DOMENICO SOLAZZO'S PANOPTICON - LIVE AT NEGOCITO

Made available on CDR as a private release quite a number of years ago, this excellent recording of Domenico Solazzo's Panopticon project has now been made available on the Off Records label.

"Live At Negocito"
Live improvisations, recorded at EL NEGOCITO, in Gent, Belgium, on April 12, 2011

Featuring some of my favorite Belgian musicians !

• Olivier Catala (bass)
• Pieter Claus (vibraphone)
• Michel Delville (electric guitar, effects)
• Bart Maris (trumpet, effects)
• Domenico Solazzo (drums, percussions, direction)

1000 - EINTAUSEND SPIELT OCJ

• 1000: eintausend spielt ocj
      (2023, download / streaming, --, bandcamp)

1000 (or Eintausend) performs OCJ (Orchestra Composers Jazz).
From a commercial point of view, I can imagine that there are both band names and album titles that would be more effective, but it seems to work as this already is album number 6 of this illustrious quartet.

• Jan Klare - reeds
• Bart Maris - trumpet
• Wilbert de Joode - bass
• Michael Vatcher - drums

Improvised music, so not for the faint of heart.

Check it out !!

SPINIFEX SINGS

In 2022, Spinifex shows the back of its tongue with SPINIFEX SINGS, featuring the amazing vocalists Priya Purushothaman from Mumbai and Björk Nielsdottir from Iceland. Combining free jazz, polyrhythmic punk-rock and rigorously composed structures with ancient and contemporary Tamil and Icelandic poetry, Spinifex Sings will venture into the territories of song, lyrics and the primal scream.

• Björk Níelsdóttir & Priya Purushothaman - vocals
• Tobias Klein - alto saxophone
• Bart Maris - trumpet
• John Dikeman - tenor saxophone
• Jasper Stadhouders - guitar
• Gonçalo Almeida - bass guitar
• Philipp Moser - drums

25 March Bimhuis Amsterdam, NL

26 March Lokerse Jazzclub Lokeren, BE

27 March O.666 Oostende, BE

21 - 27 July Portugal tour, CD recording

30 Nov - 4 Dec, tour in the Netherlands

FLASHBACK TO X-LEGGED SALLY

April 17, 1994, X-Legged Sally did a concert in Cologne.
A little while ago, an audio recording was put on YouTube :

It sure proves that X-Legged Sally was one of the best bands ever to emerge from Belgium.

Line-up : 

• Peter Vermeersch: sax, clarinet, vocals
• Bart Maris: trumpet
• Michel Mast: sax
• Pierre Vervloesem: guitar, vocals
• Daan Vandewalle: keyboards
• Paul Belgrado: bass
• Danny Van Hoeck: drums

MOKER HAS A NEW ALBUM OUT

Well. Not really new.
Belgian band Moker has made their 2005 album, "Konglong", available as a digital download on Bandcamp.

• Bart Maris: trumpet, electronics
• Zeger Vandenbussche: tenor saxophone
• Mathias Van de Wiele: guitar
• Dajo De Cauter: double bass
• Giovanni Barcella: drums

-- info: Danny Mathys

GLITS IN CONCERT

August 23 at the Ham Sessions in Ghent, BE :

17h00 Young Master : Thibaut Deryckere
19h00 GLITS (Peter Vandenberghe / Bart Maris)

2000

Saturday, April 13, 2019, the 2000 ensemble will be performing at the 'Plusetage', in Baarle Nassau, NL

Jan Klare – reeds
Bart Maris  - trumpet
Steve Swell – trombone
Elisabeth Coudoux – cello
Wilbert de Joode – bass
Michael Vatcher - drums

SPINIFEX

The new Spinifex album, "Soufifex" got presented at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam recently :

Spinifex SOUFIFEX live at the Bimhuis 18 January 2019

SPINIFEX - SOUFIFEX

• spinifex: soufifex
      (2019, cd, nl, trytone tt559-076) 

The latest release by experimental jazz ensemble Spinifex !!

from the Spinifex website :
In 2017, Spinifex adapted two pieces and recorded them for the CD ‘Amphibian Ardour’: a Sufi traditional of Kurdish/Iranian origin, and a Qawali traditional from Pakistan. We liked this music so much that we decided to create a whole project, SOUFIFEX, dedicated to music inspired by Sufi traditions. Deeply rooted in our musical approach of combining cutting-edge composed structures with free improvisation, Spinifex dived into the magic of ritually repeated patterns and concentration on the beat.

Out on the TryTone record label.
https://trytone.org/wordpress_A/catalog/

2000

Initially called 1000, the ensemble recently changed their name to 2000 !

In 2004 JAN KLARE (saxophone), together with trumpet player BART MARIS from Belgium, Dutch bassist WILBERT DE JOODE and American drummer MICHAEL VATCHER, founded the group "1000". From its inception, the group incorporated compositions that were rather unusual points of reference for the world of improvised music – pieces by Bach, Ravel, Monteverdi or Gregorian chants – thus establishing a unique style very early on. When Vatcher relocated to NYC in 2017, ELISABETH COUDOUX joined the band on cello, and soon thereafter, at the invitation of Moers Festival 2018, the six piece edition "2000", including trombonist STEVE SWELL, was born.


-- info: Danny Mathys

SOUFIFEX

The latest Spinifex album, "SOUFIFEX" got released on January 18 on Trytone Records.




15/2 Neeritter, Jazzblazzt

on tour in March 2019, still booking … confirmed dates are:

7/3 München (DE), Glockenbachwerkstatt
9/3 Ottensheim (AU), KOMA
11/3 Prague (CZ), Punctum
12/3 Milano (IT), Corte dei Miracoli
14/3 Genève (CH), Festival de l’AMR
16/3 Saarbrücken (DE), INI-Art, Passage Kino
22/3 Bremen (DE) Güterbahnhof Tor 9
23/3 Zeulenroda (DE), Schieszhaus
24/3 Würzburg (DE), Immerhin

FLAT EARTH SOCIETY - UNTITLED #0

• flat earth society: untitled #0
      (2018, 2cd, bel, igloo)

Last week, Flat Earth Society presented their latest album, "Untitled #0", performing concerts in Ghent and in Antwerp.
I attended their Antwerp show at 'De Singel' and went home quite happy after enjoying a fine concert (and with the new album in my pocket).

"Untitled #0" is what you expect from a band like FES. Two discs: one labeled "1", the other one "A"; and compositions with titles like 'Graveyard Scuba', 'Chrimatistikology' and 'Swatter Perspective'.
Most of the pieces were written by band leader and bass clarinet player Peter Vermeersch. Three pieces are by piano and keyboard player Peter Vandenberghe. And then there's the reworked / rearranged version of Gershin's 'Summertime'.

After Flat Earth Society's "Terms Of Embarrassment" / Zappa tribute album and the Boggamasta adventure, "Untitled #0" has them move back to the more jazzy corner. Quirky and funny. Plus some great solos (Peter Delannoye on the trombone !! Wow !!)

Love it !!

FUKKEDUK - ORNITHOZOZY

• fukkeduk: ornithozozy
      (1994, cd, gel, lowlands)

Fukkeduk is one of the best-kept secrets of the Belgian music scene.
This avant-garde rock band only released one album. In 1994. "Ornithozozy".
The line-up shows links with The Simpletones and with Flat Earth Society, and the album got produced by Doctor Nerve's Nick Didkovsky.

Give it a listen :

SPINIFEX - 2005-2015

• spinifex: 2005 - 2015
      (2016, 5cd, nl, trytone tt559-063)

August 2015, Spinifex started a kickstarter project to release "2005-2015", a box that would include their first four albums plus one bonus disc with live material from various spinifex incarnations.
Eventually, the box was made available in 2016.

Next to "Trioda", "Hipsters Gone Ballistic", "Veiled" and "Maximus", the set included "Spinifex Live" as an extra. This bonus album presented material by "Spinifex Indian Spin", the "Spinifex Tuba Band" and "Spinifex Bollycore".
Excellent stuff.

Info has been added to the United Mutations Archives.

SPINIFEX

Dutch ensemble Spinifex stands for adventurous, contemporary jazz.
The band is doing a small tour to promote their recent 5 CD-box anthology release, as well as their new album.

And now that we're on the subject of their latest album, "Amphibian Artour", I guess that I should mention that it features special guests Bart Maris (trumpet) and John Dikeman (alto sax).


In concert

Jan 27 - Plusetage, Baarle-Nassau, NL
Feb 2 - KOER, Gent, BE
Feb 10 - Kulturspeicher, Leer, DE
May 18-21 (exact date to be announced) - Moers Jazz Festival, DE
Jun 17 - Houtfestival, Haarlem, NL

FLAT EARTH SOCIETY - BOGGAMASTA

Finishing the weekend with "Boggamasta", the excellent (latest) album by Flat Earth Society.

The vinyl edition of this album counts 6 tracks, but it does come with a download code for the complete 10 tracks, as found on the CD.

Beautiful !!

FLAT EARTH SOCIETY - BOGGAMASTA

• flat earth society: boggamasta
      (2017, cd, bel, igloo 288)

I saw Flat Earth Society in concert a little while ago. At 'De Roma' in Antwerp. It was one of the "Boggamasta" album-release-concerts.
I had seen them performing "Boggamasta" earlier this year (in Wilrijk if my memory serves me right) and for one reason or another, I wasn't convinced at the time. It was a fine concert, but I felt like I was missing something.
At 'De Roma', however, they had me on their rollercoaster from the first song on.
Maybe because I didn't (have to) use my earplugs ? Maybe because I heard it for the second time ? Maybe because the overall sound was better (and I could actually hear the rhythm secion) ?

"Boggamasta" is a project by David Bovée and Peter Vermeersch.
David Bovée played the guitar in the earlier FES-years but quit Flat Earth Society to tour the world with Think Of One.
And now he's back for a one-time project, "Boggamasta".
About half of the pieces were written by Peter Vermeersch. The other half by David Bovée, but all of the compositions mix Flat Earth Society's signature rhythms with world music elements.
Add some weird vocal effects and you get "Boggamasta".

The album sounds great. (Use headphones !! Dive into it !! )
Beautiful melodies, great rhythms...
Hints of a Zappa horn section, the Residents, Snakefinger, but also of Mulate Astatke.
This is modern jazz. Amazing.

Out on vinyl (with a selection of songs on the vinyl + a download code for the complete album),
and on CD.

http://fes.be/

FLAT EARTH SOCIETY UPDATE

The latest Flat Earth Society album is out !
CD released on October 27,
Vinyl to be released on November 11.

Order it at
http://fes.be/

Or pick it up at one of their concerts:

11 november - STORM! Festival, De Grote Post, Oostende, BE
16 november - Willem Twee, ’s-Hertogenbosch, Nederland
19 november - Botanique, Brussel, BE
22 november - De Roma, Antwerpen, BE
23 november - De Kreun, Kortrijk, BE

FLAT EARTH SOCIETY UPDATE

The new Flat Earth Society album, "Boggamasta", will be released on October 27 on the Igloo Records label.

In concert

November 11, STORM Festival, Oostende (B)
November 16, Willem Twee, Den Bosch (NL)
November 19, Botanique, Brussel (B)
November 22, De Roma, Antwerpen (B)
November 23, De Kreun, Kortrijk (B)

VARIOUS ARTISTS - JAZZTUBLIEFT! A WIDE RANGE OF JAZZ MUSIC FROM FLANDERS

• various artists: jazztublief!!
      (2007, cd-promo, bel, muziekcentrum vlaanderen fmc 2007/03)

More loot from the trip to the record fair.
This promotional album from 2007 took a look at the jazz music scene in Flanders.
An excellent choice was made as the album includes music by Vansina-Verbruggen-Gudmundsson Trio, Flat Earth Society, Franco Saint De Bakker, Moker (with Bart Maris), Othin Spake (Verbruggen-Dumoulin-Pawlowski, and mixed by Pierre Vervloesem), and more.

All of the music had been previously released, except for maybe the track by Othin Spake (previously released in 2005 on a CDR demo album), but I thought it was too good a selection to let it pass.