do 5 mrt '26

Melting Pot / Alex Koo Trio

'Blame It on My Chromosomes' ★★★★

An honest self-portrait within contemporary jazz

Tickets

Starting from € 8,5 with Ha'pas

€ 21 Presale / € 11 student
€ 25 Box office / € 15 student
€ 4.2 Uitpas reduction + EDC

Unnumbered seats - club

19:15 Doors
20:15 Concert

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Jazz Vibes

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“Contemplative yet lively, peace-seeking but intense, contrasts abound as Koo embraces jazz’s freedom of expression without forsaking technique” Mojo ★★★★
“Wonderful album by a top talent” – De Standaard ★★★★

An honest self-portrait within contemporary jazz

Belgian-Japanese pianist Alex Koo presents his most personal album to date, 'Blame It on My Chromosomes'. Accompanied by his regular trio of bassist Lennart Heyndels and drummer Dré Pallemaerts, he explores his memories and identity in depth.

The result is a surprising journey featuring whistling and singing. Above all, however, you hear nimble, emotional and adventurous ensemble playing, with two tracks featuring none other than American trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire.

Alex Koo Trio
Alex Koo (piano), Lennart Heyndels (double bass), Dré Pallemaerts (drums)

Melting Pot with Alex Koo

Melting Pot sees three European festivals and two venues join forces to create new music. Berlin Jazz, Saalfelden Jazz Festival, Jazztopad Wrocław, Victoria Oslo Jazz Festival and Ha Concerts are inviting five powerful and idiosyncratic musicians from across Europe to collaborate on new music "in the moment".

Previous editions have included Louise van den Heuvel and Pak Yan Lau. This year, Ha is presenting Alex Koo as part of the ensemble.

The group of 2026
Sofia Salvo (via Jazz Berlin – baritone saxophone), Hendrik Sandstad (via Oslo – double bass), Judith Schwarz (via Saalfelden – drums), Katarzyna Kapela (via Wrocław – violin), Alex Koo (via Ha – piano)

More info

Born to a Japanese peace activist and a Belgian missionary sent to Japan in the 1970s, Alex Koo refuses to be pigeonholed. As the renowned German magazine Jazzthetik put it, 'Alex Koo defies categorisation.'

With its ten unique, personal songs, Blame It on My Chromosomes is more than just a musical statement; it is a form of self-therapy. ‘For me, it's about accepting who I am and letting go of everything else.’

He dedicates the song 'Jonass' to a childhood friend who tragically passed away. ‘When we were kids, we used to go skating and do stupid things with shopping trolleys, inspired by Jackass,’ Koo recalls. ‘That's why we called Jonas “Jonass”. He had the biggest smile imaginable and his laughter was infectious, but he was also the most reckless of us all.’ This makes for a playful and poignant tribute, to which Ambrose Akinmusire also contributes.

Add to that the cinematic tribute to Ennio Morricone in 'Eagle of the Sun', his reflections on living in a stimulating world in 'Slowly', and his humorous reference to his time in New York in 'Hey Man, We Should Play Sometime'. Each and every one of these songs is bursting with emotional expressiveness.

“His distinctive blend of jazz, neoclassical, ambient and minimalism is built on a solid foundation of contemporary jazz romanticism.” – DownBeat – ★★★★

"When listening, Keith Jarrett’s name came to mind several times. Not because Koo’s playing is similar to that of the American master, but because it is of the same exceptionally high level." Trouw