BrassJazz | NΔBOU - Indigo

Indigo, the third album by NΔBOU, the quartet around the Belgian trombonist and composer Nabou Claerhout, marks a new phase in her artistic development. After ‘Hubert’ (2019) and ‘You Know’ (2021), Claerhout presents a renewed line-up with Trui Amerlinck (double bass), Gijs Idema (electric guitar), and Daniel Jonkers (drums). The album explores themes such as change, renewal, and human connections. It builds on the solid foundation that NΔBOU has laid in Belgium and the Netherlands and underscores Claerhout’s growing international reach. ‘Indigo’ stands for a period of transformation: new collaborations, new perspectives, and personally written compositions that translate into music that sounds simultaneously raw and refined, intimate and powerful. The sound of ‘Indigo’ moves between dreamy atmospheres and melancholic resonance, from lyrical, contemplative moments to playful, groove-driven energy. Piercing pieces like ‘Light Blue Shawl’ (for Stijn) and ‘Consent’ (for Stijn) stand alongside the suite ‘Ruin & Redemption’ and ‘Lost Soul’, with each work reinventing itself in form and texture. Claerhout’s trombone remains the leading voice of the quartet, supported by subtle effects and short, almost ghostly solo moments that bring vulnerability and strength together. With ‘Indigo’, NΔBOU takes a convincing step forward. An album that opens Claerhout’s music to new listeners with a recognizable, authentic voice. “Met Indigo confirms once again that NΔBOU belongs to the top of Belgian jazz. Soon the band will go on tour, the perfect moment to establish that they are also unsurpassed live” (Luminousdash) Trombone, compositions Nabou Claerhout Elektrische guitar Gijs Idema Contrabas Trui Amerlinck Drums Daniel Jonkers