The best of the Brussels Jazz Orchestra, that is what the new album- in honour of BJO’s 20th anniversary - is all about. No guest soloists or vocalist on stage this time, but an intoxicating series of its very own compositions: jazz pur sang, composed and arranged for and by the musicians of the Brussels Jazz Orchestra. Of BJO, for BJO, by BJO. That is how one could fact sheet describe BJO’s Finest-Live! This certainly results in passionate and inspired renditions, who knows the orchestra’s possibilities better than its own Artist • Brussels Jazz musicians? Orchestra title • BJO’s finest! - Live Own compositions exclusively label • Saphrane article nr • S 62615 Some of the orchestra’s musicians composed, while others arranged these format • CD/jewelcase/O-card compositions. In this way, the composition ‘Neige’ by Nathalie Loriers receives a score by booklet • 36 pages: English/ Lode Mertens and the composition ‘Bells & Brass’ by Lode Mertens a score by Frank Dutch/French Vaganée. Pierre Drevet, who is responsible for most of the compositions and country • Belgium arrangements, thinks this is an honest exchange: ‘It is dead certain that a lot of genre • jazz arrangers (on the planet…!) dream about writing for this orchestra’, he proudly states. price • full price BJO’s Finest-Live! was recorded before a live audience by Klara in 2012. bookings Biography
band web • The Brussels Jazz Orchestra (BJO) was founded in 1993 by artistic director Frank www.brusselsjazzorchestra.com Vaganée, Serge Plume and Marc Godfroid. BJO delivers jazz with a dynamic orchestral e-mail • sound. Its strongpoint is the fact that each of the musicians is also a brilliant soloist. Call [email protected] it an ‘orchestrated passion for jazz’ that incites BJO to create world-class music. BJO has established a reputation at home as well as internationally, e.g. Jazz tracklisting Middelheim (Antwerp, B), Jazz at Lincoln Center (NYC-US), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam. NL), Paris Jazz Festival (FR) and many others. BJO also likes to work with well-known musicians from all over the world., e.g. 1. Hoppin’ Around Philip Catherine, Bert Joris, Tutu Puoane, Brussels Philharmonic, David Linx and Richard 2. Neige Galliano in its own productions. BJO performed with Maria Schneider (US), Kenny Werner 3. Potion (US), Dave Liebman (US), Dave Douglas (US), Gianluigi Trovesi (IT), McCoy Tyner (US), Maria 4. Danse Eternelle Joao (Portugal), Kenny Wheeler (GB), Lee Konitz (US), Toots Thielemans, and others. 5. Cafesieste Since 1999 the Brussels Jazz Orchestra is recognised and subsidised by the Flemish 6. Bells & Brass Government. BJO is orchestra in residence at Flagey (Brussels). 7. For Kenny The recordings of the orchestra are internationally acclaimed and awarded. In 2011 8. The Lizard Game the orchestra recieved the South African Music Award for Best Traditional Jazz Album for ‘Mama Africa’ (also released on Spahrane records) In February 2012 BJO indirectly won an Oscar for its performance on the soundtrack of the silent movie The Artist. In 2013 the orchestra celabrates its 20th anniversary.
Mark van den Hoof: ‘The music they play, is the music they love or which they are willing to love, for which they want to give their best, without any restriction.’
A full biography, hi-res cover and more info can be found on www.musicwords.nl/presscontent@BJO-UK 8 *uawhai#nxnybc* m u s i c & w o r d s Rozenstraat 15a • 3702VK ZEIST • The Netherlands Tel + 31 (0)30 227 0040 E-mail [email protected] (orders: [email protected])