mini-marathon wrap-up

Thomas Champagne Trio - 14/12/2006@Kudeta, Brussels
Qayna - 15/12/2006@Espace Toots, Bruxelles
Clément Nourry - 17/12/2006@La Quarantaine, Bruxelles
Emil Ibrahim Quartet - 18/12/2006@Jazz Station, Brussels
Kaat Hellings - 19/12/2006@Arenbergschouwburg, Antwerpen
Piotr Paluch Quartet - 20/12/2006@Jazz Station, Bruxelles
Bota Fogo - 20/12/2006@GC De Maelbeek, Brussels
Rackham - 21/12/2006@Beursschouwburg Café, Brussel
Giacomo Lariccia Quartet - 22/12/2006@Sounds, Brussels
Ben Prischi Trio - 23/12/2006@Jazz Station, Bruxelles

I feel that my recent intense concert-going period should yield introspection deeper than "Wow, I'm tired" and observation more incisive than "song Y was better than song Z." I'm not sure that's happened. Also, it has made me into a kind of inverted hermit: going out so much isolated me from online life. I rather missed it.

I'm mostly happy that I heard a lot of people I hadn't heard before, or not for a long time. Possible cross-over hit: Kaat Hellings. Big in a few years: Ben Prischi. Biggest talent least likely to succeed because he's on a slightly different plane of existence: Clément Nourry.

At the Rackham concert, I had a very interesting talk with guitarist Benoist Eil (his sax/guitar/drums/tuba/compter-vocalist band Animus Anima (concert review) is releasing its debut CD soon. I trusted in its awesomeness so much that I bought it before it was recorded). He told me that he felt a great renewal and togetherness on the be.scene: the late-20somethings and early-30somethings were really getting their acts together and putting out a lot of mature, exciting projects. He cited two see-them-live bands, Funk Sinatra and The Peas Project. I wrote something similar, about a different circle of musicians, back in September. Maybe there's something to this: Jef Neve has totally blown up to nearly unimaginable levels of popularity, Octurn (slightly older, admittedly) has totally rejuvenated its music and even Teun Verbruggen has decided to start being a band leader, quite succesfully so with Othin Spake. As 2006 fades, 2007 looks bright.