- Kris Defoort
Kris Defoort is a Belgian
avant-garde jazz pianist andcomposer . He was born in 1959 inBruges . He is very active as both a musician and a composer. He also teaches at theBrussels conservatory. His brother isBart Defoort (saxophonist and composer).He entered in 1978 the
Antwerp conservatory to study ancient music andflute . He graduated 4 years later and he then decided to study contemporary music and jazz at the Liège conservatory.Frederic Rzewski ,Henri Pousseur andGarrett List were among his teachers. In 1986 Defoort released his first recording with hisquintet Diva Smiles. The next year, he went toNew York to study atNew York Long Island University Brooklyn . He recorded there withVincent Herring andJack DeJohnette . On his return in 1991, he founded his own ensemble named K.D.'s Pretty Big Basement Party. The following year, he recorded the first CD forDe Werf label (based in Bruges) with K. D.'s Basement Party. In 1995 he composed (withFabrizio Cassol ) theVariations On A Love Supreme . Defoort took part in theOcturn project in 1996 (he had already composed their 1994 album) and began to play with Mark Turner. A year later he recorded withAka Moon on Elohim. He then formed a new ensemble (Dreamtime). He composed an opera in 2001. He also has his ownquartet with Mark Turner (tenorsaxophone ),Nicolas Thys (basses) andJim Black (drums).Bands
He leads (or led):
*Diva Smiles
*K. D.'s Basement Party
*K.D.'s Decade
*Variations On A Love Supreme
*Kris Defoort's Dreamtime
*Kris Defoort quartet
*Kris Defoort trio He has recorded as a member of:
*Garrett List Ensemble
*Deep In The Deep
*Octurn References
* [http://www.jazzinbelgium.org/mus/defoortk.htm Jazz in Belgium website]
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