Dave Holland & Lionel Loueke duo

Two jazz giants, guitarist Lionel Loueke and bassist Dave Holland, unite their individual talents into one harmonious recording, United! The album is released today (November 8) on Edition Records.

United is an inspiring testament to the power of collaboration, blending Loueke’s masterful guitar work with Holland’s deep, resonant bass. In times of societal division, the album showcases music’s powerful role in fostering unity.

Though Loueke and Holland have worked together many times in various groups, this album marks their first collaboration as a duo. The result is nothing short of extraordinary. This highly anticipated release transcends mere collaboration; it embodies a soulful conversation between two masters from distinct backgrounds, merging their unique voices into something beautifully transcendent.

HOLLAND & LOUEKE

Both musicians have profoundly impacted the global jazz scene.

Lionel Loueke is known for his innovative fusion of West African traditions with modern jazz. He has played with a who’s who of virtuosic and celebrated artists, most notably serving as Herbie Hancock’s guitarist for over 15 years, and collaborating with legends like Wayne Shorter, Sting, Terence Blanchard, Marcus Miller, and Esperanza Spalding.

Dave Holland is one of the most influential bassists and composers in jazz. He has shaped contemporary jazz since the late 1960s, performing with icons like Miles Davis, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Pat Metheny, Sam Rivers, and Jack DeJohnette.

Dave Holland already performed with his trio at Leuven Jazz in 2016. Lionel Loueke is appearing at our festival for the first time.

OPENER: EMMA RAWICZ & GWILYM SIMCOCK 

This opening concert bringing together the talents of celebrated pianist and composer Gwilym Simcock and rising star saxophonist and composer Emma Rawicz. Expect a seamless blend of original music from each of these distinctive composers, as well as carefully selected standards and beyond. 

Jamie Cullum calls British tenor saxophonist Emma Rawicz “an astonishing talent”, Jazzwise Magazine calls her “a force to be reckoned with” and the BBC states: “the name Emma Rawicz is on everyone’s lips right now”. The 21-year-old is the latest discovery on the vibrant, leading London jazz scene. Despite her young age, she has already achieved an enormous amount: winner of the Parliamentary Jazz Awards, finalist at the Jazz FM Awards and the BBC Young Jazz Musician Competition, concerts at all the UK’s renowned festivals and multiple headliner at London institutions like the Jazz Café and Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. Gradually, she is also conquering hearts outside the UK. Her debut on the ATC label CHROMA features a prominent quintet with pianist Ivo Neame, bassist Conor Chaplin, guitarist Ant Law and drummer Asaf Sirkis – all established names in the British scene. 

Welshman Gwilym Simcock is one of Britain’s most revered pianists and most inventive composers. A “breathtaking pianist” according to The Guardian, a “creative genius” according to his mentor Chick Corea, and described by The Telegraph as “a formidable pianist, with a feeling for the way harmony can create architecture as well as momentary colours – a rare gift”.
Simcock knows how to captivate and has made a name for himself in recent years as a leader and sideman, including alongside guitar legend Pat Metheny. He has released several albums on ACT, including two solo albums. With harmonic refinement and a subtle blend of musical traditions, he moves effortlessly between classical and jazz. In Belgium, he has already collaborated intensively with the Brussels Jazz Orchestra.

AFTERSHOW: TEIS SEMEY & KIKA SPRANGERS (in foyer) 

Saxophonist Kika Sprangers and guitarist Teis Semey are considered leaders of the new generation of jazz musicians operating from the Netherlands. 

In 2022, the Dane Teis Semey was artist in residence at North Sea Round Town. Like Kika Sprangers, he plays in the ambitious Tijn Wybenga’s AM.OK., now renamed Brainteaser Orchestra. In 2021, he released his most recent album Mean Mean Machine. In 2023, he made his debut at our festival alongside vocalist and cellist Sanem Kalfa. 

Dutch saxophonist, composer and arranger Kika Sprangers has performed on all major Dutch jazz stages with her quintet and her Large Ensemble. With her Large Ensemble, she recently released her new album Infinity. Kika finds her inspiration in great portrait photographers like Anton Corbijn, strong character writers like Griet Op de Beeck and film artists like Norwegian saxophonist Mette Henriette. The hushed passion that defines their work is something Kika also wants to capture at the core of her music.
Kika’s playing is all about uniting vulnerability and strength. A vision that expresses itself musically in a penchant for unorthodox line-ups and exciting arcs from symphonically full passages to charged silences. Her first love is jazz, but her musical inspiration certainly also lies with twentieth-century composers such as Arvo Pärt and Maurice Ravel. In 2018, Sprangers already performed at Leuven Jazz as part of the B-Jazz International Contest and won the Award for best arrangement. In 2021, she received the Rogier van Otterloo Award.

More info

with Dave Holland (double bass) and Lionel Loueke (guitar)

daveholland.com
info lionel loueke