Bruges jazz label W.E.R.F. records - short for Wasted Energy Record Factory - was founded in 1993 as a one-off venture to support Bruges pianist Kris Defoort. Thirty years later, the list of musicians to have appeared on the label reads like an encyclopaedic overview of Belgian jazz. Think: pioneers like Brussels Jazz Orchestra or Robin Verheyen (TaxiWars), but also the latest trail-blazers like Vitja Pauwels, MDCIII, Karen Willems, PAARD., Dorian Dumont or schntzl. On the occasion of its 30th anniversary, AB honours the label with a true two-day event.
ODIL FEAT. NINA KORTEKAAS PRESENTS UMHEIMLICH (8pm)
Swiss-born pianist Camille-Alban Spreng has been living in Brussels for over a decade. Spreng's area of activity is spread across jazz, improvised (electronic) music, art performance and theatre. With his regular band ODIL, he will soon debut on W.E.R.F. records (after previous releases) with the album Unheimlich. Added bonus: the voice of Portland frontwoman ad interim Nina Kortekaas (see also: Noa Lee).
ALEX KOO (8:45 pm)
Belgian-Japanese pianist Alex Koo has already been lauded as "stunningly original" by America's authoritative Downbeat Jazz Magazine. London Jazz News wrote: "He is a superbly original composer". Trouw compared him to a grandmaster: "The name Keith Jarrett came to mind several times. Not because Koo's playing is so similar to that of the American master, but because it is of the same, seldom seen, high quality." In Belgium too, one rave review follows the other: "Belgium is too small for pianist Alex Koo" or "We are stunned", we read in De Tijd and Le Soir. With his album Etudes for Piano, he beautifully blends his fondness for Debussy, Chopin, Reich & Rachmaninov on the one hand and Keith Jarrett, Craig Taborn, Brian Eno & Philip Glass on the other.
DON KAPOT PRESENTS I LOVE TEMPO (10pm)
Who are we to contradict De Volkskrant? "There is a great tension and drive to innovate in contemporary Belgian jazz, as the hurricane that Don Kapot caused lingered long in the mind. Punk and free jazz have rarely come as close as they did here." Written in Music also hailed their praises: "Few bands in Belgium blow you away live like this – with their energy, volume and inventive twists – as the pleasantly deranged Don Kapot." High time, then, for Don Kapot to introduce their fourth and latest album I Love Tempo - produced by Deerhoof drummer Greg Saunier.