UPCOMING SHOWS:

UPCOMING SHOWS:

Sat. April 30
KONONO N°1 FEAT. BATUDA
(Le Grand Mix, Tourcoing)

Sun. May 1
HELL
(The Pit's, Kortrijk)

Thu. May 5
Awesome Tapes From Africa dj set
(Treehou5e Open Air, Ghent)

Fri. May 6
Invisible Hands / Neil Michael Hagerty & The Howling Hex / DSR Lines
(Vooruit, Ghent)

Sat. May 7
CRITES
(De Ruimte, Ghent)

Tue. May 10
SEX CRIME + THE ARROGANTS
(De Pit's, Kortrijk)

Thu. May 12
QUANTIC
(DOK, Ghent)

Fri. May 13
ARCHIE & THE BUNKERS
(Het Bos, Antwerp)

Sun. May 15
THRONEFEST (Taake, Inquisition, Mgla, Batushka, Inferno, Dysangellium, Wiegedood & The Commitee)
(Kubox, Kuurne)

Thu. May 26
PAUL COLLINS BEAT
(Den Trap, Kortrijk)

Fri. May 27
BEAK>
(Trix, Antwerp)

Wed. June 1
TY SEGALL & THE MUGGERS
(Botanique, Brussels)

Wed. June 8
UNCANNY VALLEY: THE LOS ANGELES FREE MUSIC SOCIETY AND THEIR LEGACY (WOLF EYES, etc.)
(Vooruit, Ghent)

Wed. June 22
FÖLLAKZOID
(Het Bos, Antwerp)






Friday, November 03, 2006

WILLIAM PARKER & HAMID DRAKE

picture by Johan Malot

On August 9th 2003, I saw a free jazz trio that totally blew my mind. It happened to be my first visit to the yearly FREE MUSIC XXX festival in Antwerp and for the last time, this small festival took place in a cosy little theatre. The Trappist beers were dirt-cheap and the ambiance was superb: about 250 jazz-aficionados were ready and waiting for some musical adventure. The first two bands were interesting nonetheless: MIKE (Mike Goyvaerts, Willy Van Buggenhout, John Edwards) as well as FRED & IVO (Fred Van Hove, Ivo Vander Borght, Maurice Horsthuis, Michel Doneda) took us on an experimental but very enjoyable musical ride. The headlining band however was no other than powerhouse trio PETER BRÖTZMANN, WILLIAM PARKER and HAMID DRAKE who put the audience in some kind of musical trance during the next 2 hours. It was one of the most impressive concerts I have ever witnessed. The spiritual majesty of the music left me speechless.

Last year, I saw this amazing trio again, this time at the Kunstencentrum Vooruit, and it turned out to be another fabulous gig. Parker had brought along his 8-string doson ngoni (traditional hunter's guitar from West Africa), Drake proved his master ship on a gigantic hand drum and Brötzmann scribbled incredible high notes on his alto clarinet. Again, I was totally mesmerized by the raw beauty of the music. It was unlike anything else I had heard before: some kind of exciting mix between world music and free jazz, without the ugly fusion element or the academic dullness. This music was ruthless, fierce & challenging.

Last Monday, Parker and Drake played another show at the Damberd café in Ghent, this time without Brötzmann. Between 2 long jams (one called 'Vietnam III' and another was a tribute I think to Dewey Redman), Drake played the gigantic hand drum and sang wonderfully (I think Moroccan). After some time, Parker changed his bass for what I think was a ghaita, a Moroccan folk oboe, and both master musicians took us to unknown territory. The gig started late and lasted until 1.45 AM. Yet, nobody left the place during this mind-blowing 2,5 hours session. Killer!

Some of the best music by William Parker and Hamid Drake has been released on the wonderful Aum Fidelity label from New York. The CD's as well as the shipping costs are very reasonably priced and label owner Steven Joerg is a terrific person to deal with. Do check out some of the fabulous music made by these fantastic musicians. You won't regret it!

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