility on drums and percussion, and Taborn’s approach to piano and synths, the music moves fluidly from finely crafted chamber miniatures to bursts of high energy. Their key influences include the cosmic free jazz of Sun Ra, the electric organ music of West Africa’s Mamman Sani, the worldly fusion of Don Cherry and Art Ensemble of Chicago, and the edgy electronics of Detroit techno pioneers Drexciya.