WORLD WORLDWIDE EUROPE BELGIUM BRUSSELS - The Toots Jazz Club - Join Us for a Very Special Anniversary Week!

 

Join Us for a Very Special Anniversary Week!

🇫🇷  🇧🇪 Salut à toots ! Semaine spéciale, car on fête déjà notre première année d’existence. On ne déroge pas à la règle, avec le rendez-vous échiquéen hebdomadaire ce mardi, et on attaque la semaine d’anniversaire mercredi avec l’excellent Casimir Liberski, qui vient ouvrir la jam avec son nouveau trio. Jeudi, ouverture de soirée en duo avec la chanteuse Eleonora Albani, accompagnée du pianiste le plus sollicité du moment, le merveilleux Wajdi Riahi. Ensuite, Jazz’n Roll avec la bonne humeur sauce New Orleans de Laurent Vigneron et ses Po’Boys ! Le vendredi 15, c’est le climax, le jour J. Après un an et déjà 552 concerts et jams au compteur, on espère bien en faire autant, avec encore plus de succès, et on accueille pour l’occasion un invité de marque : Éric Legnini, qui accompagnait Toots alors qu’il avait tout juste 20 ans, avant de mener une carrière internationale aux côtés des plus illustres musiciens de jazz et de variété. C’est rarissime de l’avoir dans un contexte de trio en club, rare de l’avoir en concert à Bruxelles, et c’est une jolie fête qui s’annonce. Ne tardez pas à réserver pour l’un des deux sets. La jam qui suivra sera ouverte par Adinda Hertmans, en compagnie de Joachim Caffonnette, Victor Foulon, Mimi Verderame et de plusieurs invités surprise. Samedi, Adrien Tarraga, guitariste parisien spécialiste du jazz manouche, vient chauffer notre scène en quartet avec sa virtuosité et ses phrases d’un lyrisme impressionnant. Seule date bruxelloise de leur tournée, à ne pas manquer donc ! Le superbe Yo Hes se chargera d’ouvrir la jam en deuxième partie de soirée. Dimanche, on reste dans le thème de notre anniversaire avec un hommage à Toots par le jeune et talentueux harmoniciste Oliver Vander Bauwede. Pour finir, on accueille la première mondiale du nouveau projet de l’arrangeur et guitariste Alain Pierre, qui présente son Special Unit entouré d’une ribambelle de talents de la nouvelle génération, dont beaucoup furent ses élèves au Conservatoire de Bruxelles. Une belle semaine en perspective, et une belle occasion de fêter cette première année avec vous. 🇧🇪 🇳🇱 Hallo Toots! Een bijzondere week, want we vieren al ons eerste bestaansjaar. We wijken niet af van de regel, met onze wekelijkse schaakafspraak op dinsdag, en we trappen de verjaardagsweek op woensdag af met de uitstekende Casimir Liberski, die de jam komt openen met zijn nieuwe trio. Donderdag openen we de avond met een duo: zangeres Eleonora Albani, begeleid door de meest gevraagde pianist van het moment, de geweldige Wajdi Riahi. Daarna volgt Jazz’n Roll met de New Orleans-sfeer en goede vibes van Laurent Vigneron en zijn Po’Boys! Vrijdag de 15e is het de climax, dé grote dag. Na een jaar en al 552 concerten en jams op de teller hopen we er nog minstens evenveel te doen, met nog meer succes, en daarvoor verwelkomen we een bijzondere gast: Éric Legnini, die Toots begeleidde toen hij amper 20 jaar oud was, voordat hij een internationale carrière uitbouwde aan de zijde van de meest illustere jazz- en variétémuzikanten. Het is uitzonderlijk om hem in een clubcontext met trio te horen, zeldzaam om hem live in Brussel te zien, en het belooft dus een prachtig feest te worden. Wacht niet te lang om voor een van de twee sets te reserveren. De jam die volgt, wordt geopend door Adinda Hertmans, in het gezelschap van Joachim Caffonnette, Victor Foulon, Mimi Verderame en verschillende verrassingsgasten. Zaterdag komt Adrien Tarraga, de Parijse gitarist en specialist van de gypsy jazz, ons podium opwarmen in kwartetvorm met zijn virtuositeit en zijn indrukwekkend lyrische frasering. De enige Brusselse datum van hun tour, dus zeker niet te missen! De geweldige Yo Hes zal de jam openen in het tweede deel van de avond. Zondag blijven we in het thema van onze verjaardag met een hommage aan Toots door de jonge en getalenteerde mondharmonicaspeler Oliver Vander Bauwede. Om af te sluiten verwelkomen we de wereldpremière van het nieuwe project van arrangeur en gitarist Alain Pierre, die zijn Special Unit voorstelt, omringd door een hele reeks talenten van de nieuwe generatie, van wie velen zijn leerlingen waren aan het Conservatorium van Brussel. Een mooie week in het vooruitzicht, en een mooie gelegenheid om dat eerste jaar samen met jullie te vieren. 🇬🇧  Hello from Toots! Hi Toots! A special week ahead, as we’re already celebrating our first anniversary. We’re not breaking tradition, with our weekly chess gathering this Tuesday, and we kick off the anniversary week on Wednesday with the excellent Casimir Liberski, who will open the jam with his new trio. On Thursday, the evening opens with a duo featuring singer Eleonora Albani, accompanied by the most in-demand pianist of the moment, the wonderful Wajdi Riahi. Then comes Jazz’n Roll with the New Orleans-flavoured good vibes of Laurent Vigneron and his Po’Boys! Friday the 15th is the climax, the big day. After one year and already 552 concerts and jams under our belt, we hope to do just as many more, with even greater success, and for the occasion we’re welcoming a very special guest: Éric Legnini, who was playing with Toots when he was barely 20 years old, before going on to build an international career alongside some of the greatest names in jazz and popular music. It’s extremely rare to hear him in a club trio setting, rare to see him in concert in Brussels, and it promises to be a beautiful celebration. Don’t wait too long to book one of the two sets. The jam that follows will be opened by Adinda Hertmans, joined by Joachim Caffonnette, Victor Foulon, Mimi Verderame and several surprise guests. On Saturday, Adrien Tarraga, the Paris-based guitarist and gypsy jazz specialist, will heat up our stage in quartet format with his virtuosity and impressively lyrical phrasing. This is the only Brussels date of their tour, so definitely not one to miss! The excellent Yo Hes will open the jam later in the evening. On Sunday, we stay in the spirit of our anniversary with a tribute to Toots by the young and talented harmonica player Oliver Vander Bauwede. To close the week, we’re welcoming the world premiere of arranger and guitarist Alain Pierre’s new project, as he presents his Special Unit surrounded by a whole host of talents from the new generation, many of whom were his students at the Brussels Conservatory. A great week ahead, and a great opportunity to celebrate this first year with all of you.

Pump Up The Jam : Casimir Liberski - Jazz Jam mercredi 13 mai - 20:30 Casimir Liberski (piano) and Guest Come hang at the coolest jam session in town !  More info

Key Time : Wajdi Riahi & Eleonora Albani - AFTER WORK jeudi 14 mai - 18:00 Wajdi Riahi (p) ; Eleonora Albani (voc) New weekly rendezvous! Every Thursday, start your evening the right way — after work, before dinner, or as a prelude to the night’s concert — with the finest local pianists playing timeless standards in a warm piano-bar atmosphere. In partnership with Omer! More info

Laurent Vigneron & the Po' Boys - jeudi 14 mai - 20:30 Antoine Lissoir (cl;as;bars) Timothé Le Maire (tb); Benjamin Clement (gt); Max Malkomes (db); Laurent Vigneron (dr) Laurent Vigneron is undoubtedly the most faithful representative of the New Orleans spirit in our capital. For years, he has kept this music alive with an irresistible sense of swing, an inimitable flair for stick tosses, fiery solos that captivate the audience, and above all a deeply infectious joy in playing. Through him, the full vitality of this founding music comes back to life: the music that laid the joyful, danceable foundations of a huge part of 20th-century popular music — no less than that. He returns to us today with his flagship band for an evening that promises to be hot, hot, hot, driven by rhythm, celebration and sheer good spirits. The perfect warm-up on the eve of our first anniversary. More info

Eric Legnini Trio [One Year Anniversary] - VERY SPECIAL NIGHT vendredi 15 mai - 19:30 and 21:30 Eric Legnini (p) ; Thomas Bramerie (b) ; Drummer TBA. It’s already been a year since our little club first opened its doors. With nearly 552 concerts and jams behind us, Toots has become — let’s say — a place where things actually happen. And we’re not planning to slow down anytime soon. For the occasion, we’re welcoming Eric Legnini, one of the most internationally recognised Belgian jazz pianists. Based in Paris since the 1990s and a professor at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels for over 30 years, he has shaped generations of musicians. A musical heir to Kenny Kirkland and Herbie Hancock, he has shared the stage with an impressive list of leading figures — from Flavio Boltro to Joe Lovano and Michael Brecker, as well as the Belmondo brothers, Youssef Lateef and Philip Catherine. With a clear, lyrical style and melodic lines that are both direct and deeply engaging, he also stands out as a producer, accompanist and artistic director across different genres, having worked with Claude Nougaro, Henri Salvador, and more recently the Dutroncs, father and son. A musician of great elegance, grounded in a rhythmic feel that borders on the supernatural. A former teacher of our artistic director, and a collaborator of Toots Thielemans upon his return from two years in New York, it felt only natural to invite him to celebrate this anniversary. A major figure of European jazz, far too rarely heard in a club setting in Brussels. A proper celebration ahead — and one of the highest musical standard More info

Late Jam With Adinda Hertmans - The Hang vendredi 15 mai - 23:00 Adinda Hertmans (voc) ; Joachim Caffonnette (p) ; Victor Foulon (b) + guests. Standards, swing, and fiery solos all night long! More info

Adrien Tarraga Quartet - Gypsy Jazz samedi 16 mai - 19:30 and 21:30 Adrien Tarraga (g) ; Alexandre Tripodi (vl) ; Ben van Bortel (b) ; Sam op de Beeck (g) Adrien Taraga is part of a new generation of guitarists who bring the legacy of gypsy jazz to life with flair, elegance and a strong personal voice. Driven by an immediate sense of swing, great melodic freedom and a virtuosity always in service of the music, he belongs to that dazzling tradition in which the guitar becomes at once a rhythmic engine, a singing voice and a firework display. With a deeply inhabited, generous and intensely alive style of playing, Adrien Taraga takes us into a world where virtuosity is never mere showmanship, but always carried by momentum, lyricism and the joy of sharing. Somewhere between a tribute to the great tradition of the genre and a resolutely contemporary energy, this concert promises an evening of blazing strings, incandescent swing and infectious joy. An unmissable date for lovers of gypsy jazz, and for anyone who loves jazz played with panache, intensity and heart. More info

Late Jam With Yo Hes - The Hang! samedi 16 mai - 23:00 Yo Hes and Friends More info

Nostalgia In Grand Place : Toots Thielemans - TRIBUTE dimanche 17 mai - 16:00 Olivier Vander Bauwede (hrm) ; Jasen Weaver (b) ; Martin Salemi (p) ; Matthias De Waele (dr) As part of the anniversary week marking our first year on the Grand Place, what could be more fitting than to dedicate this 53rd edition of our Nostalgia In Grand Place series to the man who gave our club its name: Jean-Baptiste “Toots” Thielemans. The greatest jazz musician in Belgian history, and the absolute pioneer of the chromatic harmonica in jazz, Toots needs no introduction. His lyricism, his gift for melody, and that unique ability to go straight to the listener’s heart continue to inspire musicians all over the world. It is the young Belgian talent Olivier Vander Bauwede who now takes up this challenge. Remarkable for his musicality, sensitivity and mastery, he stands today as one of the very few harmonica players able to approach this legacy with accuracy, personality and depth. Belgium has long been waiting for an heir worthy of such a name — and Olivier Vander Bauwede may well be one of those ready to carry that promise forward. More info

Alain Pierre Special Unit - NEW BAND! dimanche 17 mai - 19:00 Alain Pierre (g, comp. & arr.); Carla Biber (dr); Laurence Cousseau (alto fl); Grégoire Tirtiaux (bar sax); Martin Salemi (p); Fil Caporali (db) Alain Pierre Special Unit brings together distinctive voices from the Belgian jazz scene around the compositions and arrangements of Alain Pierre. In a sextet format, the group combines seasoned musicians with a younger generation, including some of his former students from the Royal Conservatoire of Brussels. With a small-band sound that is supple, deep and full of nuance, the music moves between dark lower registers, luminous middle tones and a strong sense of collective interplay. An elegant and vibrant project at t More info

The Toots Jazz Club 6 rue des Chapeliers, 1000 Bruxelles