History Jef Neve Trio

Jef Neve was born in Belgium on March 8th, 1977. He studied at the Lemmensinstituut in Louvain, and took master classes by Jozef De Beenhouwer, Guy de Mey, Brad Mehldau, Martial Solal, Lew Tabackin, Toots Thielemans, Billy Hart, Bill Carothers, Kenny Werner and Bruce Barth.

In 2000 Jef graduated with Master of Music degrees in both jazz and classical piano, with great distinction. In 2001 he specialized in Chamber Music and he was rewarded 'cum laude'.

Next to his musical education, Jef started to play in local bands at the age of fourteen. During that period he composed a wide variety of pieces for the most divergent ensembles (from piano solo to symphonic orchestra). From age seventeen to twenty he played with the popular funk band Mr. Zebedee, immediately his first contact with jazz and blues.

As freelance pianist Jef performed with various jazz bands, classical ensembles, popbands (f.ex. Get Ready, the famous Belgian boys band), theatre productions, studio sessions, to solo performances with the Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Michel Tilkin). As jazz musician he worked with Dré Pallemaerts, Paolo Fresu, Lindsey Horner, etc... In 2002 he worked for a year as a pianist and composer for the Contemporary Dance Company 'Dathe' in London.

"Blue Saga" (Contour, 2003), the first album of the Jef Neve Trio, was immediately a bestseller. His second album "It'sGone" (Contour, Nov 2004) is #1 best sold jazz album in Belgium. It received the prestigious Radio Klara prize for 'Best International Jazz Album 2005', and unanimous acclaim in the international press (for ex.: "From Belgium comes Jef Neve, an explosively gifted young pianist whose second album, It's Gone, is without question one of the best I've heard in 2005." AllAboutJazz.com-Marc Meyers, Sept.2005).

Jef Neve signed with UNVIVERSAL Music Belgium, and his third album, “Nobody is Illegal” has been released in November 2006. The immediate reactions are fantastic, in one month the cd climbed up high in the pop-charts, and the reviews are superlative (for ex.: “On his major label debut ‘Nobody Is Illegal’ his highly personal approach to the piano trio announces the arrival of a young musician of enormous promise who has the potential to become a major voice on the European jazz scene.” “In an age where the quick musical fix has become the norm, Neve’s music is set to be around for the long haul.” - Stuart Nicholson, Nov. 2006)

Jef Neve was nominated for several prizes : the ZAMU Awards 2004 as well as 2005 in the category 'best artist', the 'Cultuurprijzen Vlaanderen 2005' in the category 'music' (next to Tom Barman/DeUs and Capilla Flamenca), as well as for the 'Octaves de la Musique 2005'.

Jef Neve is also part of the Pascal Schumacher Quartet, with which he recorded two albums, and who won first prize at Avignon 'Tremplin Jazz'. The band performed in Europe as well as tours in Australia and South-Africa.

In 2005/06 the Jef Neve Trio performed a large number of concerts and several international festivals (Athens Int Jazz, Blue Note Festival, Festival van Vlaanderen, Middelheim Jazz, Jazz à Liège, Audi Jazz Festival, Mexico Eurojazz festival, Wiltz Int. Festival, etc ..), and received standing ovations at for example the famous 'Bimhuis' jazzclub in Amsterdam and Sunset jazzclub in Paris.

Parallel to his fast growing activity as jazz artist, during 2005 Jef Neve has prepared the Goldberg Variations by JS Bach which he has performed several times beginning 2006, and will bring again in 2007.

Jef Neve has been asked to write the sound track for the second film by young Belgian filmmaker Felix Van Groeningen, which will come out in march 2007.

The other members of the trio are:

Piet Verbist (1961), studied at the Antwerp Jazzstudio where Dave Pike, Dennis Luxion and Hein Van de Geijn were his teachers.In 1994 he finished his studies at the Brussels Conservatory (jazz department), and in 1995 he took lessons with Dave Holland.

Piet is a highly demanded musician and played with the entire belgian jazzscene. At the moment he’s active in: Jef Neve trio, Ben Sluys quartet and trio, François Descamps Quartet, JDH band,... and recorded with among others Pirly Zurstrassen Septet, Octurn, JDH band, Jef Neve trio, etc..

Piet is teaching at the Music Conservatory of Antwerp.

Teun Verbruggen (1975) graduated in 1999 as ‘Master in Music/jazz’ at the Music Conservatory of Brussels with Hans Van Oosterhout. He followed lessons with Dré Pallemaerts and John Engels. Besides this trio he plays with his own projects 'Othin Spake', 'Futhark' and 'Nozzle Slag', and with Flat Earth Society (F.E.S.), the Alexi Tuomarila Quartet, Haarmen Fraanje trio, Bruno Vansina trio.

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