New jazz club in Brussels (Belgium): The BRAVO!!!

Dear friends,

It’s my pleasure to announce you the opening of a great jazz place in Brussels (Belgium). Some Belgian jazz musicians told me how great it was to play in this place because they are considered as the quintessence of the magic of this club.

I only found the facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/bravobxl but you can also find some elements on this page too (in French): http://www.brusselslife.be/fr/adresse/bravo

The jazz club is located in the underground and seems to be terrific. I promise to visit this place as soon as possible :-).

 

The BRAVO

7,  Rue d’Alost – 1000 Brussels (Belgium)

 

Enjoy !

 

Céline

 

Kristen Cornwell: When an Australian Jazz talent meets Europe

Dear Friends,

Sometimes, I have the huge pleasure to discover Jazz Singers who move me from inside. If you don’t know her, Kristen Cornwell is one of those remarkable singers who can sing with an absolute vocal technique and it seems to be so natural !

Her last CD “Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love” mixes fresh arrangements with classic interpretations. It is a pure delight, that why I couldn’t keep it for myself 🙂 !

Please take the time to seat down comfortably, relax and listen one of the tunes:

you tube 

Enjoy !

Céline

Here are some elements of her biography:

“The musician’s singer”, Kristen Cornwell enjoyed status as one of Australia’s most respected jazz singers for over 10 years before moving to Belgium in 2004. A graduate in Jazz of the National Institute of the Arts at The Australian National University she was a MO Award nominee in the Jazz Vocalist Section for four years running and a finalist in the National Jazz Awards. Kristen has also attained her Masters in jazz performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels and established her own quintet. This quintet features some of Europe’s finest musicians: Pascal Schumacher (LUX) on vibraphone, Frederik Leroux (B) on guitar, Dennis Frehse (D) on drums and Christophe Devisscher (B) on bass.

She worked with notable musicians including Don Burrows, James Morrison, Julian Lee, George Golla, Scott Hamilton, Carl Orr, Sandy Evans and The Australian Art Orchestra. She toured China twice with Don Burrows and along with two CD’s under her own name has featured on CD’s by Guitarist’s Jeremy Sawkins (‘Toys’), Carl Orr (‘Mean It’ and ‘Blue Thing’) and Steve Hunter (‘Condition Human’).

Kristen was part of the outstandingly successful homage to Charlie Parker by Sandy Evans, ‘Testimony’, which was presented in the Sydney Opera House as part of the 2002 Sydney Festival. In April 2008 Kristen released her first CD in Europe with her quintet, Distant Skies, on the Belgian record label Jules Jazz.  “a dazzling CD” according to Jazz Flits in Holland. In 2012 Kristen released a second CD in Europe, Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love and mixes fresh arrangements with classic interpretations. “It is fantastic how (this recording) drips with decadence” (Jazzflits NL April 2012). On this recording Kristen comes into her own as a mature story-teller and a singer of supreme expressiveness. In April 2013 Kristen was invited to sing in Belgium with the Duke Ellington Big Band on their concert hall tour of Europe.

Win tickets for Blue Flamingo Jazz Festival (Brussels-Belgium)

Dear friends,

Our friendship with the Blue Flamingo Jazz Festival in Brussels (Belgium) is strong !

MuseBoosting, the organization, proposes 2×5 tickets for next Friday October 11 and 2×5 tickets for Saturday October 12.

The program is always fantastic and the atmosphere in the castle of Karreveld is really exceptional.

On Friday, you will enjoy the solo of Kris Defoort (piano), one of the most talented masters of improvisation, sliding between classic and jazz.

http://www.krisdefoort.com/

Video

On Saturday, Arkham Asylum. This group composed by five musicians from Bruxelles will play a nervous and melancholic, a soft and energetic jazz. A kind Burton-Shakespearien music.

https://myspace.com/arkhamasylumusic

Video

If you want to win a duo ticket, send an email to :

bestjazzclubs@hotmail.fr

Answer this question : What is the color of the Flamingo Jazz Festival in Brussels ?

Select the day you would like to attend and your name.

Info on : http://www.blueflamingofestival.be/lessentiel.html

I wish you success !

Céline

 

Brosella Folk & Jazz Festival 13-14 July 2013

Dear friends,

Summer in Belgium and you have the chance to enjoy sweet days in the Free Brosella Folk & Jazz Festival !

Over the years Brosella Folk & Jazz developed into a main player in the musical landscape of Brussels and Belgium. It persists to occupy an important place amongst the numerous events in Brussels. The festival plays a valuable role in the prominence of the Brussels Region in Europe and abroad. Brosella Folk and Jazz is credited with a rising recognition and appreciation in the folk and jazz worlds, from both fans and artists worldwide.

Be welcome !!!!!

http://www.brosella.be/eng

 

Meeting great Jazzmen in the tramway…

Dear friends,

You have certainly met people in the street, in the bus, in the metro… You don’t know who they are but at a certain moment you begin to talk. Recognizing musicians is very easy because of their instruments. That’s what happened few days ago.

Making his European debut, guitarist Nadav Peled joins forces with fellow Israeli expat, saxophonist Maayan Smith for a hard swinging straight ahead project. These two promising young Israeli expat musicians are steadily making a name for themselves in their respective scenes. Maayan in Brussels and Nadav in The Big Apple.

I know that they play with some of the best rhythm section players on the Belgian scene because two days ago, I met a friend, Wim Eggermont,  who is a fantastic drummer, and he told me that he was playing with them.

Tonight, concert and jam session in Le Chat-Pitre at 8:30 pm (Rue Du Tabellion 1, 1050 Brussels). Do not miss it !

Here some other dates:

21.6 – Sounds 22:00 (Rue de la Tulipe 28  1050 Ixelles)
23.6 – De Hopper 16:00 (Leopold de Waelstraat 2, 2000, Antwerpen)

To give you the “taste” of the quality of their music :

“Nadav Peled is one of the very finest young guitarists playing jazz I have heard in a long time.
He has it all: sound, concept, expressiveness, technical mastery and great ears. He has a great
foundation in the history of jazz and the tools needed to go forward. He is poised to make a
great contribution to jazz guitar and to jazz music!”
Peter Bernstein
www.nadavpeled.com

https://soundcloud.com/maayan-smith

Breaking news : album release of Sarah Letor on May 13th 2013 and private showcase on May 17th 2013 !!

Dear friends,

If some jazz tunes/songs are simply perfect, I have to share them with you ! I have had the pleasure to see a concert of Sarah Letor, what a revelation ! This Belgian artist proposes us plenty of jazz songs in different styles. Two of them are “Again” and “Sitting on the white cloud”. These little precious songs should certainly become the next jazz standards and should be an excellent music for a fragrance or be used for marketing. Beside both of them, you can find the bluesy/soul “Your home” or  a New Orleans style with “Whenever”.

This second album is an incredible source of inspiration. Sarah looks like a Betty Boop, big smile, generous, happy and hard worker.

Listen and enjoy !

Céline

http://www.sarahletor.com/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/again/id593875351

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJvQLxahPwQ