Tomorrow Comes Today: European Jazz Conference 2024 Ghent, Belgium

We are given a great deal of food for thought before any musical feasting took place. “Genocide lives inside us” is arguably the most thought provoking statement made by poet Lisette Ma Neza in her keynote speech that opened the European Jazz Conference This edition of the annual event staged by the European Jazz Network took place in Ghent, Belgium under the banner Tomorrow Comes Today, which has a focus on the new generation of artists and curators. For a young wordsmith such as Ma Neza to remind us of the inescapable weight of the past, namely the tragedy of Rwanda, whence she claims heritage, is as appropriate as it is deeply poignant.  Grappling with the consequences of then is part of the challenge of living in the now.

A series of discussion groups tackling anything from sustainability to the role of artificial intelligence in festival programming to culture as a solution for social disparities gave participants much to ponder. Previous editions of the conference had ‘breakout groups’ to foster more exchanges, and some of the 500 or so bookers, agents, promoters and artistic directors bemoaned their omission. But there was plenty of music from the host nation Belgium to enjoy at the Bijolke, main venue for the conference, as well as Ha Concerts, and smaller clubs such as Telex, Trefpunt and Lume, all scattered among the stunning architecture of the historic city, where a an ornately designed church is always within view.

First and foremost there is a spotlight Belgian jazz and on no artist represents its future more than pianist Wajdi Riahi (pictured above - photo by Bjorn Comhaire), who has caught the ear of audiences and pundits alike in the past few years with his elegant, expansive solos, dizzying, jockeying rhythms drawn from the stambeli traditions of his Tunisian heritage and enchanting voice. He has been able to put a highly personal stamp on the piano trio idiom, and his commanding, mature  performance makes it clear that Riahi is a serious talent who has the potential to become a prime mover if not figurehead for creative music with a universal outlook.

Less well known but no less vibrant or original is another three-piece MDC111. Led by saxophonist-soundscaper-producer Mattias De Craene the group has two drummers, Lennart Jacobs and Simon Segers, who build the music from its initial ambient bed into a dense forest of polyrhythms that are given an additional primal dimension by banshee electronics and effects. Local audiences would have known Segers, a mainstay of the Belgian scene for the past two decades and member of De Beren Gieren and Black Flower, the former being a piano trio with a puckish blend of strong melody and off-centre riffing and the latter a groove-heavy combo that bridges funk and African beats to good effect. While a wide range of dance, from hip-hop to Techno, has impacted the above artists Belgium also has a number of young artists with avant-garde leanings, and bassist Yannick Peeters is a figure of note. Her quartet GingerBlackGinger creates some starkly beguiling timbres by way of its bass clarinet/guitar unison lines that vividly enhance the leader’s adventurous writing.

On the other hand pianist Camille-Alban Spreng’s ODIL is an equally left field ensemble that presents a colourful synth-led palette broadened by two very lively saxophones and the bold voice of Nina Kortekaas. Inspired by the poetry of Allen Ginsberg the music is wistfully melodic and full of sonic quirks, with a heavy low end  supplied by Spreng and fellow keyboardist Geoffrey Fiorese while the two horn players, atloist Tom Bourgeois and tenorist Sam Comerford are very able soloists, as is drummer Paul Berne. Last but not least comes a group that willingly claims provenance from the moon rather than planet earth. Orchestra Nazionale Della Luna go down a storm for their combination of punchy motifs, Space Age moogs, non-western riffs and sparky humour. Co-led by Belgian saxophonist Manuel Hermia and Finnish pianist Kari Ikonen the quartet releases music on a Hungarian label (BMC) but has an Italian name. It all makes perfect sense for the European Jazz Network as an organization with a pan-continental ethos. Its 2025 conference will indeed be held in the city of Bari, right down on the heel of the Italy’s famous boot.