Friday, December 3, 2010, 20.30: MASSOT-FLORIZOONE-HORBACZEWSKI (B)
Michel Massot (tuba, euphonium, trombone), Tuur Florizoone (accordion), Marine Horbaczewski (cello)
10 (members) / 13,50 euro
In cooperation with Cultuurcentrum Zwaneberg. Book in advance on tel. 015 25 07 70, www.zwaneberg.be.

Massot-Florizoone-Horbaczewski has been a true musical surprise ever since the trio came into existence a few years ago. Its instrumentation is unusual, in spite of the fact that accordion, tuba and cello seem to have a lot in common: their beautiful timbre, their wide register and - something not be forgotten - their photogenicity.
The background of the trio's members is very different. Trombonist and tuba-player Michel Massot is part of a generation of groundbreaking Belgian musicians who studied at the Conservatory of Liège, crossing boundaries between jazz and contemporary music. He was one of the founders of Trio Bravo and Trio Grande, and played an important part in Kris Defoort's ensembles such as KD's Basement Party and Dreamtime. As is Tuur Florizoone, Massot was born a true performer. Florizoone studied piano and jazz composition at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. On the accordion, he is mainly self-taught. His soundtrack for Christophe Van Rompaey's movie Aanrijding in Moscou gave him a sudden popularity, winning amongst others the audience award of the World Soundtrack Awards 2008 at the Ghent Film Festival. Last but not least, cellist Marine Horbaczewski was classically trained at the Conservatory of Liège, but also studied free improvisation with Garrett List and Michel Massot. The three of them manage to conjure up the most surprising and touching sounds, finding a way in between jazz and contemporary classical music. In 2008, their first cd, Cinema Novo, was released on Home Records.
More info on www.tuurflorizoone.be and www.myspace.com/massotflorizoonehorba.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010, 20:30: VIJAY IYER (USA)
Vijay Iyer (piano)
14 (-26) / 16 (members) / 18 euro
Book in advance on tel. 015 24 19 53 or info@hnita-jazz.be (numbered seats).

Born in Rochester, New York in 1971, American pianist and composer Vijay Iyer is one of the most important jazz musicians of this day and age. "By now, there can be no doubt that pianist-composer Iyer stands amongst the most daringly original jazz artists of the under-40 generation," critic Howard Reich wrote in the Chicago Tribune. Earlier this year, Iyer was voted ?Musician of the Year? by the international Jazz Journalists Association, an honour previously bequeathed upon legends such as Ornette Coleman, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland and Wayne Shorter. His previous cd, Historicity (ACT, 2009), was voted "Album of the Year" by amongst others The New York Times and Down Beat's Critics Poll. Last summer, his trio concert was one of the highlights of the prestigious Ghent Jazz Festival.
It has become exceptional to be able to listen to Iyer in a club like Hnita, it is even more exceptional to be able to listen to him in two such intimate clubs in a row: on Monday, December 6, he is playing at de Singer in Rijkevorsel, and a day later at Hnita-Jazz Club.
Both concerts fit in with the release of Iyer's first solo album on the German ACT label, aptly titled Solo. The album features a number of original compositions as well as personal renderings of jazz standards such as Duke Ellington's "Black & Tan Fantasy" and Thelonious Monk's "Epistrophy" and Michael Jackson's hit "Human Nature". Iyer's immense musical qualities clearly show on this cd. His voice is being influenced by a magnitude of styles and influences: jazz legends such as Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner, Andrew Hill, Alice Coltrane and Randy Weston; classical composers such as Steve Reich, György Ligeti, Olivier Messiaen and Béla Bartók; rock, soul, funk, hiphop and electronics; the hypnotizing character of Indian music; and the polyphonics of African drums. Down Beat wrote about this album: "This is one of the best recordings of the year from one of our most exciting artists."
More info on www.vijay-iyer.com. With the support of Piano's Maene.

The following jazz concerts have been scheduled at the Hnita-Jazz Club as well:
- Saturday, December 18, 2010, 20:30: DAME JEANNE & SARAH CHEBARO (B) with Peter Verhelst (g, saz, oud), Sara Meyer (as, ss), Joeri Wens (tombak, daf, dame jeanne) and Sarah Chebaro (dance) – an organisation of Dame Jeanne in cooperation with Hnita vzw
- Thursday, February 3, 2011, 20:30: THE NU BAND (USA) with Roy Campbell Jr. (tp, flh), Mark Whitecage (as, cl), Joe Fonda (b) and Lou Grassi (dr, perc)
- Saturday, February 12, 2011, 20:30, in cooperation with CC Zwaneberg: TUTU PUOANE ?IT BEGAN IN AFRICA? (ZA-B-MOC) with Tutu Puoane (voc), Marcus Wyatt (tp), Tony Paco (perc), Ewout Pierreux (p), Nicolas Thys (b) and Lieven Venken (dr).
- Monday, February 28, 2011, 20:30: DAVE PIKE, BENJAMIN HERMAN & REIN DE GRAAFF TRIO (USA-NL), with Dave Pike (vib), Benjamin Herman (as), Rein de Graaff (p), Marius Beets (b) and Eric Ineke (dr).

In a different genre, the following concert has been scheduled as well:
Friday, December 17, 2010, 20.00: LOOP JOURNEY (B) and THE DEVILLES (B).