Bruges jazz label W.E.R.F. records - short for Wasted Energy Record Factory - was founded in 1993 as a one-off venture to support Bruges pianist Kris Defoort. Thirty years later, the list of musicians to have appeared on the label reads like an encyclopaedic overview of Belgian jazz. Think: pioneers like Brussels Jazz Orchestra or Robin Verheyen (TaxiWars), but also the latest trail-blazers like Vitja Pauwels, MDCIII, Karen Willems, PAARD., Dorian Dumont or schntzl. On the occasion of its 30th anniversary, AB honours the label with a true two-day event.
UMA CHINE (8:00 pm)
According to De Standaard, Uma Chine sounds like "David Lynch's in-house composer Angelo Badalamenti on a diet of electric guitars and ethereal female voices." Frontwoman Nele De Gussem (Maya's Moving Castle, Inwolves) gathered a fine Ghent-Brussels collective around her that includes Rana & Sherien Holail Mohamed (Binti), drummer Simon Raman (Steiger), bassist Nils Vermeulen (Jukwaa) and keyboard player Gilles Vandecaveye-Pinoy (Steiger). Focus Knack on their latest release The Runner/ Uphill Song: "With folktronica, psychedelic synthpop and touches of prog and new age, the band occupies a wide area. In terms of mood creation, it's spot on. And songs such as 'The Runner' and 'Hold' boast enchanting gifts."
ESINAM (solo) (9:00 pm)
Esinam Dogbatse is a Belgian-Ghanian multi-instrumentalist based in Brussels. From an early age, she was fascinated by music. Piano was her first choice of instrument, but for practical reasons – a grand piano easily weighs between 350 and 550 kilos – Esinam opted for the flute. Her debut Shapes In Twilights Of Infinity is, according to London Jazz News, "A gloriously unique sound universe". Esinam does indeed completely create her own musical world, full of rhythms, grooves, melodies and loops. Esinam: "Like Sun Ra, I want my music to lift you up."
ECHOES OF ZOO PRESENTS SPEECH OF SPECIES (10:15 pm)
Ready for a wonderful eulogy? De Standaard: "Nathan Daems (see also: Black Flower) is by far the most exotic saxophonist in the country. With Echoes of Zoo, he draws inspiration from far and wide, including Jamaica, the Middle East and the Balkans." Their latest album Speech of Species was awarded a **** review. English music blog Louder Than War went a step further: "Ever wondered what a collaboration between The Comet Is Coming and Black Sabbath might sound like? Wonder no more, because that intriguing match-up is right here!" Duly noted.