Pierre Vaiana, soprano sax, compositions

Soprano sax specialist since the first days of his exposure to music in Liege, Belgium. Studies with saxophone master Jacques Pelzer, then soprano sax legend Steve Lacy, got a scholarship to study in New York with Joe Lovano. Graduates from Long Island University in Brooklyn. After a few years back in Belgium he moves to Burkina Faso from 1995 to 2000. After exploring jazz African roots with his band Foofango for several years (grant from Spes Foundation) and two cd's "Foofango" and "Sarfalao", he starts focusing on the Mediterranean as an open space of cultural exchange and discovers his own Sicilian heritage. He elaborates and develops the project "Funduq" for several years (grant from the Anna Lindh Foundation). Several cd's "Funduq al Mughannîin", "Al Funduq", "I Cantori di Bagheria", "Itinerari Siciliani" (with Salvatore Bonafede). He is awarded the "DjangodOr" prize for his career in 2010. 

 

Artan Buleshkaj, guitar

Born in Istog (Kosovo) in 1993, Artan is a Ghent based guitar player and composer. Plays in many projects as BRAIN/CHILD, MADAME BLAVATSKY, HAST (rock/free/noise-group led by alto saxophonist Rob Banken, winner of the JazzTract-prize (Ghent Jazz 2017), Mos Ensemble (jazz group led by bass player Kobe Boon, released CD/LP Limbs in January 2019); Kids in the Waiting Room (pop group led by actor Thomas van Caeneghem, released first EP in april 2019); and LAS (trio with cellist Lode Vercampt and tenor saxophonist Steven Delannoye). 

Buleshkaj was nominated in 2016 for the SABAM Young Jazz Talent Award and was a finalist of the B-Jazz International Jazz Contest (ed. 2015) with his jazz trio Ruis. He was invited to play a concert with the Brussels Jazz Orchestra, for “The Future is Now”, a concert series featuring young solists. 

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Lode Vercampt, cello

Composer of numerous music for theater performance, as LOD Music theater, Villanella, Vooruit Arts Center, The Beurschouwburg and Het Paleis. He has toured extensively in the USA, Japan, Europe and Taiwan. Has worked with Il Novecento, Opera Vlaanderen, I Fiamminghi, Gorki, Jo Lemaire, Johan Verminnen and Dirk Blanchard as well as in Pitié of Fabrizio Cassol. He found a balance between classical music and free improvisation, and plays also with is own trio LAS, Kris Defoort, Wim Mertens and the Osama Abdurasol 5tet.

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Boris Schmidt, double bass

Starts music at the age of 7 on saxophone, piano and harmony. After several jazz workshops he switches to bass. Studies with Marc Demuth, and in the Royal Conservatory of The Hague (Holland) with Hein Van De Geyn, Frans van der Hoeven, John Ruocco and Eric Inneke. As a professional musician he plays also in the baroque ensemble "l'Arpeggiata" for more than 12 years, and tours the most presigious concert halls (Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Wigmore Hall in London, Carnegie Hall in New York). Leads his own band and plays with many musicians as Erwin Vann, Michel Pils, Ro Gebhardt, Didier Lockwood, Eef Albers, Randy Brecker, Felix Simtaine, Steve Houben, Philippe Jaroussky, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Gianluigi Trovesi, Avi Avital.

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Lionel Beuvens, drums

Lionel starts studying the drums in the Académie d'Auvelais in the classical percussion classes. He gets his first experience in jazz from Antoine Cirri and Nathalie Loriers, and through summer classes in Dworp where he has the opportunity to meet and study with Billy Hart.

 

Graduated from the Koninklijk Conservatorium he also studied in the Lemmens Instituut in Leuven with Dré Pallemaerts and Pierre Van Dormael, as well as in the Den Haag Conservatorium with Eric Ineke and privately with Bob Moses, Nasheet Waits ans Steve Clover.

 

He currently plays in different bands: Sabin Todorov trio, Fabrice Alleman Quartet (with Nathalie Loriers and Reggie Washington), Laurent Doumont Quartet, Peter Hertmans Quartet, Nicolas Kummert Voices, and recorded over 15 cd’s. He had the opportunity to play with Jacques Schwartz-Bart, Olivier Hutman, Vaya Con Dios, Steve Houben, Tineke Postma, Karel Bohlee, Bob Mover, Hervé Samb, Jozef Dumoulin,  Marcos Valera, Alexi Tuomarila, Brice Soniano, Jack Van Poll, Koen De Cauter, Joachim Badenhorst, Sal La Rocca.

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photos © Trui Amerlinck 2020

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