Signs and Signatures

‘Brussels Jazz Orchestra, The Music of Bert Joris’, one of the most successful jazz albums of the last decade was released in 2002 on the W.E.R.F. label. It also marked Bert Joris’ international breakthrough, both as a trumpet player and composer.

Under passionate Frank Vaganée’s baton, the Brussels Jazz Orchestra has become one of the world’s best ‘classic’ big bands. Alongside work by Belgian composers such as Bert Joris, Michel Herr and Kris Defoort they created a furore with projects led by celebrities such as Maria Schneider, Kenny Werner, David Liebman, Richard Galliano and many others.

Today Bert Joris and the BJO pool forces for a new CD production, once again entirely built around compositions and arrangements by Bert Joris. A number of pieces were written especially for the occasion; other, older work has been given a new arrangement. Striking about this new album is its huge integrity and almost introverted sound that give it a highly intimate character - not something one tends to associate with big bands.

The release concert, held in 2010 during the Jazz Brugge Festival, was a huge success with the public and the press and once again highlighted the importance of both the BJO and Bert Joris to the Belgian jazz scene.

Catalog