Combo Class Of The Royal Conservaory Of Brussels

The Royal Conservatoire of Brussels takes to the Toots stage for a morning quite out of the ordinary. Two themed ensembles present the fruit of their work, under the guidance of two of the most inspiring figures on the Belgian jazz scene.Manu Hermia's Class — Raga-Maqam ComboA journey at the crossroads of two great musical traditions. Drawing on scales rooted in classical Arabic modes and colours drawn from the Indian ragas of the Melakarta system, each student composes, and the group collectively builds a longer form, alive with rhythmic exploration and constant dynamic evolution. All of this without a single written score — through ear, memory and mutual listening alone. Jazz at its most open, its most alive and its most connected to the wider world.Alain Pierre's Class — ECM ComboA tribute to the most elegant label in jazz history. This ensemble dedicates itself to the ECM repertoire of the 1970s, exploring compositions by Kenny Wheeler, Pat Metheny, Ralph Towner, Norma Winstone and John Abercrombie — a music of nuance, inhabited silences and formal beauty, brought to life by the next generation of Belgian musicians.