Kris Defoort (piano, compositions) | Nic Thys (double bass) | Lander Gyselinck (drums) | Sam Comerford (flutes, saxophone, bass clarinet)

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After 15 intense years exploring a wide range of musical worlds — from jazz trios to opera, from musical theatre to chamber music — Kris Defoort feels a strong urge to return to the purity of the collaborative creative process. 'Happy Flaws' is the artistic manifestation of that return: a new project that builds on the richness of shared experience, yet at the same time breaks new ground in unexpected ways.

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At the heart of the project is the integration of a new voice into the existing trio: the Irish-born multi-instrumentalist Sam Comerford (saxophone, flutes, bass clarinet). Comerford is one of the most talented young jazz musicians of his generation and has made a name for himself on the European jazz scene in recent years. Kris Defoort met him through his ‘Free Improvisation’ classes at the conservatoire — yet another crucial artistic encounter that has sown the seeds for a new project.

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This significantly expands the quartet’s sonic palette. The combination of Comerford’s multi-instrumental versatility with the trio’s existing chemistry opens up new possibilities in terms of colour combinations, rhythmic textures, and harmonic and melodic layers. Kris Defoort is already working on new compositional material that explores these possibilities — material that serves as a springboard for the improvisers.