Brussels Jazz Orchestra

Brussels Jazz Orchestra is a Belgian jazz big band founded in 1993 by saxophonist and composer Frank Vaganée. They recorded their first CD in 1997. In a few years, this band has collaborated with some of the most famous composers/arrangers of the international jazz scene : Maria Schneider, Dave Liebman, Bill Holman, Kenny Werner, Bob Mintzer, Kenny Wheeler, and with guests like Mc Coy Tyner, Phil Woods, Tom Harrell, Wallace Rooney, Norma Winstone, Gianluigi Trovesi, Philip Catherine, Jeanne Lee, Toots Thielemans, Lee Konitz, David Linx, Gustavo Bergalli, Richard Galliano etc... as well as Belgian composers/arrangers like Bert Joris, Michel Herr, Erwin Vann, Jean Warland and leader Frank Vaganée himself.

They played in numerous festivals in Europe and in the US, where the Downbeat jazz magazine placed them 8th in the critics poll in 2004.

Current line-up

* Trumpets : Serge Plume, Nico Schepers, Pierre Drevet and Jeroen Van Malderen;
* Trombones : Marc Godfroid, Lode Mertens, Ben Fleerakkers / Frederik Heirman and Laurent Hendrick;
* Saxophones : Frank Vaganée, Dieter Limbourg, Kurt Van Herck, Bart Defoort and Bo Van Der Werf;
* Acoustic bass : Jos Machtel;
* Piano : Nathalie Loriers;
* drums : Klaas Balijon.

Discography

* Live (1997)
* The September Sessions (1999)
* The Music Of Bert Joris (2002)
* Kenny Werner Plays His Music With The Brussels Jazz Orchestra (2003)
* Meeting Colours - with Philip Catherine (2005)
* Countermove (2006)
* Dangerous Liaison - Bert Joris with deFilharmonie (2006)
* Changing Faces - with David Linx (Oct. 2007)
* The Music of Michel Herr (Feb. 2008)
* JazzOlympics (2 tracks, including 1 with David Linx/Michel Herr) (July 2008)

References

* [http://www.brusselsjazzorchestra.com/ Official website]