Moondog Revisited

Moondog’s real name was Louis Hardin (1916-1999). An accident with a stick of dynamite left him blind at the age of 16, but he went on to become a versatile, tireless musician and composer.

In the 1950s, the magnificently bearded and Viking-clad eccentric could often be found on New York’s 6th Avenue as a busker and poet. Passers-by nicknamed him ‘Moondog, the Viking of 6th Avenue’.

The Viking won great acclaim with his music: a mix of classical and pure counterpoint (Bach!), minimalism (he was the great inspiration for Philip Glass), jazz (friend and admirer of Charlie Parker, among others) and Indian rhythms. He quickly became a cult figure in New York and the USA. Even the many musicians on the hot jazz scene are fascinated by this eccentric figure with his experimental sounds and foreign or home-made instruments.

Moondog’s extensive oeuvre includes jazz, folk, classical, symphonic, avant-garde, spoken word, etc. To this day, he continues to inspire many people and the man can count on worldwide acclaim.

The Moondog Company

The Moondog Company is one of the few ensembles in Europe to honour Louis Hardin’s repertoire with both original settings and arrangements of his compositions. With their instrumentation (vibraphone, percussion, saxophone, double bass, Hammond organ and authentic pipe organ) they come as close as possible to the sound of Moondog. Their experience with both classical and jazz repertoire gives their performances a very special flavour, aimed solely at reviving Moondog’s musical intentions.

The Moondog Company consists of Alexander Ponet (CH - vibraphone, percussion), Gabriele Basilico (DE - double bass), Maarten Vergauwen (BE - saxophones) and Luc Ponet (BE - organs). Alexander Ponet is also the arranger of the adaptations presented by The Moondog Company.