Bodem / Fred Frith & Susana Santos Silva 25-04-25

vr 25 apr '25

“The long sound of unstopping life welcomed into this sweet intricate moment.” Tim Hodgkinson
“Darkly spirited conversation of deep introspection and cathartic exorcism; magnificent!” Squidco

Fred Frith & Susana Santos Silva

This duo was written in the stars. Fred Frith is a musical nomad through and through. With his idiosyncratic, contrary rock, he has taken electric guitar music into new territory, carried by fascinating friendships with Robert Wyatt (Soft Machine) and Bill Laswell (Masacre) or John Zorn and Iva Bittovà. He does not let himself be held back by expectations, but looks at what can emerge in the moment. Sounds like an ideal partner for Portuguese trumpeter Susana Santos Silva. Every time she plays in Ghent (with Lama, De Beren Gieren, Kaja Draksler, ...) she provides that extra bit of magic.

This tour is a chance for Fred and Susana to further develop their deep relationship and explore the infinite potential of a rather unusual instrumental combination.

Fred Frith & Susana Santos Silva
Fred Frith (elektrische gitaar), Susana Santos Silva (trompet)

De Twintigers - A sound for the future

One of the notable newcomers to the vibrant Belgian jazz scene is this trio led by saxophonist Adia Vanheerentals, who recently joined Klara's De Twintigers. The band is characterized by lyrical melodies and a fresh, collective interaction.

Between the spheres of the Scandinavian scene and some strong work from Chicago, they are working on a second album, which will be presented during the tour.

Bodem
Adia Vanheerentals (saxophone), Willem Malfliet (guitar), Anke Verslype (drums)

Fred and Susana - How they met

After their paths crossed during a workshop in Porto in 2011, Susana was involved in several of Fred's projects. First in a quartet with Chris Cutler and Heike Liss in Zagreb; then as a soloist with Okkyung Lee, Lotte Anker and Christine Wodrascka in TaTaTa with the Hessischer Rundfunk Big Band; and most recently on tour with the Fred Frith Trio and Heike Liss in Brazil, Europe and the USA.

When the Météo Festival proposed the Duo, it felt like a logical next step, and the Radio France recording of this first concert, later released on the Rogu'Art label, received rave reviews.

"Santos Silva is a master of tonal nuances, coaxing an astounding array of colors and textures from her horn, creating call-and-response effects via rapid alteration of open and muted sounds, weaving cohesive narratives without obvious melodies…” NYC Jazz Record

“amatchmadeinimprovisationalheaven” JazzTimes

Bodem - The Musicians

Immediately after graduating, Adia Vanheerentals created the music for the dance performance Change of Plans with Hendrik Lasure. Her trio also took off, with their debut album Kleine mars released on Nicolas Rombouts' brand new label MOKUHI Sonorities. They unpacked with a charming combination of intimacy and energy. Think not only of brown bars, but also of summer atmospheres and pink sweets. Not coincidentally, Radio 1 and Klara picked up on the fresh compositions.

Among the band members, drummer Anke Verslype recently impressed with her softly overwhelming aki, while guitarist Willem Malfliet likes to hang out in the zone between pop and jazz, among others with WOOLVS. They are the ideal companions to bring the saxophonist's short but imaginative compositions to the stage.