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.

PIERRE VERVLOESEM & TEUN VERBRUGGEN - HIT ME WITH YOUR STOCHASTIC

• pierre vervloesem & teun verbruggen: hit me with your stochastic
      (2023, download / streaming, --, bandcamp)

"Hit Me With Your Stochastic" got released in November 2024, a couple of weeks before the astounding "Spacequake" album,
And a busy period it was, over here at the U.M. Headquarters, with lots of festivals and concerts and festivals. So I sort of missed the release of "Hit Me With Your Stochastic", but I'm happy to catch up.

There's something going on when Pierre Vervloesem and Teun Verbruggen record together. It's a bit like the picture that's shown on the album cover. It's like they share the same mindset, following, leading and pushing each other in every possible direction.

"Hit Me With Your Stochastic" presents 10 tracks, with titles taken from an advanced mathematical course on stochastics.
Does this imply that the resulting music can be defined as a probable outcome by variables Pierre and Teun?
I don't know.
But I do know that this album is great fun to listen to !

ORCHESTRA NAZIONALE DELLA LUNA - AJMI LIVE #23

• orchestra nazionale della luna: ajmi live #23
      (2018, download, --, ajmi)

The AJMi JAZZ CLUB is based in Avignon, France.
AJMiLIVE is a digital record label, strictly dedicated to live recordings.

Number 23 in the AJMi release list is a concert by the Orchestra Nazionale Della Luna.
The ensemble features an international line-up:

• Manuel Hermia : saxophone, flûte & bansuri
• Kari Ikonen : piano & moog
• Sébastien Boisseau : contrebasse
• Teun Verbruggen : batterie

The ensemble performed at jazz club 'De Singer' in Rijkevorsel last week and I'm bummed that I missed it...
Fortunately, there's still this fine AJMi recording from the excellent December 2017 concert in Avignon.

-- info: Danny Mathys

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.

PIERRE VERVLOESEM & TEUN VERBRUGGEN - YOUNG TALENTS

Pierre Vervloesem and Teun Verbruggen released a first album (as P.V.T.V.) in 2011.

They're back. And how !

Guitar and drums. No limitations. An exciting musical trip.

Recommended listening !

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.

ORCHESTRA NAZIONALE DELLA LUNA -- THERE'S STILL LIFE ON EARTH

• Orchestra Nazionale Della Luna: There's Still Life On Earth
      (2020, cd, --, bmc records)

 The Orchestra Nazionale Della Luna has a new album out.

• Manuel Hermia – saxophones, flute & bansouri
• Kari Ikonen – piano & moog
• Sebastien Boisseau – double bass
• Teun Verbruggen – drums

I was impressed by their first release, but "There's Still Life On Earth" is amazing.
Structured but also experimental at times, the album keeps you on your toes. Love the sax (or flute)/piano and sax/moog melody lines. It adds a beautiful oriental flavour.
And with a plastic waste / Covid-19 picture on the album cover, the band shows their concern about what is happening to the world.

ORCHESTRA NAZIONALE DELLA LUNA

Manu Hermia, Kari Ikonen, Sébastien Boisseau and Teun Verbruggen are Orchestra Nazionale Della Luna.
Belgium, Finland, Belgium and France.
And the result sounds great.

Modern, experimental and melodic.
Check it out.
This is there first album, released in 2016.

OSCAR JAN HOOGLAND AND TEUN VERBRUGGEN RELEASE BUURMAN

Free improv tape with Oscar Jan Hoogland on electric clavichord and Teun Verbruggen on drums. Recorded and mixed at the Boma studios by Frederik Segers.
Compiled and mastered by Pierre Vervloesem.

THE BUREAU OF ATOMIC TOURISM

• the bureau of atomic tourism: spinning jenny
      (2014, cd, bel, rat records)

A couple of weeks ago, I got hold of "Spinning Jenny", the third release by The Bureau Of Atomic Tourism, a sextet that features Teun Verbruggen, Andrew d'Angelo, Nate Wooley, Jozef Dumoulin, Marc Ducret and Jasper Stadhouders.

Quite experimental.
Pretty impressive. Especially if you know that it was recorded live.

Check it out :

THE BUREAU OF ATOMIC TOURISM

New release by The Bureau Of Atomic Tourism !
featuring Jon Irabagon, Markus Broo, Jozef Dumoulin, Julien Desrez, Ingebrigt Häker Flaten and Teun Verbruggen.


Let's take a closer look at that artwork !!!
Wow!

NEW ALBUM BY TOO NOISY FISH ANNOUNCED

January 18, 2019, the new Too Noisy Fish album, "Furious Empathic", will be released on the Igloo Records label.


-- info: Philippe Lamoot

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 !!

DIMITRI VERHULST & TOO NOISY FISH

Two short movies, one trio (Too Noisy Fish = Peter Vandenberghe, Kristof Roseeuw and Teun Verbruggen) and one writer (Dimitri Verhulst).

"Nightwatch"
A literary movie-concert.

At 'De Muze' in Heusden-Zolder, BE
March 9, 2018

http://www.muze.be

THE R/V/A/W QUARTET

The R/V/A/W Quartet

John Ruocco - sax
Nicola Andreoli - piano
Teun Verbruggen - drums
Nathan Wouters - bass

in concert in Ghent BE
on Sunday March 18, 2018
15h00 - 18h00

at the "Achterham Sessions".

TEUN VERBRUGGEN / ANDRE FERNANDES QUINTET

Jazz club "JazzZolder" is located in the center of Mechelen (BE).
Friday, Jan 26, 2018, Teun Verbruggen will performing with André Fernandes :

The Teun Verbruggen / André Fernandes Quintet

André Fernandes : guitar
Russ Johnson : trumpet
Steven Delannoye : sax
Bram Delooze : piano
Nathan Wouters : double bass
Teun Verbruggen : drums


Here's a video snippet of André Fernandes with Perico Sambeat (who recorded an album with Zappa material !!).

KAPSALON - S/T

• kapsalon: s/t
      (2018, lp, bel, rat records)

Nate Wooley, Jozef Dumoulin, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten and Teun Verbruggen.
Experimental, improvised music.
Recorded live at Jazz Middelheim in 2017.

Released on LP by Rat Records.

VANSINA / VERBRUGGEN / GUDMUNDSSON - ST. CECILIA

• vansina / verbruggen / gudmundsson: st. cecilia
      (2017, cd, bel, off records ort018 / rat records)

Improvised music by Bruno Vansina (sax), Teun Verburggen (drums) and Gulli Gudmundsson (bass), plus loops and electronics.
recorded live at St.Cecilia in Hoogstraten, BE, in 2008.

Mixed and mastered by Pierre Vervloesem.

This is the fourth album by the VVG Trio, if my info is correct.
Mesmerizing.

Great package. Beautiful music.
A coproduction between the Off Records label and Rat Records.
http://off-recordlabel.blogspot.be/2017/03/ort018-vansina-verbruggen-gudmundsson.html