Sojo Sounds: Strange Meetings & Mr. Chong

Strange Meetings is a new concert series curated by Charel Maes (sax), Lukas Jouck (drums) and Christoph Götzen (guitar), three students who found each other during their studies at the conservatory under the wings of guitarist Frederik Leroux.
Under his guidance, they quickly discovered a common passion for free music that inspires them to push the boundaries of the academic canon. Until the end of May, they each choose three projects and collaborations that they present two Sundays a month in café Witzli Poetzli.

At Leuven Jazz, they will present a number of those projects in collaboration with Sojo Sounds, including the trio Maes-Jouck-Götzen, supplemented by bassist Ruben Verbeeck, as well as the free jazz trio Mr. Chong, which you may remember from the previous festival edition.

Mr. Chong

Mr. Chong is a free improv trio consisting of Milan Donvil (drums), Rikkie Joris (guitar) and Charel Maes (sax, synth and sampler). During their studies, despite their diverse musical backgrounds, they discovered a shared love for free improvisation.

The result is both unpredictable and unique: abstract interplay leads to simple yet powerful melodies and vice versa (think Albert Ayler or Louis Moholo). That balance between chaos and order, tempo or no tempo, high or low energy is central to Mr. Chong.

More info

With Sojo Sounds, youth centre SOJO will resonate with young/local talent.

with thanks to MIJN LEUVEN, Flanders & all volunteers