BRUNO VANSINA - BLAUW KOU

• bruno vansina: blauw kou
      (2024, cd, Belgium, private release / van001)

Revisiting Bruno Vansina's "Blauw Kou" album today.
I saw the band live at De Singer a bit over a year ago. It was quite a remarkable concert. Relaxing, melodic, exotic, lots of percussion and even a string section.
With both Bruno and Magic Malik adding beautiful solos.

As second attempt to see them live at De Bijloke last month did not happen, eventually. The (open air) concert took place, but the bad weather conditions kept me home.

Fortunately, there's the CD.
8 pieces. And these 8 pieces reflect or evoke the same feelings that I remember from the concert.

"Blauw Kou" is available through Bandcamp for download & streaming, but it has also been made available on CD.

Recommended listening !

BRUNO VANSINA'S NEW ALBUM IS RELEASED TODAY

Bruno Vansina - "Blauw Kou"
Out on CD and Bandcamp.

Building on the experience with the Vansina Orchestra in 2014, Vansina revisits orchestral sounds. This time the wind section makes way for a string ensemble, the drums have to share space with a battery of percussionists. Musical giant 'Magic' Malik Mezzadri once again joins ranks. Don't expect sugar sweet arrangements, but music deeply rooted in Jazz with rhythmic elements reminiscent of Steve Coleman (and others), nods to the exotic sounds of Les Baxter and Martin Denny and melodies that flirt with Frank Zappa.

Album release concert will be this Sunday at De Bijloke in Ghent, BE.

VANSINA, VERBRUGGEN & VERVLOESEM - SORRY LOUISE COULDN'T COME

• vansina / verbruggen / vervloesem: sorry louise couldn't come
      (2024, download, --, bandcamp)

In the words of Pierre Vervloesem:
I was asked to replace a very ill Louise, bassist of Bruno Vansina trio, a few hours before the gig. Being incapable of playing the slightest jazz note we therefore improvised THIS in front of a gigantic audience who did not see the difference with the usual program.

That would be Louise van den Heuvel, and I do hope she's feeling better in the meantime.
I hope to see her soon with Stéphane Galland.

Anyway, I have no clue what the trio would have sounded like with Louise at the bass, but I don't mind the Bruno Vansina, Teun Verbruggen & Pierre Vervloesem combination.
Improvised music with three distinct and clearly recognisable voices.
Bruno takes the lead with his saxophone and other assorted noises, while both Teun and Pierre both follow and drive the pieces.

This is fun.

Recommended listening.

BRUNO VANSINA UPDATE

Bruno Vansina's new album will be called "Blauw Kou" (Blue Cold) and will be out on CD.

CD release concert on June 16, 2024, at 17h00, at De Bijloke in Ghent, BE.

LES BOUCLES ABSURDES - L'HOMME QU'ON OUBLIAIT VITE

• les boucles absurdes: l'homme qu'on oubliait vite
      (2023, download / streaming, --, bandcamp)

Yes ! A new album by Jean-Pierre Jonckheere's Les Boucles Absurdes.
Beautiful minimalistic musical creations.
And then there's the final (15-minute) track where Bruno Vansina and Pierre Vervloesem put some extra layers on 'J'entend le sable murmurer' (I hear the sand whispering). 

The new album from Les Boucles Absurdes is a new adventure mixing field recordings, prepared piano, heavy re-recorded loops, treated acoustic instruments and more.
Jean-Pierre likes to call his music (in French) "Musique acousmaticomique" which gives you a good idea of his humour when composing and assembling his tracks.
All tracks, except "J'entend le sable murmurer" are originally octophonic tracks who were remixed to stéréo for the digital release.

This is great !!
I love it.

BRUNO VANSINA ORCHESTRA

We saw The Bruno Vansina Orchestra in concert the other day.
14 people on the stage.
A jazz orchestra, with lots of percussion.
It was very nice. 

Here's a picture that Tom took:

Bruno added that an album will be recorded later this year.

And they're doing another gig at De Bijloke in Ghent on the 2nd of September !

https://www.bijloke.be/programma/2680/Jazzsaxofonist_omarmt_orkestklanken/Vansina_Orchestra_feat_Magic_Malik

PIERRE VERVLOESEM - DARK MATTER 3 - DARK MATTER 4

Pierre Vervloesem with Bruno Vansina on saxes and Elie Gouleme on drums.
What a top combination.

I really enjoyed 'Dark Matter 1 and 2' a little while ago, and this sequel is even better.

Amazing.
Enter the wondrous world of Bandcamp and check it out !

PIERRE VERVLOESEM GROUP AT JAZZ CLUB DE SINGER NEXT SEPTEMBER

I've mentioned this earlier, but as the tickets are on sale, it needed another plug !

Pierre Vervloesem Group at De Singer in Rijkevorsel, Belgium

• Bruno Vansina: alto sax
• Pierre Vervloesem: guitar
• Nicholas Dechêne: bass
• Marcus Weymaere: drums

On September 23, 2022

https://www.desinger.be/en/program/23-09-2022/pierre-vervloesem-group-ft-bruno-vansina

Bruno Vansina - Pierre Vervloesem

PIERRE VERVLOESEM GROUP

Last weekend (Jan 29), I was one of the fortunate people to catch the Pierre Vervloesem Group in concert in Brussels, BE.

Bruno, Nicolas, Pierre & Marcus

It was the place to be for those who enjoy music from the other side of the fence.
Flirting with jazz and progressive rock, the band played a fabulous concert. It was even more amazing when we found out that it was the first time for the bass player and the drummer to play together.

Energetic, virtuoso, surprising,...
Great tunes and an excellent location.
My cup of tea.

It was the perfect introduction & celebration of Pierre's latest album: "30 Years Of Success".

Check the album out and order your copy of the digital download or the CD through Bandcamp :

 

PIERRE VERVLOESEM GROUP IN CONCERT

Pierre Vervloesem Group
Saturday - January 29, 2022
Salle Viala
24 rue des Riches-Claires
1000 Brussels (BE)

• Pierre Vervloesem - guitar
• Bruno Vansina - saxophone
• Nicolas Dechêne - bass
• Laurent Delchambre - drums

Pierre Vervloesem tire ce qu’il y a de meilleur du “compromis à la belge” : l’aspect expérimental des thèmes Jazz, la rythmique folle et énergique de la crème du Rock, le côté entraînant et sans limites de l’univers électronique. C’est un grand guitariste, atypique, dans la lignée de Frank Zappa, qui a collaboré sur des albums d’anthologie. Cette fois-ci, pour la première de toute sa carrière, Pierre Verloesem va jouer en « live » ses propres compositions. Il s’entoure des meilleurs pour proposer un travail de qualité saupoudré d’une touche de folie qui fait sa marque de fabrique.

Pierre Vervloesem brings out the best of the "Belgian compromise": the experimental aspect of jazz themes, the crazy and energetic rhythm of the best of rock, the driving and limitless side of the electronic universe. He is a great guitarist, atypical, in the tradition of Frank Zappa. This time, for the first time in his career, Pierre Verloesem will play his own compositions live. He surrounds himself with the best to offer a quality work sprinkled with a touch of madness that is his trademark.

 

BRUNO VANSINA 5-TET - 12 12

From the RAT Records website:
https://cargocollective.com/ratrecords

In 2018 Bruno Vansina went on a musical adventure. Every month, his band visited a quirky place: an ice rink, motorway, velodrome or fair. The challenge: to incorporate the location into their music making. Now this concept is transposed into a studio recording.

• Bruno Vansina (alto saxophone, keys, percu)
• Benjamin Sauzereau (guitar)
• Cyrille obermüller (bass)
• Falk Schrauwen (percussion)
• Teun Verbruggen (drums)

The actual album got released early 2020.
The CD was housed in a cardboard cover that, in turn, was housed in a second cardboard cover.
This second cover, the larger one, the actual album cover, existed in 12 variations, representing each of the tracks.

The below album cover (taken from the RAT Records website) is variation number 12: 'L'Orgue'.

In the meantime, this studio album has been remixed and remasterd by Pierre Vervloesem. It got re-released on Bruno's Bandcamp page and also on CD, entitled "1212 Indoor"

The "12 12 Outdoor" album that got released at the same time as the "12 12 Indoor" one, Bruno presented the live recordings from the different locations.
The original video recordings can be found here : https://vimeo.com/twaalf
The (audio) album got released through Bandcamp.

Love the concept.
Great tunes.
Check it out.

BRUNO VANSINA - PRESENTING THE DEMONS OF SHAME

• bruno vansina: presenting the demons of shame
      (2021, cd, belgium, private release)

Subtitled "Bruno Vansina Invites Pierre Vervloesem", this second album by The Demons Of Shame got released as a download album on Bandcamp last October.
Last week, it also got a CD release.
It would have been nice if I had been informed about this when the album was made available in October. I would have waited for the CD (as I still prefer to have the physical object in my environment, even when the music sounds exactly the same).
Anyway, after having bought the download in October, I also bought the CD last week. After all, it still is an excellent album.

If you don't believe me, try it out yourself:

BRUNO VANSINA - ST. CECILIA

Composer, improviser, jazz saxophonist Bruno Vansina did a major catch-up move, the last couple of weeks.
Not only did he release several albums (old and new recordings) through his Bandcamp page, but he also made them available on CD.

Let's kick off with "St. Cecilia Recordings", a re-issue of the 2017 Vansina / Verbruggen / Gudmundsson album.

Recorded in 2008;
Mixed and mastered by Pierre Vervloesem in 2015;
Released on the Off Record label in 2017;
Re-released by Bruno Vansina in 2021.

• Bruno Vansina (alto- tenor- soprano sax, clarinet, keys, loops, voc)
• Gulli Gudmundsson (bass, keys, loops, voc)
• Teun Verbruggen (drums, electro, loops)

Experimental / improvised music.

BRUNO VANSINA RELEASES 12/12

In 2018, Bruno Vansina went on a musical adventure with his band. Every month the musicians took their instruments to a special place: a skating rink, motorway, velodrome or fairground. The challenge: playing together with the location. The camera registered the music, the sounds, the events. Each month produced a short film, the sum of which was a musical visual story in 12 chapters.

Twelve tracks. One album.

ANOTHER ALBUM BY BRUNO VANSINA

It looks like Bruno Vansina is releasing a series of albums.

The latest one is entitled "ANYR" (A New York Recording) and presents recordings from 2014.

• Bruno Vansina - alto saxophone
• Pascal Niggenkemper - double bass
• Teun Verbruggen - drums

Recorded by Jim Clouse at studio Park West, Brooklyn NY, 24th June 2014.

Word has it that this album, along with the previous ones, will also get a CD release.

BRUNO VANSINA - SITCOM '85

After the recent "Presenting The Demons Of Shame", Bruno Vansina has now released "Sitcom '85" through his Bandcamp page.

Bruno recorded the basic tracks in 2014.
Pierre, Thomas and Jordi added their contribution in 2021.

• Bruno Vansina: saxophones, ewi, keyboards, artwork
• Pierre Vervloesem: bass, electric guitar, mix & master
• Thomas Mayade: trumpet (track 5)
• Jordi Geuens: drums

Chances are this will also be released on CD in the very near future !

BRUNO VANSINA - STRATODUSTER

Brand-new album, presenting recordings from ten years ago.

• Bruno Vansina, alto saxophone
• Bert Cools, electric guitar
• Nathan Wouwters, double bass
• Teun Verbruggen, drums

 

BRUNO VANSINA - PRESENTING THE DEMONS OF SHAME

• bruno vansina: presenting the demons of shame
      (2021, download, bel, bandcamp)

On his Bandcamp page, Bruno Vansina says:

This is what I do when I forget for a moment that I'm a saxophonist, that I'm a ‘supposedly’ trained ‘jazz’ musician. I release this album under the new and slightly more modest alter ego 'Urbaan Vonnis' because the earlier album -Nirvana Bonus and the Demons Of Shame- from 2008 is just crying out for its successor. 13 years ago I already made an almost complete second album. Now, after all these years - I will never dare to perform this live again - I thought the time was right to finish these demos further. Once again I call on the guitar, bass guitar and magic scissors of Pierre Vervloesem. Enjoy and hopefully laugh as hard as I do !!!

According to Bruno, this material got recorded in 2008, right after "Nirvano Bonus And The Demons Of Shame".
To be honest, I don't care when it got recorded. The most important thing is that it got released.

"Presenting The Demons Of Shame" is a great album.
Assuming the demons are Bruno Vansina (sax, flute, synth, keyboard) and Pierre Vervloesem (guitar, bass, vocals), they were assisted by David Thomaere (keyboard), Peter Vandenberghe (piano, vocals), and Jordi Geuens (drums).
12 tracks: from a Talking Heads tribute over jazzy saxophone lines to floating guitar tones, and everything in between.

The Bandcamp page does not mention a CD or LP release, so I went for the digital download option (although I still prefer physical releases).

Check it out :

PIERRE VERVLOESEM - FLAMBANT NEUF

• pierre vervloesem: flambant neuf
      (2021, cd, bel, off records)

Last year, Pierre Vervloesem released a Bandcamp download-only album each month. You didn't hear me complaining as some of these were really great.
Earlier this week, however, Pierre released "Flambant Neuf". Not just as a download-only album, but as a real CD.

The astonishing artwork by Thierry Mondelaers might need a bit of explanation: 'Flambant' = brand-new, or burning.  And 'Burning' or 'Fire' translates in the Flemisch language as 'Brand'.
The number nine on the cover is 'Neuf' in French, but 'Neuf' also means 'New'.

All this to say that it's "Flambant Neuf".
And it's brand-new.

The liner notes on Bandcamp tell us:
Pierre Vervloesem's Flambant Neuf is the return of Pierre in a quintet format. Surrounded by some of the best Belgian musicians with whom he shared music already in various bands ( Bruno Vansina band, Flat Earth Society, Pierre Vervloesem Group...), Pierre allowed everyone to add what they wanted on his tracks then mixed the music to a grand spectacle which reminds various styles but with a definitive modern and vigorous joy behind them!

The album features Teun Verbruggen (drums), Falk Schrauwen (percussion), Thomas Mayade (trumpet, flugelhorn, keyboard), Bruno Vansina (sax, keyboard) and Pierre Vervloesem (guitar, bass).

In one word, the result is amazing !
Odd meters, exotic melodies, modern jazz,... I love it.
This just might be one of the best albums I've heard all year.

This album definitely needed to be released on CD. And I can only hope that we will be able to see this music being performed in concert !

Check this out ! You need to hear this.
And don't wait too long if you want a CD as there's only 300 copies being produced.

PIERRE VERVLOESEM BAND

Musician, composer and producer Pierre Vervloesem is preparing to take the Pierre Vervloesem Band on the road.

Wowie Zowie !!
That's excellent news.

Pierre Vervloesem: guitar, compositions
Bruno Vansina: sax
Nicolas Dechêne: bass
Peter Vandenberghe: keyboards
Renaud Van Hooland: drums

Zig Zag World management.