Fred Van Hove, animprovised life +WIM Fanfare: FreeMusic (1975–1988)
RAND! - FILM SCREENING + ALBUMVOORSTELLING
SCHEDULE
3:20 p.m. - Album presentation Free Music (1975–1988) by WIM Fanfare
4:00 p.m. - Film screening Fred Van Hove, an improvised life
5:10–5:30 p.m. - Solo piano by Seppe Gebruers in the foyer
In 2022, Antwerp pianist Fred Van Hove, a pioneer of European improvised music, passed away. The idiosyncratic pianist was one of the founders of European free jazz and played alongside legendary saxophonist Peter Brötzmann, Han Bennink, Steve Lacy, and many others in free music and avant-garde. Director and label owner Philippe Cortens (Cortizona) made the documentary Fred Van Hove, an improvised life in 2021, in collaboration with the Study Center for Flemish Music (SVM). The SVM preserves Fred Van Hove's extensive archive and aims to bring it to an interested audience. This year, Cortizona and the SVM are once again joining forces for the album Free Music (1975–1988) by WIM Fanfare, on the new sublabel Cortizona Heritage.
WIM Fanfare was founded in 1975 by Fred Van Hove, tenor saxophonist Cel Overberghe, alto saxophonist André Goudbeek, and percussionist Ivo Vander Borght, as the boisterous street band of the Werkgroep Improviserende Musici (Working Group of Improvising Musicians). WIM Fanfare combined cheerful exuberance with the unpredictability of free improvisation in city squares, parades, and in front of unsuspecting spectators. For this very first vinyl release by WIM Fanfare, these selections from Van Hove's extensive personal live archive have been completely restored and remastered.
On November 28, several tracks from the album will be performed live by young musicians, after which the album will be presented in a discussion moderated by Klara presenter Lies Steppe. Finally, the film Fred Van Hove, an improvised life will be screened on the big screen at Cinema Lumière Mechelen during the BRAND! Festival.
Because of the presence of international guests in the JazzLab x Belgium Booms program, this conversation will be held in English.
