WEBORGERS-

The Belgian Jazzmen

[cover of CD]
Disc of one of the best known Belgian Jazz musician : Toots Thielemans.
The CD cover here has a definitive "influence" from Magritte!

THE MODERN JAZZ AND THE BELGIUM SCENE...

I will give here some details about the best of the Belgian Jazzmen, all of them being world class players.
Jazz is an evanescent form of music, existing only by its musicians. Therefore, concerts and recordings are the essential media to support the existence of this musical Art and of its musicians.

AFTER WWII
It is at the end of WWII that Jazz became more popular in Belgium. A lot of talented musicians were discovering the new developments of Modern Jazz trough the presence of the US army [sax image]

and the increased facilities to get discs from the USA. The public was already wide enough to support the existence of local orchestras and musicians. The same phenomenon happened in places like Paris, London, Amsterdam making the emergence of European Jazz.
Being an American music, Jazz could only evolve in Europe by mixing with the American players. This happened by several way. A lot of concerts with American Jazzmen at the end of the forties and all along the fifties gave opportunities to the Europeans to play with or next to their American masters (example: the tours by Jazz at the Philharmonic, all over Europe, organized by Norman Granz, carrying top Jazz players and singers).

AMERICAN PRODUCERS DECLARE: NO FUTURE FOR JAZZ!!
From the middle of the fifties and during the sixties, a lot of American Jazzmen established in Europe: first for social reasons (American racism, bigotry...etc) and later for drug related problems.

Then there was this "black hole" decreed by the producers of the big American record companies: Jazz has no future, Jazz was not fashionable anymore! In the early sixties they suddenly stopped all recordings, contracts and hiring! With very few exceptions, top American artists were obliged to record as anonymous studio players for big pop orchestras or for Hollywood's film music, to provide for daily bread.
This situation pushed many of them to come in Europe and to work there as the public was still following and supporting Jazz music. For a large number of years, European musicians could play and learn from such Jazz giants as: Chet Baker, Kenny Clarke, Dexter Gordon and Stan Getz, to name only a few.

EUROPE BECOMES THE CENTER FOR JAZZ MUSIC
London, Paris, Copenhagen became the real centers for the Modern Jazz of the next decades. Brussels, not too distant from these towns benefitted also from it on its active Jazz scene. This explain why in such a small country as Belgium top Jazz musicians could appear, survive and become master of their art. This explain also why, even to-day the Jazz scene is so active with new emerging talents.
In the early sixties there was a yearly Jazz festival organized in Belgium in the open in the small village of Comblain-la-Tour, south of Ličge, that was drawing crowds of 50,000 to listen to the best of the Belgian, European and American Jazzmen!

TODAY'S JAZZ IN BELGIUM
In the present days, Jazz is always vivid in Belgium. Tradition of jazz festivals was held, with festivals like Middelheim near Antwerp, and the Brussels' Jazz Rally. Regular concerts are given in Brussels, Ličge, Antwerp, besides the local jazz spots operating non-stop.
A wave of new musicians is there since the seventies and eighties ready to build on their talent.

FAMOUS BELGIAN JAZZ MUSICIANS

Hereunder you will find a selection of the best Belgian Jazzmen.
Follow the links to know more about these fine musicians.

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT BELGIAN JAZZ?...

Label and discs
- Igloo: Belgian label issuing recent recordings of the most prominent local Jazzmen
  Check out for players like Charlie Loos, Jacques Pelzer, Philip Catherine u.o. in the website giving the Igloo catalog and on-line musical excerpts of their CDs
- Brussels Jazz Promenade-: a CD published in 1992 after the yearly Jazz Rally.
  Most of the contemporary Belgian Jazz musicians are there. A good sample of the present Belgian Modern Jazz scene, with Philip Catherine, Toots Thielemans, Sadi, Phil Abraham, Steve Houben, Diederik Wissels, Charles Loos and many others
Jazz Club
- Le Travers: Jazz-club in Brussels... where the action is
  You can now check out their concert programme and activities on-line in
  their Web site. English text available.
A Brussels Jazz festival
Each year in April/May,downtown and uptown Brussels, there is the Brussels' Jazz Rally. It's a fantastic gathering of all musicians of Belgium, neighbor countries and special guests. For 2 days and 3 nights the center of Brussels will be Jazz everywhere: in the squares, public places and... all cafés, pubs, hotels open their doors to Jazz combos and singers. The ambiance is fantastic and a crowd with great spirit and self-control stroll in the streets from places to places, to listen to quality music.
Should it happen you are there at the right time: don't miss it! Spend at least one evening to follow Jazz in Brussels. You will even discover historical places you wouldn't have seen otherwise!
Belgium Jazz Scene
An initiative from a local Jazz musicians association (Les Lundis d'Hortense) : a complete site devoted to the Jazz events and the Jazz musicians in Belgium. In English.
If you are interested in full details about the Jazz Clubs, the concerts, the bios of contemporary Belgian musicians you will find it and more in this well kept site:
JAZZ IN ELGIUM - a new site, opened during fall 1996.

"JAZZ A LIEGE" freshly renovated Web site, well documented about the events taking place in the vibrant town of Liege ( South East part of Belgium) one of the active Jazz scene of Belgium- this town harbor also a center for the archives and study of Belgian Jazz, 'La Maison du Jazz', which is linked to the Web site-
In French for the time being.

WEBORGERS- THE BELGIAN JAZZMEN... selected as the JAZZ SITE OF THE WEEK

In February 97, our Website was picked up by the staff of Jazzheads Records (NY- USA) that found our BELGIAN JAZZMEN pages "...informative and giving a taste of Jazz outside the USA."
We heartly thank them for this kind appreciation.

To more Jazzmen >>>>

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E.Borgers
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