Laurent Doumont
© Roger Vantilt

Laurent Doumont

Laurent Doumont is a saxophone player, singer & songwriter from Brussels with a natural inclination for soul and jazz. 
In the 90’s he took part in Michel Hatzigeorgiou’s tribute to Jaco Pastorius. 

He then began his career as a free lance musician, playing in several funk and jazz bands, including some gigs with Fred Wesley. 
In 1999 he moved to New York, where he took some classes with Chris Potter. He eventually spent two years there, playing and hanging out in jam sessions. 

Upon his return, he resumed his activities as a sideman (among others with Boney M, George Mc Crae, Boogie Boy and Daniel Romeo) while developing a personal project that culminated in the release of his first album Soul Quintet in 2001. 

Together with Olivier Bodson and Alain Palizeul, he seized that opportunity to found a horn section which became one the most sought after in Belgium and abroad. Later, a few concerts with Percy Sledge and a musical meeting with James Brown would top their résumé.

Around that time he also joined in a musical improvisation show, based on a battle format, ImproSessions. Laurent has been co-leading The Heavy Muffulettas, a rejoicing New Orleans band with bluesman Marc Lelangue and drummer Patrick Dorcean. He sometimes returns to the alto saxophone to play some rooty soul jazz in his organ quintet Alligator Boogaloo, a tribute to Lou Donaldson, and always enjoys singing and playing French, Italian and American standards, in his Trio V.O. 

As a band leader, he has been directing his own band since 1998, in various formations from quartet to septet featuring musicians such as Daniel Romeo, Adrien Verderame, Patrick Deltenre, Vincent Bruyninckx, Bert Gielen, Bilou Doneux, Otti Van der Werf, Lorenzo Di Maio, Sal La Rocca, Sam Gerstmans, Lionel Beuvens, Nicolas Fiszman, Olivier Bodson, Alain Palizeul and David De Vrieze.

In 2012, he released his second album Papa Soul Talkin’, produced by Daniel Romeo, featuring many great guests. In this record, Laurent reveals his various skills as a musician, singer, songwriter and arranger.

With his third album, l’Americano (2019) co-produced with Nicolas Fiszman, Laurent looks into his Sicilian descent through 12 great Italian standards form the 1950’s & 60’s, joyfully adapted in a soul-jazz and pop spirit.

In his latest one, Meanwhile (2026), Laurent invites Lorenzo Di Maio, Cédric Raymond, Lionel Beuvens, Olivier Bodson and Maxime Moyaerts to perform his brand new original compositions in his beloved soul-jazz idiom.