...deeply melodic forays and from-the-heart blues occupy the same space, unconflicted.
Forceful and mystic, with a beauty and intensity that reminded him of his first hearings of Miles, Mingus, or Monk, Belgian bassist & composer Piet Verbist was pulled into his deep study of Flamenco culture several years ago through a grant from the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp. After a dozen immersive trips to Andalusia to study, perform, and develop a repertoire, Piet presented concerts in Belgium and Málaga with his joint Spanish/Belgian ensemble, recording this album live in Antwerp at the end of 2023. Featuring Carmelo Muriel on the Bansuriney (a Muriel-designed wooden flute), Carlos Cortés on percussion and flamenco guitar, and Juan Sainz on drums, with Belgians Tom Van Dyck on saxophones, and Verbist's son, Milan Verbist on piano, the Flamenco Jazz Summit paints a sonic portrait both exotic and popular at first sight, but the dual cultural melting-pot conceived traditions of jazz and flamenco actually combine to prove deep and inimitable.
Track Listing:
1 Al-Andablues 7:01 (Buler'as)
2 Nuevo Alterado 7:33 (Tanguillos)
3 El Mar Empieza Aqui 7:37 (Alegr'as)
4 A Child Is Born 6:50 (Soleá)
5 La Filosofia Del Jamón 13:26 dedicated to Carmelo Muriel
6 Asylum 10:09 dedicated to all refugees in the world
7 Y Allá Ella Está 10:31 (Seguiriyas) dedicated to Griet Van Steen
8 Bull 6:08 (Buler'as)
All compositions and arrangements by Piet Verbist,
except (4) comp. by Thad Jones, arr. by Piet Verbist
Performers:
Carmelo Muriel - bansuriney
Tom Van Dyck - alto & soprano sax
Milan Verbist - piano
Piet Verbist - double bass
Carlos Cortés - percussion & flamenco guitar
Juan Sainz - drums
Production Info:
Produced by Piet Verbist for Contour vzw
Recorded live by Pierre Dozin
at the Gele Zaal, De Singel, Antwerpen, Belgium
on December 14 & 15, 2023
Mixed & mastered by Pierre Dozin
Video recorded and edited by Arne Fivez
Band photos by Bram Goots
Cover design & layout by John Bishop
Reviews of Flamenco Jazz Summit: El Mar Empieza Aqui
Adult Music Podcast (Russ Hubert)
Piet Verbist shares his immersive experience into flamenco music through this satisfying melding with jazz. His original compositions cover a variety of traditional flamenco styles and rhythms, but also seamlessly flow into swinging sections in the songs. Thad Jones' "A Child Is Born" also gets an inventive reimagination. The instrumentation has a ...
