WHO WON?

Nic Thys and Filip Verneert (photo: Hugo Lefèvre)
winner Jazzmozaïek Award 2017: Nic Thys
Every year the editors of Jazzmozaïek magazine choose a Belgian musician that stands out on the fields of renewal, rejuvenation and broadening of the genre.
This year they chose bass player Nic Thys. He also took home a portrait of himself painted by Chris Joris.
winner B-Jazz Composition Contest 2017: ‘Vertigo of the Fish’ (Antoine Pierre)
Sabam for Culture and Muziekmozaïek are searching for new Belgian jazzthemes. Out of the applications ‘Vertigo of the Fish’ by Antoine Pierre was chosen as the winning composition.
Comments of the jury: ‘Vertigo of the Fish’ is a composition with a wide varierty and a lot of energy. It’s an advanced composition, with a good chord progression, melody and metre.
winner Sabam for Culture Prize: Daahoud Salim Quintet
The best live interpretation of ‘Vertigo of the Fish’ is rewarded too and this prize goes to the Daahoud Salim Quintet from Spain.
The members of the jury were impressed by the classy level of the arrangement. The result was a beautiful piece that sounds great, exciting and easy. It even sounded like the musicians have been playing it all their life.
winner Prize for Best Bass Player: Dario Piccioni (Vittorio Solimene Trio)
This Italian bass player is standing out because he is so expressive, with a good sound.
He really lives each note, lives the music and makes strong statements.
Dario plays with passion and the audience can almost feel what he is doing.
He is 100% in the music.
winner ‘Grand Prix Albert Michiels’: Daahoud Salim Quintet
The presentation of the band and their music is different and special in a good way.
They handle the band in a nice way: by standing at the side of the stage when not playing, they give each other room to play and explore. It’s lovely to see mature musicians with a message, a smile and good interplay.
The band has good music with excellent arrangements and besides good musical technique they express emotions in a beautiful way.
The Daahoud Salim Quintet is really a joy to listen to and they made the members of the jury and the audience very happy.

Daahoud Salim Quintet with on the left Mia Michiels and Filip Verneert (photo: Hugo Lefèvre)
Marithé Van der Aa Quartet, Daahoud Salim Quintet, Vittorio Solimene Trio, Hoera., Phil Meadows Project and Sebastiaan van Bavel Trio.
Marithé Van der Aa Quartet (Belgium)
Belgian singer Marithé Van der Aa formed a jazz band in Berlin. Their music is rooted in the rich jazz tradition, without the aim to copy the ‘American style‘. their main influence is their own European background.
band members
Marithé Van der Aa (vocals)
Daniel Schwarzwald (piano)
Jonathan Nagel (double bass)
Andreas Kunert (drums)
website Marithé Van der Aa Quartet
Daahoud Salim Quintet (Spain)
This quintet won the Getxo Jazz Festival contest (Spain) in 2016 and played the past two years throughout Europe, as well in clubs as on festivals. The musicians all graduated recently as masters in jazz at the Conservatory of Amsterdam.
band members
Daahoud Salim (piano)
SunMi Hong (drums)
Hendrik Müller (double bass)
Bruno Calvo (trumpet)
Pablo José Martínez (trombone)
Vittorio Solimene Trio (Italy)
The music of this trio consists of traditional jazz and modern musical trends, by playing own compositions as well as reworked standards. They played already at festivals in Italy, Finland and England and were selected for B-Jazz by Saint Louis College of Music (Italy).
band members
Vittorio Solimene (piano)
Dario Piccioni (double bass)
Alessandro D’Anna (drums)
Hoera. (Belgium)
A modern take on the acoustic guitar trio, with an own recognizable sound, a scenery to travel through in between songs, jazz, film music and soundscapes. As winners of Jong Jazztalent Gent they got a spot in the finals of B-Jazz. Jazz meets modern electronica.
band members
Bert Cools (acoustic & electric guitar)
Dries Laheye (electric bass)
Stijn Cools (drums)
Phil Meadows Project (United Kingdom)
This creative, talented group of musicians comes our way from the United Kingdom. Inspired by global sounds, with which they combine elements of jazz, contemporary classical music, folk, electronica and more.

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band members
Phil Meadows (sax)
Rob Luft (guitar)
Flo Moore (double bass & electric bass)
Will Glaser (drums)
Sebastiaan van Bavel Trio (Netherlands)
Piano player and composer Sebastiaan van Bavel is doing great in the Netherlands: his debut album got an Edison Award and he already played North Sea Jazz Festival. The organisers of Amersfoort Jazz didn’t hesitate and they got him a place in the B-Jazz finals. Be prepared for a mix of improvisation, elements from jazz and influences of Indian and western classical music.
band members
Sebastiaan van Bavel (piano)
Alessandro Fongaro (bass)
Jimmi Hueting (drums)
website Sebastiaan van Bavel Trio
WHO APPLIED FOR B-JAZZ 2017?
- 342Four (United States of America)
- A.I.M.A. Quartet (Italy)
- Acelga Ninja (Germany)
- Adam Jarzmik Quintet (Poland)
- Aga Derlak Trio (Poland)
- André Santos ‘Vitamina D’ (Portugal)
- Bangin Bülows Nice Jazz Quartet (Denmark)
- Bija (Italy)
- BRAIN//CHILD (Belgium)
- Charlie Stacey Trio (United Kingdom)
- Conrad’s Quintett (Germany)
- CoolHaven Quintet (Netherlands)
- David Tixier Trio (France)
- Diood (France)
- Dock In Absolute (Luxembourg)
- Dominic J Marshall trio (Netherlands)
- DuckTapeTicket (Germany)
- Elena & The Rom Ensemble (Finland)
- Evacuation Plan (Netherlands)
- Falga (Netherlands)
- FOURS collective (Poland)
- Gauthier Toux Trio (France)
- Giovanni Agosti Trio (Netherlands)
- Giulio Scaramella (Italy)
- Global Schwung Quintet (Poland)
- Gottfried di Franco 5et (Austria)
- Guy Mintus Trio (United States of America)
- HOLON Trio (Germany)
- i.f.o (Belgium)
- Isabel Bermejo & The Impact (Spain)
- Ivan Blomqvist Trio (Norway)
- Jacopo Ferrazza trio (Italy)
- Jakub Paulski Quartet (Poland)
- Jannis Wolff Quartet (Netherlands)
- Jeremy Dumont Trio (Belgium)
- Just Another Foundry (Germany)
- K&L Jazzduo (Germany)
- Kadawa (United States of America)
- Kapok (Netherlands)
- Keno Harriehausen Quartet (Denmark)
- Kolakowski:Wykpisz:Korelus (Poland)
- Kristina Barta Trio (Czech Republic)
- KRUIDKOEK (Netherlands)
- Lada Obradovic Project (Switzerland)
- Lajos Tóth Trio (Austria)
- Lariza (Germany)
- Liberati Quartet (Netherlands)
- LORE (Netherlands)
- Lu Amaya (Italy)
- Ludanyi Quartet (Hungary)
- Lukas Zabulionis Group (Norway)
- Maciej Kadziela – Quintet (Poland)
- MADSIUSOVANDA (Germany)
- Mareike Wiening Band (Germany)
- Marithé Van der Aa Quartet (Belgium)
- Mark Pringle Trio (United Kingdom)
- Marutyri (Netherlands)
- Marvin Frey & Willem Suilen duo (Netherlands)
- Mercury (United Kingdom)
- Michele Tino/Pedro Branco Group (Netherlands)
- Miguel Angel Lous Jazz Group (Netherlands)
- Misaki Nakamichi Project (United States of America)
- Miszform Project (Taiwan)
- MIXCLA (United States of America)
- Morgan Freeman (Netherlands)
- Mörs Trio (Belgium)
- Mynah (Italy)
- Nachtfarben (Germany)
- New Standard Duo (United States of America)
- O.G. Loc Cinq Têtes (France)
- ODIL (Belgium)
- OGGY & the Phonics (Switzerland)
- Otto Kintet (Belgium)
- Pauls Pokratnieks Group (Latvia)
- Pawel Kaminski Quartet (Poland)
- Phil Meadows Project (United Kingdom)
- PINTO (Belgium)
- Piotr Scholz Sextet (Poland)
- Pj5 (France)
- Post K (France)
- Quartzite (Netherlands)
- Quindependence (Poland)
- QuintilloEns (Venezuela)
- Rit Xu Group (Singapore)
- Roy Mor Group (Israel)
- Rubiks (Belgium)
- Sanctum Sanctorium (South Africa)
- SBTL Project – Songs Between Two Lands (Italy)
- Sivan Arbel Septet (United States of America)
- Sketchbook Quartett (Austria)
- Skint (United Kingdom)
- Solomons Kosmos (Germany)
- SoundMeck (Poland)
- SUN-MI HONG TRIO (Netherlands)
- The Allison Philips Trio (Netherlands)
- The Forest Tuner (Poland)
- The Quentin Angus Trio (United States of America)
- tiktaalik (Austria)
- Totenhagen (Germany)
- Tree of Dawn (Netherlands)
- Trialogue (United Kingdom)
- Two Violins (Ukraine)
- Vernau Mier Frisson Sextet (Spain)
- Weezdob Collective (Poland)
- Who Wouldn’t Like Tom? (Israel)
- Yuliya Perminova Trio (Russia)
MEMBERS OF THE JURY
Jury for the qualifications
Peter Hertmans (BE)
guitarist & composer / teacher at Conservatorium Brussel and at Lemmens Instituut Leuven
Maarten Weyler (BE)
chairman of music programme at School of Arts/Koninklijk Conservatorium Ghent
Jury for the finals
Jan Formannoy (NL)
chairman of the jury / guitarist / guitar teacher at Conservatorium Maastricht
Leon Lhoëst (NL)
pianist, composer & arranger / lecturer general theory subjects at School of Arts/Koninklijk Conservatorium Ghent and at Conservatorium Maastricht
Sabine Kuehlich (DE)
singer & composer / jazz voice teacher at Conservatorium Maastricht
Fernando Iza San Miguel (ES)
representative of Getxo International Jazz Festival
Gianni Di Renzo (IT)
drummer / jazz drums teacher at Saint Louis College of Music
Susan Leliveld (NL)
assistant programmer of Amersfoort Jazz Festival and Congres
Patrick Mortier (BE)
musician, producer & publisher / representative of Sabam for Culture
Filip Verneert (BE)
secretary of the jury / musician / director of Muziekmozaïek Folk & Jazz vzw
Jury for the Composition Contest
Piotr Matusik (BE)
pianist, composer & winner of the B-Jazz Composition Contest 2016
Teun Verbruggen (BE)
drummer & composer
Ilse Duyck (BE)
singer & composer
Leon Lhoëst (NL)
pianist, composer & arranger / lecturer general theory subjects at School of Arts/Koninklijk Conservatorium Ghent and at Conservatorium Maastricht