Vitja Pauwels’ Early Life Forms

Between Latin jazz, rock and film music

Guitarist Vitja Pauwels has become incontournable in Belgian jazz. The wider you see the genre, the more often you come across him. His band Early Life Forms dances on the interface between voluptuous Latin jazz, grooving rock and cinematic explorations.

Vitja Pauwels doesn't call himself a jazz guitarist, and with good reason. He likes to draw inspiration from the freedom of the genre and fellow guitarists like Bill Frisell and Marc Ribot, but he draws just as much inspiration from artists like Daniel Lanois and Ry Cooder, who are rooted in roots music or leverage the guitar for more experimental, often cinematic sounds.

In 2022, his artist-in-residence at the BRAND! Festival led to a grand finale together with his quartet and Marc Ribot; favorite guitarist of John Zorn and Tom Waits, among others. The magic of those days now leads to an album with WERF and a tour that appeals to the imagination.

Early Life Forms
Vitja Pauwels (guitar - Naima Joris, Lara Rosseel, Bombataz, Profound Observer, Drift By/Sink In ...), Frederik Leroux (guitar - Aspen Editions, FES), Laurens Dierickx (Hammond), Casper Van De Velde (drums - schntzl, Bombataz, Simba)

A JazzLab Tour