The 6-piece band Brazzaville won the Young Jazz Talent contest in 2007. Recently, their album Days of thunder, days of grace was released on Evil Penguin Jazz Records. The band makes a nice mix of jazz, funk and Afro Beats.



Baritone saxophone player writes most of the compositions for this young band who likes to perform wherever there is a need for solid and clammy funk that stimulates everyone to move. The roots of their music is to be found in jazz and funk from the seventies, but they also look for inspiration in Afro Beat, strange grooves and even most of all in life itself.

The influences of the band are very different from each other, but when seeing the list it is very clear where they got their inspiration. These influences range from Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, The Headhunters, Eddie Harris, Bennie Maupin Freddie Hubbard and Miles Davis to Tony Allen, Fela Kuti, The Meters, Sly Stone and Jimi Hendrix. You have to admit that a band could chose worse examples than these mentioned above. The musicians cling themselves with a lot of commitment into all these grooves and shaking sounds they produce. There slogan is 'Go Brazza', or those who want it a bit longer: 'mistercleanyoghurtthewayitisfunkywigglewaggle!'.

Line-up: Vincent Brijs (baritone sax), Andrew Claes (tenor sax), Nicolas Rombouts (bass), Jan Willems (keyboards), Geert Hellings (guitar), Maarten Moesen (drums)