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maandag 15 juni 2026

WORLD WORLDWIDE EUROPE BELGIUM BRUSSELS - The Toots Jazz Club - Music - Jazz - Concerts - Program - Warning: This Week May Contain Serious Groove.

 

Warning: This Week May Contain Serious Groove

🇫🇷  🇧🇪

Salut à Toots,

Semaine spéciale dans votre jazz club, qui ne prendra pas beaucoup de vacances !

Mercredi, Victor Foulon ouvre la jam session pour vous présenter la jeune chanteuse Frie Mechele, qui a fait sensation il y a quelques semaines lors d’une jam session et a convaincu le contrebassiste invité de l’inviter pour l’ouverture de notre session hebdomadaire. Talent à découvrir donc !

Jeudi, 3 concerts ! Rien que ça. Jerry Kuan assurera le piano-bar avant un one-man band du plus haut niveau. Venu du Portugal, il était impossible de ne pas accueillir Nanook : on a donc fait un peu de place en chamboulant nos horaires pour un set de pur blues à 19h30. Changement radical de ton avec le vibraphoniste Alexis Valet, l’étoile montante — déjà bien haute, en fait — du vibraphone européen, qui présente son projet Cypher, électrique et groovy sauce londonienne. Soirée de feu en perspective !

Vendredi, un ténor du paysage jazzistique belge : le guitariste et compositeur Peter Hertmans, en quartet avec de vieux complices et un batteur néerlandais qui colore un sacré nombre de groupes en Belgique depuis quelques années. Une valeur sûre et un moment de jazz de qualité assuré. La late jam sera menée par le pianiste berlinois Stav Goldberg.

Samedi, c’est Géraud Portal, bassiste parmi les plus sollicités d’Europe, au son unique et à la musicalité hors norme, qui présente un nouveau quartet international avec son complice Plume, une des coqueluches du club et alto de très grand talent, Kai Craig, grand talent du jazz britannique et protégé de Greg Hutchinson, ainsi que Nicola Andrioli, pianiste qu’on ne présente plus par chez nous depuis ses collaborations avec Kurt Rosenwinkel et Philip Catherine. Du très très lourd en perspective. La late jam avec notre pilier de batterie, Marek Patrman.

Dimanche, fête de la musique : on vous laisse profiter des parcs bruxellois l’après-midi, on sera fermé jusqu’à 18h30. Le soir, rencontre entre deux musiciens asiatiques passés par les conservatoires bruxellois : le pianiste taïwanais Jerry Kuan et la saxophoniste coréenne Hyung Jin Lee !

On vous a préparé une semaine généreuse, intense et pleine de surprises, comme on les aime. Passez nous voir, réservez votre table, invitez vos amis : le jazz se vit mieux ensemble, et cette semaine promet de beaux moments. À très vite au club !


🇧🇪 🇳🇱

Dag Toots,

Een bijzondere week in jullie jazzclub — die niet veel vakantie zal nemen!

Op woensdag opent Victor Foulon de jam session om jullie kennis te laten maken met de jonge zangeres Frie Mechele. Enkele weken geleden maakte ze al heel wat indruk tijdens een jam session, en ze wist de gastcontrabassist te overtuigen om haar uit te nodigen voor de opening van onze wekelijkse sessie. Absoluut een talent om te ontdekken!

Op donderdag: 3 concerten! Jawel. Jerry Kuan zorgt voor de piano-bar, vóór een one-manband van het hoogste niveau. Recht uit Portugal: het was simpelweg onmogelijk om Nanook niet te ontvangen, dus hebben we wat plaats gemaakt en ons uurrooster een beetje omgegooid voor een pure bluesset om 19u30. Daarna volgt een radicale verandering van sfeer met vibrafonist Alexis Valet, de rijzende ster — eigenlijk al behoorlijk hoog gerezen — van de Europese vibrafoon, die zijn project Cypher voorstelt: elektrisch, groovy en met een Londens sausje. Dat belooft een vurige avond te worden!

Op vrijdag verwelkomen we een echte klepper uit het Belgische jazzlandschap: gitarist en componist Peter Hertmans, in kwartet met oude compagnons en een Nederlandse drummer die de voorbije jaren heel wat groepen in België mee kleur heeft gegeven. Een vaste waarde en een sterk jazzmoment verzekerd. De late jam is met de Berlijnse pianist Stav Goldberg.

Op zaterdag stelt Géraud Portal, een van de meest gevraagde bassisten van Europa, met een unieke sound en een uitzonderlijke muzikaliteit, een nieuw internationaal kwartet voor. Aan zijn zijde: zijn kompaan Plume, een van de publiekslievelingen van de club en een altsaxofonist van groot talent; Kai Craig, groot talent van de Britse jazz en protégé van Greg Hutchinson; en Nicola Andrioli, een pianist die we hier niet meer moeten voorstellen dankzij zijn samenwerkingen met Kurt Rosenwinkel en Philip Catherine. Heel, héél straf spul in het vooruitzicht. De late jam is met onze vaste drumrots, Marek Patrman.

Op zondag, voor Fête de la Musique, laten we jullie in de namiddag genieten van de Brusselse parken — de club blijft gesloten tot 18u30. ’s Avonds volgt een ontmoeting tussen twee Aziatische muzikanten die allebei langs de Brusselse conservatoria passeerden: de Taiwanese pianist Jerry Kuan en de Koreaanse saxofoniste Hyung Jin Lee!

We hebben voor jullie een gulle, intense week vol verrassingen voorbereid, helemaal zoals we ze graag hebben. Spring eens binnen, reserveer je tafel, breng je vrienden mee: jazz beleef je het best samen, en deze week belooft heel wat mooie momenten. Tot snel in de club!


🇬🇧  Hello from Toots!

A special week in your jazz club — which won’t be taking much of a holiday!

On Wednesday, Victor Foulon opens the jam session to introduce you to young singer Frie Mechele, who made quite an impression a few weeks ago during one of our jams and convinced the guest double bassist to invite her to open our weekly session. Definitely a talent to discover!

On Thursday, 3 concerts! Nothing less. Jerry Kuan will take care of the piano-bar before a top-level one-man band. Coming all the way from Portugal, it was simply impossible not to welcome Nanook, so we made a little room by reshuffling our schedule for a pure blues set at 7.30 pm. Then, a complete change of mood with vibraphonist Alexis Valet, the rising star — already pretty high up, actually — of European vibraphone, presenting his project Cypher: electric, groovy, with a London flavour. A fiery evening ahead!

On Friday, a true heavyweight of the Belgian jazz scene: guitarist and composer Peter Hertmans, in quartet with longtime partners and a Dutch drummer who has been colouring a serious number of bands in Belgium over the past few years. A sure bet, and a quality jazz moment guaranteed. The late jam will be led by Berlin-based pianist Stav Goldberg.

On Saturday, Géraud Portal, one of Europe’s most in-demand bassists, with a unique sound and outstanding musicality, presents a new international quartet with his partner-in-crime Plume, one of the club’s favourites and a hugely talented alto player; Kai Craig, a major talent on the British jazz scene and protégé of Greg Hutchinson; and Nicola Andrioli, a pianist who needs no introduction around here, thanks to his collaborations with Kurt Rosenwinkel and Philip Catherine. Seriously heavyweight stuff in store. The late jam will be with our drum pillar, Marek Patrman.

On Sunday, for Fête de la Musique, we’ll let you enjoy the Brussels parks in the afternoon — the club will be closed until 6.30 pm. In the evening, a meeting between two Asian musicians who both passed through the Brussels conservatoires: Taiwanese pianist Jerry Kuan and Korean saxophonist Hyung Jin Lee!

We’ve put together a generous, intense week full of surprises — just the way we like them. Drop by, book your table, bring your friends: jazz is best lived together, and this week promises some beautiful moments. See you very soon at the club!
And from aperitif time, as once a month, the young Adinda Hertmans and her magical voice will sing standards, accompanied by Joachim Caffonnette. The kind of early evening that makes you want to stay until the very end.

Friday, we head North with a trio rooted in the pure tradition of Scandinavian jazz, the kind that shaped an entire era. Keep North features the brilliant Finnish pianist Alexi Tuomarila, whom you may already have heard in many Belgian projects, thanks to his close connection with our country. Alongside Brice Soniano and Lionel Beuvens, he will offer an evening of deeply European jazz: delicate, lyrical, infused with classical music and pop, yet always driven by real intensity.
And to keep the night going: late jam with pianist Tomas Rivera!

Saturday, Furmi Gomez presents a project born during his New York years: four saxophones supported by a rhythm section without any harmonic instrument. An original line-up, full of space and character, with fresh arrangements and every register of jazz’s iconic instrument, invented by our very own Adolphe Sax. An evening for lovers of breath, sound and beautiful surprises.
The late jam will be led by Thomas Grimmonprez.

Sunday, we close the week with pure emotion: a tribute to the great Nina Simone by Natacha Wuyts, followed by our quarterly rendez-vous with French chanson and the soirées Chantal. A Sunday just the way we like it: heartfelt, generous and deeply musical.

In short: a week full of colour, great musicians, discoveries and moments to share.
See you at Toots!

Pump-Up The Jam with Victor Foulon - Jazz Jam
mercredi 17 juin - 20:30
Frie Mechele (voc) ; Wouter Van Den Broekc (p) ; Gert-Jan Dreessen(dr) ; Victor Foulon (b)

The Hang! 

More info

Key Time : Jerry Kuan & Huyng Jin Ee - AFTER WORK
jeudi 18 juin - 18:00
Jerry Kuan (p) ; Huyng Jin Ee (sax)

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

Nanook Plays The Blues - One Man Band
jeudi 18 juin - 19:30
Nanook (voc, g, harm, dr)

Some evenings are simply out of the ordinary. This is one of them.

Nanook takes to the stage as a one-man band, playing up to five instruments simultaneously — acoustic and electric guitars, slide, harmonicas, bass drum and tambourine — carrying us deep into the most authentic and visceral Blues imaginable.

But beyond the sheer performance, this is also a living history lesson. Between each song, Nanook tells the story. He places the music in its context, from slavery to the Civil Rights Movement, from segregation to the great upheavals of twentieth-century America. Blues classics and spirituals are brought back to life with their own unique identity, summoning the spirits of Son House, Leadbelly, Muddy Waters and Jimi Hendrix — towering ghosts you can almost hear lurking behind every note.

Intimate and powerful, deeply learned and utterly possessed, Nanook's show is one of those rare concerts where music and memory converge into something greater than either.

Not to be missed under any circumstances.

More info

Alexis Valet - The Cypher - SONIC BAM
jeudi 18 juin - 21:30
Alexis Valet (vibraphone, malletKAT) ; Mel Marquez (saxophone, EWI) ; Carl-Henri Morisset (claviers) ; Federico Pecoraro (b) ; Tilo Bertholo (dr)

Contemporary jazz, groove and urban textures

On June 18, Toots Jazz Club welcomes Alexis Valet & The Cypher, a bold project led by vibraphonist and composer Alexis Valet, one of the most exciting voices of the new European jazz scene.

With The Cypher, Valet brings together a new generation of adventurous musicians around a vibrant and forward-looking jazz language, where modern improvisation meets hip-hop rhythms, organic grooves and subtle electronic textures. Rooted in the African-American jazz tradition while embracing today’s urban aesthetics, the band creates a sound that is sophisticated, immersive and firmly connected to the present.

On stage, the quintet delivers an intense and captivating experience, moving between cinematic atmospheres, hypnotic pulses, spontaneous interplay and virtuosic flights.

A night dedicated to groove, invention and the new energy of European jazz — not to be missed at Toots Jazz Club.

More info

Peter Hertmans Quartet - The Best of Belgian Jazz
vendredi 19 juin - 19:30 and 21:30
Peter Hertmans (g) ; Erwin Vann (s) ; Sal La Rocca (b) ; Daniel Jonkers (dr)

Peter Hertmans is one of the most significant figures in Belgian jazz guitar. Having collaborated with virtually every musician in the country, he began his career in the early 1980s and, forty years on, continues to perform and record with the same passion and a melodic sensibility that remains truly rare.

With an impressive discography to his name — including several albums recorded alongside drummer Billy Hart, no less — he is also widely known for having taught for over 30 years at the Brussels Conservatoire and for having coordinated the jazz department of the prestigious Lemmens Instituut in Leuven.

Today he takes to our stage accompanied by two long-standing musical companions and a young Dutch drummer whose talent flourishes across a remarkable range of projects. One of Europe's great jazz voices, at work.

More info

Late Session With Stav Golberg - The Hang!
vendredi 19 juin - 23:00
Stav Golberg (p) ; Zjef van Steenbergen (b) ; Daniel Jonkers (dr)
More info

Géraud Portal New Quintet - WORLD PREMIERE
samedi 20 juin - 19:30 and 21:30
Jean-Paul Estievenart (trp) ; Plume (as) ; Nicola Andrioli (p) ; Géraud Portal (b) ; Kai Craig (dr)

Every musician who has crossed his path seems to agree: Géraud Portal is one of the finest bassists you could ever hope to share a stage with.

Gifted with a rare sense of listening, interaction and musical placement, he has established himself over the years as one of the major double bass players on the European jazz scene. His journey began at a very young age in his native Berry, in central France, before he was quickly spotted by several leading figures in French jazz and later invited to New York by the great saxophonist David S. Ware.

He soon became a go-to musician for many American artists touring Europe, building an impressive list of prestigious collaborations along the way. As the host of the jam sessions at the legendary Duc des Lombards in Paris for several years, he further confirmed his unique presence: solid, inventive and deeply musical.

Now based in Belgium for the past five years, Géraud Portal brings together some of Europe’s finest musicians for the very first performance of his new group.

An evening of top-level jazz, led by a musician of rare elegance and intensity. Not to be missed.

More info

Late Jam With Marek Patrman - Jazz Jam
samedi 20 juin - 23:00
Marek Patrman (dr) + guest

The Late Hang ! 

More info

Kuan Yu Quartet - INTERNATIONAL NEW TALENT
dimanche 21 juin - 19:00
Jerry Kuan (p) ; Hyung Jin Lee (ts) ; Emanuel Van Mieghem (b) ; Marius Loer (dr)

At Toots, one of our greatest pleasures is giving a stage to the exceptional young talent we discover week after week during our legendary jam sessions.

Jerry Kuan is exactly that kind of musician. The Taiwanese pianist has been turning heads since the moment he first sat down at our keyboard, and we are delighted to give him the spotlight he deserves. He joins forces with Korean tenor saxophonist Hyung Jin Ee — a familiar face on the Brussels scene — for an evening of elastic bop, asymmetric rhythms and boldly original compositions that push jazz into thrilling new territory.

Fresh, fearless and utterly compelling. This one is not to be missed.

More info

The Toots Jazz Club
6 rue des Chapeliers, 1000 Bruxelles

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