De Werf was an arts center and jazz record label (W.E.R.F.) in Bruges, Belgium. In 2002, the label released an eleven-CD box set titled The Finest of Belgian Jazz, with music by Greetings from Mercury, Aka Moon, Brussels Jazz Orchestra, and Kris Defoort. Rik Bevernage, De Werf's main collaborator, received an award at the 2002 Golden Django ceremony.
In 2017, De Werf and Vrijstaat O (Ostend) merged into a new organisation, KAAP. The W.E.R.F. record label continues its activities under the original name.
The De Werf concert hall
De Werf has its own concert hall where many jazz bands perform. There are also theatre pieces and events for children. In February 2009, public funding for the venue was removed because the club didn't produce relevant or up-to-date concerts and theatre performances, making a closure of De Werf from 31 December 2009 likely. However, new productions continued in 2014.
Octurn is a Belgian polyrhythmic jazz ensemble led by Bo Van Der Werf. Its lineup as well as the composers are changed for every album. They always play with at least 3 saxophones and from 2002 they have been playing with two basses and two drummers.
Michel Massot is a Belgian tuba and trombone jazz musician. He studied at Conservatoire de Liège. He founded Trio Bravo with saxophonist Fabrizio Cassol and drummer Michel Debrulle in the middle of the 1980s. The band became Trio Grande in 1993 after the departure of Fabrizio Cassol, who was replaced by French saxophonist Laurent Dehors. Beside this, he also played with various musicians such as Garrett List, Henri Pousseur, Michel Hatzigeorgiou, Kris Defoort, Evan Parker and Kenny Wheeler.
Kris Defoort is a Belgian avant-garde jazz pianist and composer. He was born on 30 November 1959 in Bruges. He also teaches at the Brussels conservatory. His brother is Bart Defoort.
Erik Vermeulen is a Belgian jazz pianist. He entered the Belgian jazz scene when he was 22 with his trio. At the time, it featured Hein Van de Geyn on bass and Dré Pallemaerts on drums. Soon after that, he started performing with different jazz bands and musicians including the Frank Vaganée Quartet, Erwin Vann Quartet and Peter Hertmans.
Nathalie Loriers is a Belgian jazz pianist and composer.
Variations on A Love Supreme is a jazz album composed by Fabrizio Cassol and Kris Defoort. It contains variations on A Love Supreme, the classic jazz album by the John Coltrane quartet. It was released in 1995 on the De Werf label, and is representative of the Belgian jazz scene.
Brussels Jazz Orchestra is a Belgian jazz orchestra with big band line up founded in 1993 by saxophonist and composer Frank Vaganée, Serge Plume, Marc Godfroid and Bo van der Werf. Since 1999 the orchestra is supported by the Flemish government.
Nicolas Kummert is a Belgian jazz singer and tenor saxophonist.
Nicolas Thys is a Belgian bassist. He graduated in 1994 from the Hilversum Conservatory, where he also taught bass and double bass. Thys took private lessons with Dave Holland, Marc Helias and Marc Johnson. He received several awards, most notably the Golden Django award for best young talent in 2001. Thys performed live with Toots Thielemans, Garrett List, Judy Niemack, Mark Turner, Jeanfrançois Prins, Ivan Paduart, Kris Defoort, Kenny Werner, and Mike Stern. He released his first CD with his band Alice's 5 Moons in 1997.
Sketches of Belgium is a 1993 album by jazz band K. D.'s Basement Party led by Kris Defoort. It is the first release of De Werf label, and the only release by K. D.'s Basement Party. The three musicians from Aka Moon play on the album. It was recorded on September 7, 8, 9, 30 and October 1 and 2 in 1992.
Michel Herr is a Belgian jazz pianist, composer and arranger. In addition to releasing jazz albums, composing for jazz ensembles and touring widely as a performing musician, he has also composed scores for films. As a bandleader he founded several bands: Solis Lacus, Michel Herr European Quintet, Michel Herr & Unexpected Encounters. He is also a music producer.
Michael Magalon is a Belgian jazz bassist, guitarist, and composer.
The history of jazz in Belgium starts with the Dinant instrument maker Adolphe Sax, whose saxophone became part of military bands in New Orleans around 1900 and would develop into the jazz instrument par excellence. From then on the early history of jazz in Belgium virtually runs parallel to developments in the country of the birth of jazz, from the minstrel shows in the late 19th century until the first Belgian jazz album in 1927 and beyond.
Veronika Harcsa is a Hungarian jazz singer and songwriter, known to be active in various musical genres. She has received the Hungarian Music Award for Best Jazz Album and Best Alternative Album.
Jeanfrançois Prins is a Belgian jazz guitarist, composer, vocalist and record producer. He has spent many years between New York City and Berlin where he was leading the Jazz Guitar departments in both music universities for a total of 12 years. Upon his return to Belgium in 2016, he became the CEO of the GAM Records label in 2017.
Paris Jazz Festival is a jazz festival in Paris, France, established in 1994.
Alexi Tuomarila is a Finnish jazz pianist and composer.
André Goudbeek is a jazz and improvisation musician and composer from Mechelen (Belgium); he plays alto saxophone, bass clarinet and bandoneon, among other instruments.
Bart Defoort is a Belgian composer and jazz musician who performs with his own orchestras and is a tenor saxophonist with the big band orchestra Brussels Jazz Orchestra. Defoort also plays soprano saxophone and clarinet.
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