Johan VANDENDRIESSCHE is a flute and reed player of many talents, at ease in many music styles.

He started playing music at the very early age of 12, with brass bands or dance bands.

At the age of 18, he forms with his brothers Peter VANDENDRIESSCHE (alto/ten. sax) and Koen (drs) the band MILKSHAKE BANANA, which won in 1979 the International Jazz Contest of Hoeilaart (B) and gained a solid reputation as a jazz and fusion band. They toured internationally and had the opportunity to perform with Philip CATHERINE (gt) and Toots THIELEMANS (harmonica) and recorded an album with Toots as a guest.

Other bands in which Johan VANDENDRIESSCHE played or recorded :

• European Community Jazz Orchestra
• BRT bigband
• BRT jazzorkest led by Etienne VERSCHUEREN and later by Bob PORTER
• BRT Filharmonisch Orkest
• BRT koor
• ACT Big Band led by Félix SIMTAINE (drs) and Michel HERR (p/arr.)
• Harmonie van de Luchtmacht (Airforce)
• Johan VERMINNEN (7 years)
• W.D.R. (West Deutsche Rundfunk) bigband
• Quincy JONES
• Randy CRAWFORD
• Roger HODGSON (Supertramp)
• Debbie HARRY (Blondie)
• Dirk VANESBROECK
• Filharmonisch Orkest van Vlaanderen
• etc...

Johan VANDENDRIESSCHE is also active as a studio musician : he recorded with a.o. Claude NOUGARO, Raymond VAN HET GROENEWOUD, MAURANE, CLOUSEAU, etc....

He currently performs with the band JIVE TALK, his quartet, which plays Rhythm 'n Jazz, and which gives him the opportunity to play all the flutes and saxes, and amplified and electronically manipulated saxophone.

He was involved as a band leader in the BELGIAN SWING BAND, which revives old Belgian jazz arrangements.

His most recent project is the band , a collaboration with the British Hammond organ player Paul FLUSH.
They recorded the d CD

• "Action Reaction" in 2002
  
• "Kazzbah" (a double CD in 2003)

Johan VANDENDRIESSCHE also appears on Marc MOULIN's recent cd "Top Secret" (Blue Note).

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Johan teaches jazz history and Harmony, analysis and improvisations ath the Music Conservatory of Gent (B).