Nabou Claerhout leads her 8-strong collective to a unique synergy filled with melody and groove

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For years, a very own ensemble project had been one of the dream projects on Nabou Claerhout's bucket list. After a residency at Antwerp based cultural venue Rataplan, she already saw the creation become a reality in the Spring of 2022. Shows at Gent Jazz, Jazz Middelheim and Brussels Jazz Festival followed over the past year and a half, and now the collective is releasing their self-titled debut album on November 3rd 2023 via W.E.R.F. Records.

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Nabou composed the entire repertoire for this Ensemble herself, and did so with a fully open vision. While writing the music, she explored the trombone's wide possibilities: "The aim is to both indulge you with warm, soft, carrying parts and then afterwards discover the trombone's spicy and cordial character." That rhythmic playfulness, which we hear more often in Nabou's compositions with her quartet N∆BOU, also seeps subtly into this band’s sound.

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Despite the ‘unusual’ line-up of five diverse jazz trombonists, each with a different background, you still get to hear a very homogeneous sound, which is full of playfulness and small details. "I tried to make room and focus for each individual. And of course there is also a starring role for the rhythm section with guitar, double bass and drums."

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When Nabou started looking for the dream fellow jazz musicians for this project, she ended up with artists from her own country, Belgium, but also from further beyond the country's borders: The Netherlands, the UK and Germany."In selecting the trombonists, I looked for specific timbres, but also for personality. It is important that there is a good balance in playing together, but also that each musician is strong enough on his or her own for the solo parts."

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On the album none other than American jazz trombone legend Robin Eubanks is joining the youngsters.

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Press

"(...) Zoveel trombones die in gesprek gingen, met elkaar en met alles wat we van hen verwachten, zowel de muzikanten als het publiek hadden er zichtbaar plezier in (...) Alsof Nabou Claerhout, omringd door andere trombonisten, thuiskwam in haar eigen sound”.

Jazz&Mo' (BE)

"Nog meer Belgische topkwaliteit kregen we van Nabou Caerhout, die (...) het festival mocht openen met haar droomproject. (...) Deze band is erg bijzonder. Claerhout schreef alle muziek voor de band zelf, en het publiek luisterde geboeid van begin tot einde. Een mooie start van een erg boeiende dag op Gent Jazz." ★★★

De Standaard (BE)

"Nabou Claerhout led her Trombone Ensemble, boasting five of those oft-neglected sliders, with the leader herself often providing expressive soloing peaks. The group made a joyous elaboration during a journeying escalation, often with a Spanish tinge to the compositions."

Jazzwise Magazine (UK)