Three Gigs, Three Bands - an update on this month's concerts

I skipped announcing this month’s upcoming concerts altogether... Here’s some feedback on how things went.

‘Marc Meets’

Marc Van Vugt Meets Wolfert Brederode and Erwin Vann

I met Dutch guitarist Marc Van Vugt and vocalist Ineke Vandoorn in 1991 when we were enrolled as young and eager participants in an intensive four-week-long Jazz Workshop at the Banff Centre For The Arts (Canada) led by Steve Coleman and a faculty of world-class musicians such as Kenny Wheeler, Rufus Reid, Robin Eubanks, Keith Copeland, Don Thompson, …

Over the years, we have performed and recorded together on several occasions (1995, Erwin Vann - Worlds, feat. Kenny Wheeler and Norma Winstone // 1998, Vandoorn - Four Brothers, feat. Robin Eubanks). Last year, we got back in touch, and a few weeks ago, on February 10, Marc invited pianist Wolfert Brederode (ECM) and myself as guests during one of the “Marc Meets” events at Theater Aan de Slinger in Houten, near Utrecht (The Netherlands). We had a fantastic time, connecting again after all these years. That evening, we performed a choice of original compositions from each of us in front of an attentive audience.

‘Witvrouw’

WITVROUW

On Thursday night last week, the band WITVROUW did their thing, again, brewing an eclectic mix of jazz, funk, groove, blues, and ambient sounds at the cozy Brughuis in Muizen. Compositions by guitarist and vocalist Simon Witvrouw, with Toni Vitacollona on drums, Joachim Saerens on keyboards, and myself on the tenor saxophone.

‘Motian Love’

Nicolas Chkifi “Motian Love’

For the first time, I finally played a gig at the renowned Hot Club de Gand in the historical center of Ghent. With leader and drummer Nico Chkifi navigating us (Artan, Ben, Nicolas, Erwin) with love through the deep waters and magnificent landscapes of the late Paul Motian’s universe.