Jazz&More: Fabrizio Cassol/Kris Defoort

The Maison du Jazz and the Jacques Pelzer Jazz Club are delighted to offer an exceptional concert to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of JP's, inaugurated on 25 April 2005!

Fabrizio Cassol and Kris Defoort are two of Jacques Pelzer's friends, two friends of the club and two friends altogether. These two have known each other since the early 80s. At that time, the Cité ardente was bathed in a creative energy that made it ‘the place to be’ in Belgium for jazz lovers. The Jazz Seminar, set up by Henri Pousseur, then head of the Liège Conservatoire, created a buzz that attracted a host of musicians from all walks of life, Belgian and otherwise. Pelzer, already well known to the initiated, was obviously not to be outdone and saw a whole generation of youngsters, including Fabrizio Cassol and Kris Defoort, come and go under the guidance of master Jacques.

Then, while the native of Ougrée was making his sax heard across Europe with Trio Bravo, the native of Bruges spent the end of the decade in New York, honing his piano playing between master classes and musical collaborations, including a tour with Lionel Hampton's big band. They met up again in Brussels in the early 90s for another landmark adventure, Kaai. In 1995, the duo composed and arranged ‘Variations on a Love Supreme’, an album obviously inspired by the work of John Coltrane, for which they brought together a dozen musicians.

After that, Fabrizio Cassol devoted himself fully to Aka Moon and international projects, and Kris Defoort turned to opera and theatre. Their respective careers met with success and demand, and although they remained close, the opportunities to play together again became rare. This Pelzer anniversary is such an opportunity for them, as they have never performed at the club since it was founded. It's also a great opportunity for the public to listen to these two great musicians in an intimate setting, full of emotion and filled with memories!