Chris Mentens
- Instruments : Double bass, Composer
- Date of birth : 11/09/1957 - Heusden
Chris was born in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium. He studied musicology at the KU Leuven and is a largely self-taught bass player. Chris started out on the electric bass and switched to acoustic double bass as his interest in jazz grew. During his decades of independent study, Chris attended clinics and master classes with Hein Van De Geyn, John Clayton and Ricardo Delfra.
among others,
For fourteen years Chris played in Chris Joris’s band, The Chris Joris Experience, and he played for many years in the bands No Vibrato, Trio Perdu, Multitude and Criterium 3 as well. With these bands Chris toured in France, Germany, Scandinavia, Canada, Mexico, Guadelouope and so on.
Chris accompanied numerous musicians like: Mal Waldron, Deborah Brown, Gordon Brisker, Hod o’Brien, Al De Fino, Slide Hampton, Gene Connors, Sylvia Droste and Judy Niemack, among others.
Chris regularly tours Europe with the Los Angeles-based, American vibraphone player Eldad Tarmu, whose band features the Eastern European music of Tarmu’s roots.
Chris led his own band for many years, The Chris Mentens Jazz Van, with whom he recorded two albums featuring Pierre Van Dormael, among others.
Chris teaches Jazz History at the Music Conservatories of Antwerp and Brussels
