Foto Cees Van de Ven, Gent Jazz 2009
We had dearly hoped to get this sparkling quartet back on track with John in the original lineup — but it was not meant to be.
The passing of this brilliant musician, saxophonist, and educator John has deeply affected us.
Free is now considering to move the quartet forward.
In the meantime, enjoy this band and the genius contribution of the late John Ruocco.
This is a band you absolutely must experience live. With their typically unpredictable twists in musical approach, they always manage to surprise. Sometimes explosive, then introspective and timeless.
Free leads the quartet. Through his piano playing, compositions, and arrangements, he gives direction to the group — while at the same time giving full space to the creativity of his fellow musicians:
Manolo and Marek, a rock-solid rhythm section at the top European level for over 20 years.
John Ruocco, rightfully a living legend within the great American tenor saxophone tradition.
De Morgen
In a landscape heavily shaped by the hype of the day, pianist Free Desmyter is a welcome change. And there’s a good reason for that: Desmyter is telling his own story, not slyly copying relative successes from abroad.
He presents compositions that leave room for the performers — not overly complex or contrived, yet attractively contemporary. He appreciates a well-placed hesitation and a moment of suspense
Didier Wijnants
De Standaard
Something to share became a gently melancholic account of three turbulent years in the life of Free Desmyter. They play music that floats across the bar lines, resulting in adventurous and versatile rhythms.
“The role of reed player John Ruocco, who at the time helped many Belgian musicians find their path, is crucial.”
“With his unembellished yet striking playing style, he gives this music a special depth
Karel Van Keymeulen
TOOTS THIELEMANS
Question to Toots:
“And what do you personally enjoy listening to?”
Answer:
“That album by Free Desmyter — what a bitch of a piano player— with John Ruocco.”
Free Desmyter (born 1967) studied with Rob Madna at the Amsterdam University of the Arts. He teaches general music theory, piano harmonization, and improvisation training at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp.
In 2014, Free traveled to Mozambique, where, in collaboration with Musicfund and the Antwerp Conservatory, he taught at the Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo. He performed in Chamanculo, Sigauque Projeto, and the Centre Culturel Franco-Mozambicain with local musicians.
He works as a composer and arranger for his own projects (such as The Takenouchi Documents) and composes on commission for others. One notable work is The Childhood of Jesus, based on the book by J.M. Coetzee — a production of "Het Toneelhuis," directed by Guy Cassiers and Mokhallad Rasem.
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His versatility as a composer, arranger, and pianist in jazz, light music, classical, and world music allows him to blend like a chameleon into different musical styles.
He has won several awards, including the Prix Nicolas d'Or, the Sabam Prize, and the Creole German World Music Awardwith the Iraqi-German-Belgian ensemble Ahoar, for which he also composed in the Persian musical style with a fresh and innovative approach. During a gathering of Iraqi journalists at the radio station Deutsche Welle Bonn, Ahoarperformed for the occasion. The concert was recorded by the station and broadcast in Baghdad during the waras a statement.
Finally, perhaps the most important “award” is the vision of the legendary Toots Thielemansabout Free:
“The CD of the Free Desmyter Quartet – what a bitch of a piano player!”
(Jazz Mozaïek magazine, 2010)
Free Desmyter toured with the African band of griot N'Faly Kouyaté and Dunyakan in Canada, Belgium, and England, with concerts broadcast by BBC Worldand several Canadian TV and radio stations. He orchestrated music by N'Faly Kouyaté on commission from Chris Joris. This was performed at the Concertgebouw Brugesby the Mons Orchestrawith the Chris Joris Experience.
Since 2002, Free Desmyter has been active with Chris Joris. He recorded two CDs and one DVDwith him. The CD Out of the Nightwas awarded the VRT Klara Radio Music Prize.
The CD by the Free Desmyter Quartet, Something to Share(featuring John Ruoccoon saxophone and clarinet), was well received by the international press and remains a reference point in Belgian jazz.
Listen on Bandcamp.
He has performed at major festivals, including:
EuroJazz Mexico, Womad (London), Nuits d'Afrique Montréal, CCFM Maputo, Jazz Middelheim, World Expo Seville, Gent Jazz Festival, Jazz à Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe), Rudolstadt World Music Festival (Germany), Audi Jazz Festival, Jazz Festival Worms (Germany), Music Festival Bari and Taranto (Italy), Brosella Jazz, and more.
This legendary jazz tenor from the US played with some of the greatest jazz musicians, including Dizzy Gillespie, Art Farmer, Slide Hampton, Ed Soph, Beaver Harris, Teddy Edwards, Toots Thielemans, Michael Gibbs, Philip Catherine, Joe Lovano, Billy Hart, John Abercrombie, Dino Saluzzi, Kenny Werner, Joe Baron, and for the past 20 years with the Peter Herbolzheimer Big Band.
He has performed at almost all European (and US) jazz festivals and has worked as a teacher since the 1980s at the conservatories of Antwerp, Brussels, and currently The Hague..
He teached and promoted half of the Belgian and Dutch sax jazz scener
Born in Sardinia (Italy), Manolo Cabrasbegan his musical studies at the age of ten at the local Conservatory of Cagliari. He first studied Classical Violinand Experimental Composition, followed by Classical Double Bass, and a few years later discovered the jazz bass. He attended a masterclass with Dave Holland, participated in workshops with, among others, Marc Johnson, and in 1996received the title "High Qualification for Jazz Musicians"in Siena (Italy).
In Italy, Cabras performed alongside musicians such as Enrico Rava, Gianluca Petrella, and Paolo Fresu. In 2004, he settled in Brussels, where he played concerts and recorded albums with the Ben Sluijs Quartet, Toots Thielemans Quartet, Manuel Hermia Trio, Chris Joris Quartet, Free Desmyter, and the Erik Vermeulen Trio.
He forms an almost inseparable rhythm tandem with drummer Marek Patrman.
Marek Patrmanwas born in the former Czechoslovakia. He studied classical percussion at the Conservatory of Ostravain Janáček. Between 1991 and 1995, he was part of the Czech National Radio Jazz Orchestra.
Since 1993, he has been active across much of Europe, performing at various festivals in Czechia, Slovakia, Germany, Spain, Greece, Poland, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, and more. In the mid-1990s, he settled in Belgiumand became a fixture in the local jazz scene, particularly in contemporary jazz projects.
He forms an almost inseparable rhythm tandem with Italian bassist Manolo Cabras. Together, they were part of Ben Sluijs’sgroup The Unplayables, the Erik Vermeulen Trio, and the Free Desmyter Quartet.
Today, he also teaches at the Jazzstudio in Antwerp.
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