Time Change

When you've played with musicians such as Chris Potter, Lionel Loueke, and Jakob Bro, it's no surprise that you're welcomed with open arms by an American record label. I'm talking about Antwerp pianist-composer Milan Verbist (26), who recently made his debut with Time Change, a work on which he is accompanied by the rhythm duo Toon Rumen and Jens Meijer. After playing many concerts together, the trio decided in March 2025 to record an album with nine songs. Verbist wrote five of them, the others are by Tomasz Stanko, Ornette Coleman, J.S. Bach, and Gary Peacock—a surprising choice that is probably the result of the pianist delving into the record collection of his father, double bassist Piet Verbist. Verbist junior does not color outside the lines of the jazz tradition, but he does add his own accents. Sometimes it swings, sometimes it invites reflection. The young Verbist's playing shows astonishing maturity and his touch is surprising. But the rhythm section also demonstrates, seemingly effortlessly, that it can match the towering level of its leader. With Time Change, the trio delivers a debut that stands like the stones of Stonehenge: unyielding!

Translated from Flemish