Alex Koo – piano & compositions
Dré Pallemaerts – drums
Lennart Heyndels – double bass
According to the renowned German Jazzthetik, Alex Koo defies categorization. In his home country, he is hailed as the enfant terrible of Belgian jazz (RTBF). For the Belgian-Japanese piano talent, who began as a classical prodigy at the age of five and has since been praised by jazz icons such as Kurt Elling, Kenny Werner and Brad Mehldau, his core values are authenticity, curiosity and playfulness.
“Stunningly original,” he was described by the prestigious Downbeat Jazz Magazine, which also selected his album Appleblueseagreen, featuring heavyweights Mark Turner and Ralph Alessi, for their list of “Best Albums of 2019.” Nationally, superlatives are also brought forth: “Belgium is too small for pianist Alex Koo” (De Tijd).
His most recent solo album, “Etudes for Piano” (W.E.R.F. Records) was described as “an intriguing blend of classical and jazz, where the name Keith Jarrett often comes to mind. Not because Koo’s playing resembles that of the American master, but because it is of the same rare high level” (Trouw). The originality of his music is also evident in his piano playing: “Alex’s fantastic technique, which sometimes sounds downright genius, forms the basis for this dizzying album. He is also an exceptionally original composer” (London Jazz News).
In his Alex Koo Trio, he is joined by drum icon Dré Pallemaerts (Toots Thielemans, Melanie de Biasio, Stéphane Belmondo, Bert Joris) and bass virtuoso Lennart Heyndels (Jef Neve, Ben Sluijs, Kaja Draksler). This Belgian trio guarantees adventurous compositions, hypnotic improvisations, and dynamic interplay.
