Presentation/Listening Session of this superb document of the times annex jazz compilation
The very first jazz album was released 100 years ago: The Original Dixieland Jass Band with ‘Livery Stable Blues’. That’s why AB will be paying extra attention to jazz for a year. From contemporary classics to musical troublemakers who are inspired by jazz, to the latest incredibly headstrong jazz generation from local soil.
In the footsteps of the excellent and acclaimed collector ‘Funky Chicken’, ‘Let’s Get Swinging’ wants to prove that Belgium really does have musical verve in its veins. Whereas ‘Funky Chicken’ earned its stripes using über-funky tracks with local talent, ‘Let’s Get Swinging’ wants to demonstrate that Belgian jazz from the ’50s-’70s could stand its ground internationally and that it swung.
We will cross-examine compiler – and also man behind the blog Jazztime Europe – Lander Lenaerts, who is of the opinion that this heyday of Belgian jazz receives far too little attention, even though we were very highly respected at an international level. ‘Let’s get swinging’ thus also became a compilation album of the very best Belgian jazz records from the period 1950-1970.
Together, we listen – op vinyl – to tracks by the likes of Jack Sels and Bobby Jasper and we further examine the exuberant jazz scene of the ’50s. Cover designer and painter – and, at the time, founder of jazz magazines Jazzspiegel and Hot & Cool – Luc Hoenraet will be present and will be thoroughly interrogated.
‘Let’s Get Swinging’ will be out in early April via SDBAN, which will also release albums by STUFF., De Beren Gieren and BRZVLL later this year.
Serving as moderator: jazz fanatic Kurt Overbergh (Artistic Director AB)
The interview will take place in Dutch.