Republic of Jazz: Ben Sluijs - Solo Recordings (2018)

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Ben Sluijs - Solo Recordings (2018)

Ben Sluijs followed a 5-year classical saxophone training. During that period he participated in various classical summer-workshops and took lessons with Francois Danneels; Norbert Nozy, Willy Demey….. From the age of 15, Ben’s fascination for jazz grew and after finishing the classical school in excellence, he started a 4-year training at the Antwerp Jazz-Studio where his teacher was John Ruocco. After, he studied with Steve Houben at the conservatory of Brussels and followed lessons with David Liebman in the US. Ben teaches at the conservatory and the academy of Antwerp.

Experiences as sideman with: Octurn, BRT Big Band, Brussels Jazz- Orchestra, Myriam Alter Quintet, Act Big Band, Jean Warland’s Sax No End, Ivan Paduart Septet, Radoni’s Tribe.

Played (or plays) also with: Philip Catherine, Toots Thielemans, Stacy Rowles, Bert Van den Brink, Michel Herr, Bert Joris, Dre Pallemaerts, Hein Van De Geijn, Nathalie Loriers, Chris Joris, Joe Fonda, John Betsch, Serge Lazarevitch...

or solo combined with poetry and spoken-word with: Remco Campert, Jules Deelder, Peter Holvoet Hanssen, Don Fabulist, Pjeroo Roobjee, Tom van Bauwel, Michaël Pas, Rogert de Neef, Jan Decleir...

Besides his own bands and projects you can frequently hear Ben also with: Augusto Pirroda Quartet, Christian Mendoza Group...

In 1997 he represented Belgium in the European Big Band in Slovenia.

In march 2003 he was selected by the Flemish Community to represent Belgium at Euro Jazz Festival in Mexico.

He receives the Antoon Van Dijck-award in 1999 presented by the city of Antwerp. Nominations for: Zamu-Awards 2003, 2007 and d’Jango d’Or 2006.

Performed on various national and international festivals as: Jazz-Middelheim and Blue Note festival (Belgium), Knitting Factory (New York), festival de Montreal (Canada), North Sea festival (Holland), Tremplin Jazz (France)...