Johan Dupont trio "Lydia"

Johan Dupont, a classically trained pianist with expertise in jazz and improvisation, has collaborated with a variety of talents, from gypsy guitarist Samson Smith to opera singers Julie Mossay and Sarah Laulan. Dupont's atmospheric compositions delve into a nostalgic, dreamy world, focusing on bittersweet memories of a lost paradise full of possibility and perfection. His delicate musical vision is brought to life with the help of two equally versatile artists. Bo Waterschoot, a graduate of the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles, has an eclectic background spanning folk, jazz, pop and Brazilian music, and has collaborated with artists such as Urban Trad and Sophie Cavez. Stephan Pougin, a former student of jazz legend Billy Hart, is a groundbreaking percussionist whose career spans genres from Baroque to Bossa Nova. Together, this trio effortlessly blends styles and influences to create music that transcends tradition. The trio's highly anticipated debut album was released on 31 January 2025 by Flak Records (distribution via PIAS).

‘I must admit that I have always appreciated pianist Johan Dupont. Certainly for his talent, but also for his friendliness and versatility.

Be it with Schmitt and Iannello for the adventurous gypsy side, the 1920s tradition ‘augmented’ by ‘Big Noise’, the originality of ‘Music for a While’, and of course ‘Orchestra Vivo!’.

But perhaps above all in my eyes and ears was the duet with Garrett List that left unforgettable memories with me. Johan is not a jazz pianist like the others, but is he just a jazz pianist? That would be too simplistic.

Releasing an album today in trio - with Bo Waterschoot's bass and Stephan Pougin's drums and percussion - brings him closer to the most obvious formula for jazz pianists in terms of form, but not so much in terms of music. Johan Dupont composed this album for his little daughter, an angel who died too soon, and, let's put it bluntly, it's a minor miracle!

It's full of melancholy, but also joy and rhythmic flights of fancy - ‘Tata the Pirate’, composed by Waterschoot, takes us to stormy seas, and with ‘Tornado’ we find ourselves in a whirlwind - as well as tenderness, with ‘Arabesque’ and ‘The Child’, where Stefan Pougin's percussion works wonders, as does his last composition, the bright and lively ‘Divo Choro’.’

© Jean-Pierre Goffin (free translation: Jos Demol)

In collaboration with JazzMania.