Alex Koo Trio
Lineup
About the Event
Alex Koo isn’t your typical jazz pianist. Half Belgian, half Japanese, he was raised in a quiet corner of West Flanders by a former Belgian missionary and a Japanese peace activist—an upbringing between cultures, and his music reflects exactly that. Receiving international acclaim as “stunningly original” (Downbeat Magazine) and “of the same rare level as Keith Jarrett” (Trouw), his breakout album Appleblueseagreen (2019)—a haunting trio with Mark Turner and Ralph Alessi—was named one of Downbeat’s Best Albums of the Year.
His latest, Blame It on My Chromosomes (2025), pushes further into emotionally rich, genre-defying terrain: a deeply expressive record shaped by his long-time trio—drummer Dré Pallemaerts and bassist Lennart Heyndels—with a striking guest appearance by trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire. On 24th March, Alex Koo comes to PizzaExpress Live Soho with his trio for an exclusive concert.
Son of a Belgian missionary sent to Japan in the seventies and a Japanese peace activist, pianist and composer Alex Koo (幸, pronounced koː) refuses to be pigeonholed.
Praised as “stunningly original” (Downbeat Jazz Magazine), Koo is known for creating music that transcends genre boundaries, blending jazz, indie, contemporary classical and film music with innovative freedom. A native of rural West-Flanders, Belgium, he began his musical journey as a classical piano prodigy at the age of five. In his teens, he developed a passion for jazz and improvisation, earning praise from jazz legends such as Kurt Elling, Kenny Werner and Brad Mehldau. His 2019 album, Appleblueseagreen, featuring Mark Turner and Ralph Alessi, was included in Downbeat’s Best Albums of the Year.
Earlier this year he released Blame It on My Chromosomes (W.E.R.F. records) featuring his long standing trio with Dré Pallemaerts on drums (Toots Thielemans, Melanie de Biasio, Stéphane Belmondo, Bert Joris), and Lennart Heyndels on double bass (Jef Neve, Ben Sluijs, Kaja Draksler), representing the very best of the Belgian jazz scene. Their intuitive chemistry and artistry are the driving force behind the new album’s emotive power, with special guest Ambrose Akinmusire adding a transcendent layer on two standout tracks.
With ten uniquely personal tracks, Blame It on My Chromosomes is more than a musical statement; it is a form of self-therapy. ‘The only way to avoid falling into depression as a jazz musician these days is to vent and surrender yourself to your music,’ Koo explains. ‘Music should have a deeper meaning than self-promotion. For me, it's about accepting who I am and just letting go of everything else.’
"“Comtemplative yet lively, peace-seeking but intense, contrasts abound as Koo embraces jazz’s freedom of expression without forsaking technique”" - Mojo