Hello there everybody. Well, it's nice to get to know some new people over here. Here is my bio:Jef Neve was born in Belgium on March 8th, 1977. He studied at the Lemmensinstituut in Louvain, and took master classes with by Jozef De Beenhouwer, Guy de Mey, Brad Mehldau, Martial Solal, Lew Tabackin, Toots Thielemans, Billy Hart, Bill Carothers, Kenny Werner and Bruce Barth.
In 2000 Jef graduated with Master of Music degrees in Jazz and piano, both with great distinction. In 2001 he specialized in Chamber Music and he was rewarded 'cum laude'.
Next to his musical education, Jef started to play in local bands at the age of fourteen. During that period he composed a wide variety of pieces for the most divergent ensembles (from piano solo to symphonic orchestra). From age seventeen to twenty he played with the popular funk band Mr. Zebedee, immediately his first contact with jazz and blues.As freelance pianist Jef also participated in various jazz bands, classic formations, pop bands, theatre productions, studio sessions, i.e. from Get Ready (the famous Belgian boys band) to solo performances with the Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Michel Tilkin). As jazz musician he worked with Dré Pallemaerts, Paolo Fresu, Lindsey Horner, etc. In 2002 he worked for a year as a pianist and composer for the Contemporary Dance Company Dathe in London.Blue Saga (2003), the first album of the Jef Neve Trio, was immediately a bestseller.
His second album Its Gone (Nov 2004) is ..1 best sold jazz album in Belgium, won the Radio Klara prize for Best Jazz Album 2005 and received unanimous critical acclaim in the international press.
( AllAboutJazz.com, Oct. 05 : « From Belgium comes Jef Neve, an explosively gifted young pianist whose second album, It's Gone, is without question one of the best I've heard in 2005» )Jef Neve is also part of the Pascal Schumacher/Jef Neve Quartet, with which he recorded two albums, and who won first prize at Avignon Tremplin Jazz. The band performed in Europe as well as tours in Australia and South-Africa.In 2005 the Jef Neve Trio performed a large number of concerts and several international festivals (Athens Int Jazz, Blue Note Fest, Festival van Vlaanderen, Middelheim, Jazz à Liège, Audi Jazz Fest, ..).
Jef Neve was also nominated as best musician for the flemish Culture Awards 2005 as well as for the ZAMU Awards 2005.Parallel to his fast growing activity as jazz artist, Jef played a classical program for 2006:the Goldberg Variations by JS Bach & some of his own compositions for classical trio.
In 2006 he signed for Universal Records. His first album for this company is "Nobody is Illegal".
During the summer of 2006 Jef was invited in Letonia on the Saulcrasti Jazz festival. In september he played with groovemaster "Sixtoo" (Canada) and the classical ensemble "Capilla Flamenca".
Coming up: release concerts for the new album in Belgium(AB-sold out, Warande, Rataplan,...), Holland (Lantaarnvenster- Rotterdam), Luxemburg, Portugal (Hot club de jazz- Lisboa) and France (Paris, Toulouse, Limoges,...), and a tour with the Pascal Schumacher 4tet in Vietnam!
Jef is doing the music for the new Felix van Groeningen movy 'Dagen zonder Lief'.
He received the Zamu Award for the jazz-section in 2006.
The trio has been touring lately in France, Portugal, Italy and Germany. Coming up tours in Germany, Greece, Poland, Marocco, Austria, France, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.
Jef played George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" and "I got Rythm Variations" with several orchestra's: The Royal Flemish Symphonic Orchestra, Jeugd En Muziek Antwerpen, Harmonieorkest Universiteit Leuven,...
Besides being on tour with the trio, Jef is composing his first PianoConcerto wich will be performed in the beginning of 2009. This concerto has been ordered by the 'Bijloke' in Ghent.
The trio plays on the Blue Note festival in Ghent with the Italian trumpeteer Flavio Boltro.
The band has been touring all over the world for the last couple of months: Canada, Australia, Spain, UK, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany...
Jef has his own radio show: listen to Klara each friday between 7 and 9pm. You can listen as well by the internet: www.klara.be and search for 'NEVE' in programs. If you would like to come and see us in the radiostudio, please write an email at
[email protected]
The trio is working on their 4th album. It's gonna be released at the end of april 2008.
