Barnyard Bigband plays together with Brussels Jazz Orchestra: “A unique birthday concert” (Essen)

The Essen Barnyard Big Band invited the Brussels Jazz Orchestra to play together for their five-year anniversary. “Everyone is welcome to this unique birthday concert on May 11 in the Lux hall in Kapellen,” says trumpeter Guy Van Gils.

“I had been toying with the idea of ​​starting a big band with a fresh look at timeless music from the past seventy years. In 2018 I brought together about 20 instrumentalists. And we clicked from the first note,” says Guy Van Gils. “At Barnyard Bigband you hear and see trumpets, saxes, trombones and oversized rhythm sections. We play funk, jazz and real classics, from Miles Davis to Frank Sinatra to Robbie Williams.”

“We played our first concert in April 2019 and that certainly left us wanting more, but a little later corona appeared. Our band showed the necessary perseverance and we continued to make progress. And in 2022 we took part in the ‘Fire Up That Big Band’ workshop, organized by the Brussels Jazz Orchestra (BJO),” Guy Van Gils looks back. “That gave us an energy boost. We played five concerts that year, each with a different set list, good for about eight hours of vibrant live music. Robrecht Lasoen has been our new conductor since October 2023. He always challenges us with new songs.”

“That workshop was indeed a very nice introduction,” says Frank Vaganée, artistic director of BJO. “We are honored that Barnyard Bigband asked us to celebrate their fifth anniversary together. On May 11, people can expect a musical journey full of passion and drive in the Lux hall in Kapellen. We are really looking forward to how both bands inspire each other and take each other to an even higher level.”

Footnote & Footprint

“Brussels Jazz Orchestra has existed since 1993 and has built up an extensive repertoire during that period. From this I made a selection for the birthday concert and I called it the footprint of our orchestra,” explains Frank Vaganée.

“Compared to BJO, we as Barnyard Bigband are only a small footnote, instead of a footprint. That is how we came up with the name for this concert: Footnote & Footprint,” adds Guy Van Gils.

Brussels Jazz Orchestra & Barnyard Bigband will play a selection from the repertoire of both bands in the Lux hall, Marktplein 1, 2950 Kapellen. The concert starts at 8 p.m.

Tickets cost 23 euros and can be ordered via: Ticketshop Cultuurdienst Kapellen