Brussels Jazz Weekend brings jazz to the streets

Nothing sums up the spirit of jazz taking over Brussels than this magic moment at the Marolles. What could be called a different kind of marching band, whose electric guitarist has a mini amp slung over his shoulder, strikes up some funk right in the middle of the ever popular flea market in which all imaginable second hand household goods, used and useless, as well as artisanal wares from the city’s large African and Maghrebin community, are laid out on the ground. On hearing the music one of the traders shakes his merry booty in front of the combo then grabs nothing other than a cutlass and swings it theatrically in the air. It’s a 21^st century sabre dance.

A television camera is on hand to capture the scene and if Brussels Jazz Weekend is a cultural event intended to effectively promote the Belgian capital then it is job done. But that joie de vivre through jazz, a kind of jazz de vivre, is felt elsewhere in the city throughout the three-day happening. The sight of large crowds at the main stages at Bourse, Grand Place and Sainte Catherine, thronged in front of the splendid architecture, makes the point that a free festival comprising largely instrumental bands can and does work.

A central characteristic of many of the Belgian groups who appear, from Jean-Paul Groove and Kuna Maze to Bruno x Soet x Moene and Hypercontent! – is an embrace of all things electric – from humming sub-bass and squelchy keys to howling saxophone distortions – in a clear nod to the evolutionary line that runs through funk, hip-hop and drum & bass. It is enjoyable but of variable quality, and some questionable sound engineering, which tips into stadium rock levels at times, means that subtleties are occasionally lost. Which is why the hidden gems of the festival, like the Marolles marching band, to be found in smaller spaces, are important.

The pick of the bunch is AVA trio, a Dutch-based Italian-Turkish group that appears at the lively Roskam bar and whose blend of avant-garde and folk is exciting for its verve, vigour and interesting textural range created by baritone saxophone, bagpipes, flute, double bass, frame drum, tamburello and a cupaphon, a device that adds to the long history of makeshift instruments in improvised music.

If that gig is a happy discovery for any unwitting passersby then industry folk are to be seen and heard at Jazz Up!, which has a combination of showcases and round tables on subjects such as how to grow a scene and develop audiences. Talking shop can sometimes be tedious but the presence of speakers from across Europe makes the initiative worthwhile, with the fiercely bass-heavy Bandler Ching standing out among the performers. Back on the main stages there is an equally impactful Belgian band Don Kapot, that draws on a punkishly rugged vocabulary to create a series of not so short sharp shocks by way of baritone sax, guitar, bass guitar and drums.   

All told the weekend is big on energy and good vibrations with an audience that fully engages with what it hears. And that does not always have to be driven by a backbeat Collective Ee, heavily influenced by Wayne Shorter’s structural fluidity, is one of the last groups to appear during the weekend and provides a fitting bout of turbulence and tranquility in keeping with the dark, deeply unsettled, dare one say, heavy weather.