Kris Wanders – tenor sax | Johannes Bauer – trombone | Peter Jacquemyn – bass | Mark Sanders – drums
Recorded at Luchtbal, Antwerpen, Belgium on May 16, 2009. Recording and sound engineer: Michael W. Huon. Mixing and mastering: Michael W. Huon, Peter Jacquemyn. Photos: Pierre Michel Zaleski. Cover art: Peter Jacquemyn. Design: Marek Wajda.
Special thanks to: Pierre Michel Zaleski, Inge Serneels and Sieg Raes, their cultural knowledge is a constant source of inspiration.
Tracklist: 1. In Remembrance of the Human Race 2. Uwaga 3. A man’s Dream
This album is dedicated to Hugo Raes, writer, poet.
One of the most powerful tenor saxophonists
Kris Wanders was at the birth of European Improvised Music in the 1960’s. A member of the seminal Globe Unity Orchestra his collaborators of the time included Peter Brotzmann, Louis Moholo and Fred van Hove, Willem Breuker, Kees Hazevoet, Peter Kowald, Stu Martin, Han Bennink, Gunther Hampel , Irene Schweitzer, Joost Buis, Johannes Bauer, Dave Liebman etc… In the late 70’s Kris migrated to Australia where he currently resides and works with local musicians. Introduced to music by his father who played piano and organ, Kris Wanders started playing flute at the age of seven. The flute was abandoned due to an illness.
At the age of fifteen he picked up the saxophone. Starting off playing some R & B and bebop, he met the Hungarian born trumpet player Charles Hurdak. With the Charles Hurdak quartet, Kris began to explore the music of Ornette Coleman and Eric Dolphy. During this period they teamed up on several occasions with Willem Breuker at jam sessions in Rotterdam. In 1965 Kris Wanders met Peter Brötzmann at a jazz festival in Belgium. That same year Peter Brötzmann formed a big band for a Belgian radio station, which Kris joined.
Over the next few years, Kris Wanders played on and off with Brötzmann in a variety of groups and also joined Alexander von Schlippenbach’s Globe Unity Orchestra in 1966/1967. He also joined Fred van Hove, playing in Antwerp with some local musicians, an association that lasted several years. In 1970 Kris started working with the group of pianist Kees Hazevoet with Arjen Gorter and Louis Moholo.
Later Kris formed his own groups, touring France, with trombonist Willem Van Manen, Peter Kowald bass and Stu Martin drums, another one with Willem van Manen, Fred van Hove and Han Bennink. This last group recorded music for several films. He also composed and performed music for television and theatre.
Some of the musicians that were associated with Kris Wanders over the years he has been active, playing free form jazz and improvised music, include the following: Charles Hurdak (tp Hungary) Willem Breuker (reeds NL) Peter Brötzmann (reeds Germany) Claude Deron (tp Belgium) Alexander von Schlippenbach (pi Germany Globe Unity Orchestra in 1966/1967.) Fred van Hove (pi Belgium) Kees Hazevoet (pi NL) Arjen Gorter (Bass Nl) Louis Moholo (Drums, South Africa) Willem Van Manen (tb NL), Peter Kowald (bass Germany) Stu Martin (drums USA) Han Bennink (Drums NL). Nicole vanden Plas (piano Belgium) Jan vanden Plas (cello Belgium) Radu Malfatti (Tb Austria), Gunther Hampel (vib Germany), Irene Schweitzer (pi Swiss), Paul Lovens(drums Germany), Michel Pilz(bscl Luxembourg), Edgar Bateman (drums USA) Mani Neumeier (Drums Swiss), Maartin Van Duynhoven (drums NL), Mongezi Feza (tp (South Africa) Calyer Duncan (drums USA) Joost Buis (tb NL) Felicity Provan (tp NL) Nico Schauble (drums Germany) Gerd Dudek (ts Germany) Manfred Schoof (tp Germany), Albert Mangelsdorff (tb Germany), Buschi Niebergall (bass Germany), Sven-Åke Johansson (drums Sweden) Johannes Bauer (tb Germany) & more.
In the late 70’s Kris migrated to Australia where he currently resides and works with local musicians.
CD version (incl. shipment cost world-wide)
MP3 version (98.41MB zip download)
Greetings from Belgium! Chris Vonck