Festival spotlight

Ghent Jazz Festival

Ten days before the craze of the Gentse Feesten kicks in and sets the city and its inhabitants on fire, those who prefer to take it a bit easier can be found at this world-renowned jazz festival in the recently renovated Bijloke site, an old abbey and one of the most intimate spots in this area at the edge of the city centre.

In the midst of the usually quiet abbey gardens will be international jazz legends like 80-year-old tenor saxophone colossus Sonny Rollins and 85-year-old blues master BB King (pictured).

Being on the progressive side, the festival also boasts new forms of jazz. On 16 July, you’ll find the Parisian collective Nouvelle Vague, famous for their daring bossa nova covers of new wave and punk. The day after are London’s legendary trip-hop bands Morcheeba and Red Snapper.

There’s also room for the crème de la crème of Flanders’ very own jazz scene, including Steven De Bruyn, Jeff Neve and Roland. Every year, up-andcoming local musicians get the chance to perform: Jazz pianist Christian Mendoza, for example, has been in constant demand on national and international stages ever since his appearance last year as the festival’s opener. This year, the Nathan Daems Quintet will try to do the same. Go and see them: They are absolutely brilliant and defy the rules of jazz as we know it.

There is one act that music lovers from Ghent and abroad are most anxious to see: Daniel Lanois’ Black Dub. Lanois is a producer, working with countless stars, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Peter Gabriel. He is best known for his work, together with Brian Eno, on U2’s groundbreaking album The Joshua Tree. Just a few years ago, he discovered Trixey Whitley, a 20-year old girl from Ghent with a magical voice. Now they are touring the world’s stages together.

www.gentjazz.com