Album radar for early-2025
The witty and extravagant European jazz of Belgian-Japanese pianist and vocalist Alex Koo we were much taken by even bearing in mind the arid atmosphere encountered in a massive hangar type exhibition space at Jazzahead in 2023.
Better by far was the chance today all this time on to take a quick listen to Koo’s new album which is to be released in early-2025.
We certainly recommend the lead-off track ‘Slowly’ and the whole album is full of driving energy, formidable flow and bags full of improvisatory ingenuity that harnesses a lot of trio fire power and yes those quirky vocals play their part.
Blast off from Blame It On My Chromosomes
To be issued by W. E. R. F.
With double bassist Lennart Heyndels and drummer Dré Pallemaerts on the album which is entitled Blame It On My Chromosomes to be issued by the Bruges based W. E. R. F. Records, US trumpet icon Ambrose Akinmusire (photo: Nonesuch) features on 2 tracks.
Akinmusire also has his own album out via Nonesuch in early-2025 called Honey From A Winter Stone which is out in January.
”The only way not to spiral into depression as a jazz musician nowadays is to vent and lose yourself in the music.”
– Alex Koo
Koo (born in 1990 – real name Alex Koo Derudder) is the son of a Belgian missionary sent to Japan in the 1970s and a Japanese peace activist.
He hails from West Flanders in Belgium, studied at conservatories in Amsterdam and Copenhagen and later in New York.
Earlier work of Koo’s includes Appleblueseagreen that featured US stars tenor titan Mark Turner and the acclaimed trumpeter Ralph Alessi.
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