Alex Koo Trio

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