Grizzly

Toine Thys Trio

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Artistes

Toine Thys Clarinet, composer, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
Arno Krijger Hammond organ
Antoine Pierre Drums

About

Central figure for saxophone and bass clarinet in Europe, Toine Thys is an intense player, with a warm and full tone. The Brussels-based sax-player is accompanied for his second album by the Dutch Hammond organ maestro Arno Krijger. Arno is one of the few musicians to play chords on the keyboards and bass on the pedals – a visual spectacle reminiscent of Larry Young.

The young prodigy Antoine Pierre – house drummer for Philip Catherine and recently awarded the Toots Thielemans Jazz Award 2014 – complet the trio and multiplies the group’s energy with his drive and talent. Toine Thys passes effortlessly from the tenor to the soprano saxophone as well as the bass clarinet with his sharp and inspired playing. The accent is clearly on the groove and the rhythmic side of the music.

All the tracks were composed exclusively for the trio by the sax-player. The inspiration draws on the work and approaches of other artists and his recent trips to West Africa. The title track ‘Grizzly’ was inspired by the documentary “Grizzlyman” by director Werner Herzog. The joyful – almost Afrobeat – melody illustrates the euphoric state of the main character Timothy Treadwell. Edging into madness, he decided to pitch his tent in the middle of wild grizzly bears in Alaska, condemning himself to certain death.

Together, the trio play music with intoxicating melodies, sharp exchanges and adventurous solos of which they have the secret. The bass clarinet changes the atmosphere on several tracks, bringing a tone of sensuality and mystery to the trio.