don Marsh V                          

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“Both spontaneous and structured. As much romantic as abstract. From burning swing to avant- garde melodicism. Imagine a marriage between the architectural elements of Beethoven and the free spirit of Mingus.”

don marsh V is an acoustic quintet founded by pianist Wouter Van den Broeck. He assembled the group with some of the finest musicians in the Belgian jazz scene. Soulmate and upcoming talent Warre Van de Putte was an obvious choice on the saxophone, adding musical maturity far beyond his years. Drummer Matthias De Waele and bassist Janos Bruneel are a dream team in the rhythm section, stretching time like quantum physicians and at the same time providing a beat that is solid as a rock. Trumpet player Jean- Paul Estievenart adds an element of surprise and boundless inspiration to the front line. 

For his debut album ‘Marshland’ Wouter wrote a kind of sonata, a four- movement work in which he tries to take the listener on a journey with a broader narrative. The different movements are connected via key relations and melodic motifs just like a classical sonata, but of course interwoven with plenty of improvisation. The compositions of Janos Bruneel exist in a similar universe, using an aesthetic of melodic sobriety but vast harmonic wealth. The counterweight to these works is a series of inventive swinging pieces that keeps the music connected to its Black American heritage. Acoustic jazz with the emotional potency to fire the heart and intellectual complexity to dazzle the mind.