Follow the Sound in Antwerp, Belgium

As always the festival is focusing on improvisation within a wide range of genres, including free jazz styles, experimental rock and electronic music. Central to Follow The Sound are the legendary figures of drummer Han Bennink and pianist Cecil Taylor, each with a full days program dedicated to their life and music. Besides a number of concerts A night with Han Bennink will offer the premire of a Bennink documentary and the presentation of his biography. The Taylor concert at deSingel is preceded by a showing, free of charge, of two films about the pianist. Furthermore Follow The Sound will extend a carte blanche to drummer Eric Thielemans, and the ensemble Champ dAction will present a creation by Serge Verstockt.

Follow The Sound... an Antwerp monument

Follow The Sound is a continuation of Free Music, the legendary festival that was launched in Antwerp in 1973 by pianist Fred Van Hove and his friends. At its origin was the dissatisfaction with the evolution of Jazz Middelheim, and a climate that was marked by May 68, the happenings, and artists taking control of their production. Thanks to the pugnacity of the Antwerp scene, the festival quickly acquired international recognition. In Antwerp it gained a reputation/notoriety as an icon of alternative culture. The festival was organised by the musicians cooperative W.I.M. (Werkgroep Improviserende Musici Co-operative Improvising Musicians) until 2004. Since 2005 it has been organised by Free Music vzw (with Rob Leurentop as the artistic director). In 2008 it was renamed Follow The Sound, after the famous words of saxophonist Ornette Coleman at Jazz Middelheim: Follow The Sound and well all be in the same room.

The festival was created in a period when hard American free jazz and radical European improvisation music were leaving a strong mark. Follow The Sound remains loyal to the festivals original philosophy, with a focus on improvisation. In the current spirit of the times, this takes on more different and diverse shapes than in the early years. The festival is now open to countless new influences from different music cultures as a source for improvisation. Many people in and outside Antwerp consider Follow The Sound to be a monument and the second important festival alongside much larger Jazz Middelheim. In 2005 the current city council made it possible for the festival and the City of Antwerp to strengthen their ties. Today the city actively supports the festival and Follow The Sound is one of the partners of the Jazz in Antwerp platform.

PROGRAME FOLLOW THE SOUND

Champ dAction deSingel, Wednesday, September 30, 8 p.m.

Champ dAction is a top ensemble in contemporary music. In the programme Voix instrumentalise they place compositions by Vinko Globokar and Alvin Lucier alongside Water boarding, a new creation by Serge Verstockt. Acoustic instruments and voice are combined with percussion, electronic dance music and human beatboxer Fatty K.

A night with Han Bennink ScheldApen, Friday, October 2, 8 p.m. Percussionist, drummer, stage phenomenon and graphic artist Han Bennink will play in the large hangar of ScheldApen on October 2 in two different combinations: with the unrelenting punk guitarists of the EX and with his new trio that includes the young Belgian reed player Joachim Badenhorst. Their guest is the French guitarist Noel Akchot. That same evening the film Hazentijd by Jellie Dekker will be premired. The film covers Benninks life and work. De wereld als trommel, a biography by newspaper journalist Erik van den Berg, will also be presented. A night with Han Bennink offers a broad a portrait of the master-improvisator.

Oorwerk night: Eric Thielemans ScheldApen, Saturday, October 3, 8 p.m.

Drummer/curator Eric Thielemans and Oorwerk bring together a handful of guests from Belgium and abroad. With the slogan Struttin like a iPod shuffle they meet each other in an continuous and alternating stream of music in which there is room for improvised and composed music, text, words, images, and film. The artists include Jozef Dumoulin, Jean-Yves Evrard, Peter Jacquemyn, Jorgen Cassier, and Lucio Capece. Tom De Witte will talk about echolocalisation and guitarist Rudy Trouv will throw his animation film into the mix.

Cecil Taylor 80 deSingel, Sunday, October 4, 8 p.m.

The legendary Cecil Taylor will provide Follow The Sound with its final concert. In the Blauwe Zaal of deSingel he will play solo and in duo with percussionist Tony Oxley: a great opportunity to see the merciless romanticist of new jazz and one of the greatest pianists of our time (80 years old and still astounding) in action.

Cecil Taylor: Extra films on October 4!

Two films about Cecil Taylor have been added to the festival programme on October 4 in deSingel: at 4 p.m. the Belgian premire of All the Notes (Chris Felver, 2004) and at 6 p.m. Paris 1968. This rare documentary for French TV by Luc Ferrari-Piere Schaeffer has only recently become available for public screening. The films are shown free of charge. Food and drinks ate available all through the day and an extensive range of CDs will be on sale, including the latest collectors edition of the Taylor-Oxley duo. Late night sessions

On October 2-3 IH8 Camera will play in the bar at ScheldApen after the regular festival programme.

PRACTICAL

Follow The Sound, Antwerp, September 30 October 4.
Info: www.followthesound.be
Concert locations:
deSingel, Desguinlei 25, 1018 Antwerp, 03/248.28.28, desingel.be
ScheldApen, dHerbouvillekaai 36, 2020 Antwerp, +32(0)3/238.23.32, scheldapen.be.
Tickets:
deSingel 15 (Champ dAction) and 25 (Cecil Taylor), advance sales & reservations via +32(0)3/248.28.28, [email protected] and desingel.be ScheldApen 10, at the door

Food
On October 2-3 ScheldApens kitchen will be open from 7 p.m. Catering will be available in deSingel, during the day and in the evening, for the Cecil Taylor day on October 4.