September News - Back To The Scene
September is here once again, bringing with it an exciting array of news and activity in the music scene. Several concerts are lined up this month, promising to be quite the eventful experience. For this special occasion, I took the opportunity to have my beloved 1967 Selmer Mark VI saxophone completely refurbished by Nicolas Dory of ww-music.be, and I must say, it is playing and sounding better than ever! It's hard to believe that I can't even remember the last time I had it properly checked—most likely more than 25 years ago. Over the years, I’ve grown accustomed to all the many flaws, but now, everything is functioning so smoothly, making it an absolute joy to play!
On Friday, 13 September, I’ll be performing at the 18th edition of “Jazz à Verviers” with Pirly Zurstrassen’s new quartet “Les Alliances Terrestres,” which features his talented son Felix Zurstrassen on double bass, Lionel Beuvens on drums, and myself on saxophone. We will showcase all new music!
On Sunday, 15 September, I’m truly honoured to be part of the new Chris Joris Ritual Trio, which features the skilled Sal La Rocca on double bass. We’ll be presenting three sets at the Jazz at Home Festival in the beautiful city of Mechelen, featuring a mix of new and revisited compositions that will highlight Chris’s remarkable skills on percussion. In addition to playing the saxophone, I will also bring along a bag filled with various ethnic flutes to enrich our sound.
On Friday, 20 September, I’m excited to be getting together again with my favourite trio at the Botanique in Brussels during the Saint-Jazz Festival, featuring my buddies Michel Hatzigeorgiou on bass and Dré Pallemaerts on drums. As with our last few public appearances, we will be performing music from our albums “Some Sounds” and “Eleven,” as well as sharing some previously unreleased compositions.
Finally, on Saturday, 28 September, for those in need of some deep relaxation, “Levitation” will take the stage with Quentin Dujardin on guitar, Gil Delogne on gongs, Tibetan singing bowls, and various other sonic instruments, and myself on tenor saxophone. Three performances will be held at the serene Abbaye de Villers-la-Ville, offering a perfect opportunity to unwind and rejuvenate.
Hope to see you around!
