Bert JORIS : biography

Django d'Or 1996

Born in Antwerp (Belgium) in 1957, Bert JORIS receives classical lessons on violin, piano and acoustic bass. He starts playing the trumpet at the age of 14.
Studies at the Antwerp Conservatory, but leaves when he gets interested in jazz. He then rapidly becomes one of the top jazzmen in Belgium.

Thanks to his talents as a soloist, he gets hired in 78 by the BRT Radio Jazzorkest, conducted by Etienne VERSCHUEREN. During this period, and until 87, he is one the main composers and arrangers for the band.

As a soloist, he appears throughout Europe, with the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) Big Band in Sweden, the big bands of the WDR, the NDR, Klaus WEISS, Al PORCINO and Peter HERBOLZHEIMER's big bands in Germany, the Metropole Orchestra in Holland, ACT Big Band, the Brussels Jazz Orchestra in Belgium, etc.
Some of those big bands also play his compositions and arrangements.
He performed in Switzerland with the Joe HAIDER Quintet. He toured and recorded with the Joe HAIDER / Mel LEWIS Big Band, that included many first rate American and European jazzmen, such as Benny BAILEY, Roman SCHWALLER, Bart VAN LIER, etc...
In 95, he co-leads with pianist Joe HAIDER the "ANNIVERSARY BIG BAND" for a tour in Germany and Switserland and a CD.

Besides his big band activities, Bert JORIS appears as a soloist in many small groups. He played a.o. with Woody SHAW, Sal NISTICO, Billy BROOKS, Reggie JOHNSON, the Wolfgang HAFFNER Quintet, bassist Riccardo DEL FRA, pianists Rob VAN BAVEL, Robert Jan VERMEULEN, Michel HERR's European Quintet (Igloo CD "Notes of Life") and Unexpected Encounters, etc.

He teaches at the Lemmens Instituut in Leuven (Belgium) and at the Swiss Jazz School in Bern.

Bert JORIS leads his own quartet. He recorded an album with it and appeared in various concerts and festivals, a.o. the Liège Jazz Festival 96, recorded by the Belgian TV RTBF.

With U.S. saxophonist Joe LOVANO, he did a series of concerts and recorded the album "Solid Steps" (Jazz Club), which contains one of his pieces.

He regularly plays with guitarist Philip CATHERINE (several CDs).

He toured with the Roman SCHWALLER/Bert JORIS Sextet with saxophonist George ROBERT, bassist Isla ECKINGER, pianist Dado MORONI and the legendary US drummer Jimmy COBB.

Bert JORIS is also known as a composer/arranger, and his big band music has been played all over the world.

In 96, he was asked to compose a big band piece at the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the "Lundis d'Hortense" (Belgian Jazz Musicians Association). The piece was created for the Brussels Jazz Orchestra.
In the "Europalia Horta Festival", he was the musical director of "You ain't heard nothin' yet", a show combining his music and some silent movies, in a tribute to the jazz masters of the past (Armstrong, Ellington, Django, etc). Here, his compositions were performed by the Brussels Jazz Orchestra and the Sweet Substitutes.
Several of these recent big band pieces have been recorded by the Brussels Jazz Orchestra on their CDs Live CD ('97) and The September Sessions. Bert JORIS even supervised the recording of this second CD and conducted several of his pieces ('99).
In '98, he wrote and recorded the soundtrack of the movie "Bal Masqué", of Belgian director Julien VREEBOS. The soundtrack is available on CD.
He conducted the big band of the Swiss Jazz School at the Bern Jazz Festival (Switserland) in a concert featuring US soloists such as saxophonist Bob MINTZER and trumpet player Bobby SHEW, in a program of his pieces and Mintzer's. In '98 he conducted the band in the USA, at the IAJE Convention, Birdland (NY) & Blues Alley(Washington).
The SJS Big Band performed (2000) in Montreux and received the Chrysler award for best Big Band in Zwitserland.
Followed some concerts with Clark Terry in the aftermath of Bern Jazzfestival 2000 .
In March 2000, at the occasion of the festival of "Les Lundis d'Hortense", he conducted the Brussels Jazz Orchestra. They played his arrangements featuring Philip CATHERINE as a soloist.

Bert JORIS received the Django d'or Prize in 96.

He also had the opportunity to participate in a "trumpet night" with Bobby SHEW and Wallace RONEY plus the Hank JONES Trio.

He is also touring in quartet with pianist Dado MORONI and bassist Rosario BONACCORSO.

In '98, Bert JORIS was elected best Belgian trumpet player of the year '98, both in the listeners poll (RTBF/VRT) and the critics poll (French speaking).

Festival Jazz Middelheim 99 with Lew TABACKIN trio.

These days, Bert JORIS is more active than ever, playing on the Belgian and European scene and writing for various big bands.

February 2002 marks the release of his double cd with the BRUSSELS JAZZ ORCHESTRA, featuring his compositions : THE MUSIC OF BERT JORIS (Werf 029-030)

In September 2002, the WERF label releases a live album : BERT JORIS QUARTET : LIVE (Werf 035)

BERT JORIS QUARTET

BERT JORIS DISCOGRAPHY

Van Dijckstraat 1, B-2640 Mortsel, Belgium, fax : (32-3) 449 67 62
E-mail : bert.joris@pi.be

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Bert JORIS

trumpet/flugelhorn, composer/arranger