Kahil El’Zabar, Lakecia Benjamin and the Brussels Jazz Orchestra create thrills at Behemoth Belgian jazz fest

The Gent Jazz Festival has been running for just over two decades, originally called the Blue Note Festival, and lately shortening its name to a simple Gent Jazz. In 2022 the founding organisation declared bankruptcy, but the Flemish booking agency Greenhouse Talent quickly stepped in to rescue this institution of the Belgian jazz scene. Always ambitious, Gent Jazz runs for around 10 days, usually with a one-day pause in the middle. This renewed edition continued with the booking style of old, setting the biggest starry artists beside less known winners, mixing Americans with local Belgians. It also continued to settle hardcore jazz beside an accompanying roster of pop, rock, soul and electronic acts. It was a great success, both artistically, and in terms of ticket sales (particularly crucial in 2023).

Two of the major headliners were Herbie Hancock and the Branford Marsalis Quartet, the latter being absolutely stunning in their energy, virtuosity, communication and compulsiveness. Herbie put on a big show, but one quibble involves the electronic palette-choices of Lionel Loueke and Hancock himself, frequently textured akin to the bad side of retro.

High power New York alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin has, of course, risen magnificently in recent years, something that’s been inevitable since she was gigging with drummer Rashied Ali back in 2007. The best decision Lakecia  made was to veer away from her funk-hop stance to concentrate on an intense post-Coltranes repertoire, paying homage to both Alice and John. This has found her a whole new audience of jazz-intensity fans. Lakecia’s gold garb and 1970s shades would be at home in Herbie’s band. An unstoppable alto stream soon distracted from the visuals, propelled by drummer E.J. Strickland, as the recent Phoenix album was mined for excitement. During a fresh variation on ‘My Favorite Things’, Lakecia crouched down, crying alone, and was then joined by drums, before relaunching the full quartet tumble. The set closed with Patrice Rushen’s ‘Jubilation’, its rolling staccato theme preceding a successful five minute compression of ‘A Love Supreme’.

Sleam Tomo duo - Photo by Daria Miasoedova

On the final day, the Belgian trio Aka Moon continued their 30th anniversary celebrations by collaborating with the Brussels Jazz Orchestra. This was a stunning expansion of their material, turned leviathan, with the BJO performing at their highest level. Some of BJO’s collaborations can involve quite mainstream jazz manifestations, but the Aka compositions were loaded with thrilling momentum, constant unpredictable and dramatic surprises. They provided a platform for continual solo grandstanding, with escalation preferred, as these duties passed from trio to BJO horn sections and back again. ‘Scofield’ went for the throat, and ‘Aka Truth’ facilitated a barnstorming climax. This is some of the most exciting and substantial music we’re going to hear all year.

One of the significant improvements made for 2023 was the construction of the new Garden Stage, providing folks a choice inbetween the Main Stage headliners. Now it’s raised up off the ground, instead of in a smallish tent, allowing much greater visibility, plus more space freed up to fill the greensward with chairs and tables. The Kahil El’Zabar Quartet played two sets, before and after the Julian Lage Trio, offering a repertoire that was best appreciated in its entirety, given that transforming dynamics played a large part in its success. The veteran Chicagoan percussionist El’Zabar crept from straight jazz to soul-funk, choosing either drum kit, sparse cajon or ankle shakers with mbira thumb piano, also highlighting different singing styles to suit. Baritone saxophonist Alex Harding added gruff solos and keyboardist Justin Dillard sounded like a bass, and then a guitar. Trumpeter Corey Wilkes also took several sparse or muted solos. There was a funksome ‘Caravan’, and then an extremely deconstructed ‘Compared To What?’.

Aka Moon’s drummer Stéphane Galland also prefers to keep active via several other combos, including his international Rhythm Hunters, who vibrantly closed out the festival’s penultimate night. Galland locked in with the liquid electric bass of Louise van den Heuvel (of the mighty Dishwasher_ trio), while the three-piece horn section displayed their slick chops. Breakdowns into various glancing permutations pervaded, the leader stoking with his scissor-action sticks. ‘Morphing Dolphins’ (well, that was what it sounded like) opened with a capella horns, initiating a fiddly progression, snagging and jittery. A switchback into a funky groove was led by a flugelhorn solo, with the climaxing of Galland’s numbers often involving an upping of their free-blowing quotient, usually over forceful rhythms.

On the fresh discovery front, of youthful electro-improvisation, the local Sleam Tomo duo faced each other on the same Garden Stage, playing drums (Thijs van Scharen) and keyboards (Arne Nuyts), both full of electronic interference. They colonised abstract space, soon constructing brisk, punchy beats, growing into liquorice bass and testy hi-hat with stutter-snare. A cosmic carapace enveloped the lawn, as the beats fragmented, becoming less fixed, but still present. Melodic keyboard patterns emerged on multiple layers, and Sleam Tomo pursued a rhythmic type of free improvisation, distantly descended from The Necks, via a disturbed imagining of Los Angeles.

Gent Jazz amazingly didn’t miss a year (or two), leaping straight back to its accustomed strength, following the ultimate financial blow. Its sister festival, Jazz Middelheim is a revered part of Antwerpian cultural history, but it wasn’t so fortunate. Let us hope that Middelheim can be resurrected in soon-coming years.