🟦 Alexandre CAVALIERE

Alexandre CAVALIERE was born in 1985 near Mons in Belgium. Born into a family of musicians, he grew up surrounded by instruments as toys. Early on, little Alexandre learned his rhythm by holding the snare drum of his father’s orchestra. At 8 years old he regularly practices piano, drums and of course violin. It is in the learning of this last instrument that Alexandre best expresses his sense of rhythm, his qualities of improvisation and his great musical sensibility. Rocked by the melodies of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli, the swing is essential to Alexandre as a musical evidence.

In March 1998, fate gives Alexandre a boost by placing Didier Lockwood and Babik Reinhardt on his way : “These two great musicians are then in Brussels for the Django d’Or.” Alexandre, meanwhile, is rehearsing for an evening at the Royal Windsor Hotel with his father, who heads the band Jazzy Strings. Didier Lockwood, Babik Reinhardt and Frank Hagège to discover the talent that lies under the hands of this violinist.What was their surprise, pushing the door of the club, to discover that a 12-year-old was holding the violin! ” Surprised by so much virtuosity and precocity, they decided to invite Alexandre to the Django d’Or in Brussels and then to Paris where the success is immediate … brilliant! It is the beginning of a beautiful adventure from which was born a first disc: “L’ALBUM” (Hebra records).

This young violin virtuoso quickly fulfilled his promise of success. While pursuing brilliantly his schooling, Alexandre connects trays of TVs, radios and the concerts with very noticed participations in particular to the Festivals of Antibes – Juan les Pins, Marciac, Samois-sur-Seine, Liège, Liberchies, Brosella, Maubeuge, at the Jazz Marathon in Brussels, or at the Belgian Django d’Or, French or the Eurojazz Awards, … 

In addition, he conquered his audience on stage by performing at the Princess Grace Theater in Monaco, in the first part of Michel Jonasz at the Olympia, as guest of the National Orchestra on the Grand Place in Brussels, during the festival “Jazz Espoo” (Finland), … and lately, thanks to Dorado Schmitt, he made his premiere in New York, for the Django Reinhardt festival at Birdland.

He also met many musicians such as Bireli Lagrene, Dominique Dipiazza, Stochelo Rosenberg, Michel Jonasz, Roby Lakatos, Toots Thielemans, Richard Galliano, Eddy Louis, Dennis Chambers, Richard Bona, Dorado Schmitt … as well as Benoît Sourisse, André Charlier and Jean Wellers (the musicians of Didier Lockwood) with whom he recorded his second album “Nomades”, which leads him to be heard in a more modern context, without departing from his natural swing.

But in the recent years, he has invested himself happily in more modern groups in which his talent knows new developments.

Also noteworthy is an appearance on a beach of Guy Cabay’s latest album (2005), collaborations with Philip Catherine, fusion groups like Alka Celtes Air, Darwin Case and Musicazur, Fabrizio Cassol, Michel Herr and his tentette etc. ..

Alexandre Cavaliere and Jazzy Strings is a formation in which he has performed a lot, a group of lovers of gipsy music and two giants of jazz Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grapelli. This group created by Mario Cavaliere, runs since 1992 the biggest festivals in Europe (Juan-les-Pins, Nice, Marciac, Samois-sur-Seine, Helsinki …). It consists of Mathieu Chatelain on the rhythm guitar, Eloi Baudimont or Jean Wellers on the double bass and of course Mario Cavaliere on the solo guitar that allowed his son, Alexandre, to enter the closed circle of jazz ……

Jazzy strings has also performed with many prestigious guests such as Samson and Dorado Schmitt, Angelo Debarre, Bireli Lagrene, Rene Sopa … The band also released the album “Families”.

🟦 Jean-louis RASSINFOSSE

Self-taught bassist Jean-louis RASSINFOSSE has worked with most Belgian musicians : Toots Thielemans, Philip Catherine, Jacques Pelzer, Sadi, Michel Herr, Steve Houben, Eric Legnini … He has also accompanied many foreign soloists: Pepper Adams , Montoliu Head, Richard Galliano, Mike Mainieri, Sal Nistico, Clifford Jordan, Philly Joe Jones, Kirk Lightsey, Charlie Mariano, Michel Pettrucciani, Randy Brecker and most importantly, for a period of ten years, Chet Baker for many tours in Europe and 6 CDs, including 4 in trio with Philip Catherine.

Since 80, he has taken a prominent place in the teaching of Jazz in Belgium : Seminar of Liège, summer courses, and since 1988, professor at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels.

He is currently part of different groups including the trio “L’âme des poètes”, the duo with the classical pianist Jean-Philippe Collard-Neven, the quintet of Bart Quartier, the European Swing trio, the trio with John Ruocco and Felix Simtaine, the trio of Claudio Roditi (5CD) with the German pianist Klaus Ignatzek (18 CDs) which led him to record with Joe Henderson, Jordi Rossy, Gustavo Bergalli, and the late Romanian singer Anca Parghel. He recorded under his name the album “Crossworlds” which brings together his two leading groups : L’âme des poètes and the quintet of Klaus Ignatzek.

On the other hand, his talents as a comedian are highlighted in a parody show “The Reliquary of Braves”, and in his collaboration to the writing of the last two shows of the “Framboise Frivole” (Molière 2004).

Inescapable figure of Belgian jazz, sideman very sought after, one can appreciate its lyricism and its low telluric sound on a hundred of C.D.

🟦 Vincent BRUYNINCKX

Vincent BRUYNINCKX studied classical piano with Véronique Moureaux and jazz with Thierry Smets, Nathalie Loriers then in Eric Legnini’s class at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. He completes his musical course studying musical analysis, composition, chamber music, improvisation … His curiosity and his diverse background lead him very early to consider music under various angles, both stylistic and technical (computer science, synthesizers, acoustics, neuroscience).

We can see him on the Belgian jazz scene, including the project Tribute to Toots Thielemans, Fred Delplancq, Laurent Doumont, Stéphane Mercier, Fabrice Alleman, Phil Abraham, Gino Lattuca, the Jazz Station Big Band, the Brussels Jazz Orchestra, Richard Rousselet, Jean-françois Prins, Bruno Castellucci, Benedict Vanderstraeten, Daniel Romeo, Paco Sery … 

Longtime interested in chamber and contemporary music, he is an occasional collaborator of the Ensemble Musiques Nouvelles. His career also includes regular forays into pop, song … He regularly performs in European theaters (from the Netherlands to Turkey) and beyond (USA, Middle East, Asia). He currently teaches jazz (alongside Eric Legnini) and acoustics at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels.

🟦 Frédéric GUEDON

A native of Clermont Ferrand, Frédéric GUEDON started playing the guitar as a teenager and was soon challenged by Django’s musette, waltz and music. He operates throughout France before moving to Brussels, where he has been living for a few years.

🟦 Emmanuel BONETTI

Emmanuel BONETTI started the guitar at the age of 15 in a self-taught way, interested in rock in the broad sense (which he put into practice in local groups) with various excursions up to the classical.

After an attempt at the university in philosophy, during which he discovered other styles : jazz, traditional Indian, contemporary …, he decided to devote himself fully to music.

He began studying at the jazz studio in Antwerpen, which he left after the third year to continue at the francophone jazz conservatory of Brussels for two years with Paolo Radoni and finish at the Dutch-speaking equivalent with Fabien Degryse.

He accompanies among others the singer Fanny Beriaux.