De Bijloke has a reputation for hosting some of the best jazz and contemporary music acts around, but also for pushing the boundaries of their aficionados with genre-bending and experimental shows. Their spring ‘24 agenda makes no exception. We selected five performances that you really don’t want to miss, but our suggestion is to take the time to explore the whole, incredibly deep programme on their website.
Nduduzo Makhathini Trio
18.01.2024
Profoundly inspired by his South African roots, Nduduzo Makhathini taps into the ritualistic approach to music typical of the Zulu warrior code to entangle the listener in his spiritual soundworld. A jazz adept since his childhood, he grabbed the spotlight as a keyboardist for Shabaka And The Ancestors, and he has recently confirmed his position as one of the most intriguing names in African jazz with In the Spirit of Ntu, his second album on Blue Note.
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Memory Lane - Ictus present 1979 and Roll Call, by Joanna Bailie (free for members)
03.02.2024
What if sound were not fleeting, but kept bouncing back and forth like an echo that grows softer but never completely disappears? Belgian contemporary music avant-gardists Ictus bring to life two enthralling acts by British composer Joanna Bailie, exploring nostalgia and entropy through sounds. If you are intrigued by the relationship between music and memory—and you’re a fan of William Basinski’s The Disintegration Loops or The Caretaker’s Haunted Ballroom Trilogy—you really can’t miss this act.
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Dave Douglas Gifts Quintet
08.03.2024
Celebrated trumpeter and composer Dave Douglas brings onto the scene his brand new Gifts Quintet, collaborating with some of the most promising names of the new generation: saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, cellist Tomeka Reid, guitarist Rafiq Bhatia and drummer Ian Chang. More than a mantle being passed, a real supergroup of past, present and future stars of jazz, and an unmissable experience for any fan of the genre.
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Mark Turner Quartet
30.03.2024
Inspired by the classic jazz quintet format - minus the piano - Mark Turner actually pushes his quartet forward, into new and unexplored territories. This is even truer with the new album, Return to the Stars, which has been acclaimed as one of his best. Besides, Ravi Coltrane defined him as ‘One of the most important musicians of the last twenty years’, and we tend to trust him on this matter.
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Solar Harmony by I SOLISTI & SPECTRA
31.05.2024
Drawing from beautiful compositions from both past and present, Solar Harmony is a concert you don’t want to miss. Amers and Solar, by the late, great Kaija Saariaho, take you on maritime and interstellar voyages that will keep you on the edge of your seat, while the world premiere of Annelies Van Parys’ composition is, likewise, bound to capture the listener's imagination. Performed by I SOLISTI and SPECTRA, conducted by Filip Rathé, and featuring Séverine Ballon as solo cellist, we are in for a treat, with what will, without doubt, be a thrilling concert.
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<div class="editorial-banner"> <div class=“editorial-credits”> @debijloke </div></div>
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