Jazz&mo' #28 - GENT

Ghent! Where the cosiest pubs are big on jams. Where the biggest festivals excel in their small-scale conviviality. Where quirkiness is in the city water. And where that city water buzzes as much as the jazz scene. If anyone knows the Ghent jazz scene like the back of his hand, it's Wim Wabbes, artistic director and programmer of Ha Concerts, but in this Jazz&mo' especially guest editor-in-chief.

On the cover: Peter Vermeersch and Lara Rosseel, respectively first and current city composer of the East Flemish capital. Local legend Opa Tuur takes us on a trip down memory lane. De Beren Gieren, mòs ensemble and FC Atlaska play a home match at Gent Jazz. We go on a pub crawl past Missy Sippy Blues & Roots Club and Hot Club Gent. In August, the girls can attend jazz camp in Ghent. Lucas Bakker from Ghent is (super)young and great. Gilles Vandecaveye-Pinoy explains why he didn't stick around in Ghent. And of course Wim Wabbes has his own say, looking back on 37 years of programming.

And further: They all claimed the opposite at first, but well-known Ghent natives Christophe Vekeman, Pascale Platel, Frederik Sioen, Luk ‘Pierke Pierlala’ De Bruyker, Nic Balthazar, Stefaan De Winter and Senne Guns prove that everyone has a thing for jazz. In September, the European Jazz Conference takes place in Ghent. Patrick Auwelaert reviews a new Coverartist and Lieven Keymolen does the same for the Jazz poet. Maarten is both laudatory and critical of Gent(opia). We review a new batch of albums. Ghent's Laughing Bastards present their latest throw. And, Ah Um, Leon Lhoëst talks about Charles Mingus.

Oh, and we made an exclusive Ghent jazz city map! Full of concert halls, clubs, record shops, instrument makers, music schools, rehearsal rooms & many mo'.