Igor Gehenot Trio

Last year, Igor Gehenot, who hails from Liège, won the Sabam Jazz Award for young talents. His style is limpid, lively and accurate. The trio’s performances are lyrical and exciting, mixing their own compositions with standards.

Igor Gehenot, who was born in 1989, was raised by a musical mother and started playing the piano at the age of six. He was attracted to jazz from an early age and decided to take private lessons, in addition to attending the music academy. He trained with several renowned pianists, including Dado Moroni, Salvatore Bonafede, Jozef Dumoulin and Fabian Fiorini. After graduating from the conservatory in Maastricht, he attended classes at the conservatory of Brussels with Eric Legnini and Jean-Louis Rassinfosse. He also worked with the French pianist Baptiste Trotignon. In 2009 he won the first price for young talent at the Comblain Festival performing with the Metropolitan Quartet. Gehenot is influenced by Brad Melhdau, Jef Neve and the ECM pianists. At the same time he is also capable of giving a punchy performance, with catchy grooves. He can be lyrical, sensitive, excited and have fun.

But Gehenot’s dream was to play in a trio one day. Today he performs with drummer Teun Verbruggen and bass player Sam Gerstmans. Gerstmans, a solid bass player, who excels at harmonics, is the stabilizing factor. Drummer Teun Verbruggen, who has been playing with the Jef Neve trio for several years, contributes colourful rhythms and a different, innovative sound. Their first album ‘Road Story’ will be in stores this spring.