{"id":326,"date":"2012-01-27T07:41:06","date_gmt":"2012-01-27T07:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chopstick.be\/vzw\/?page_id=326"},"modified":"2024-04-20T18:29:59","modified_gmt":"2024-04-20T16:29:59","slug":"moker-bio","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.chopstick.be\/vzw\/en\/moker-bio\/","title":{"rendered":"Moker Bio"},"content":{"rendered":"

Moker <\/strong>(Dutch for sledgehammer) is a Belgian-Italian jazz collective.<\/p>\n

For over two decades (23y) they have been producing 8 albums (5 official \u2013 3 self-produced), continuously believing music has a unique, powerful social and poetic impact.<\/p>\n

Having been a quintet for most of their existence, Moker sized down recently to a core trio, creating a more flexible artistic reality, as well as a fresh sound, open to welcome guest musicians\/artists at any suitable occasion, and thus stimulating a creative exchange of musical ideas within local and international scenes.<\/p>\n

Regarding their musical identity, the impression of Bandcamp\u2019s jazz reviewer Dave Summer describes beautifully the sound and narrative they tend to create and perform:<\/p>\n

\u201cOf all the albums to land on this year\u2019s Best Of list, it\u2019s the 2016 release \u201cLadder\u201d from the quintet Moker<\/strong> that reflects the wildest personality. That personality, multifaceted and unpredictable, manifests as free improv pieces that send notes scattering like marbles at the epicenter of an earthquake, whimsical post-bop conversations that serve as a precursor to ultra-serious ambient jazz reveries, detours into rustic folk-jazz tranquility, and ominous ballads that speak to the heartbreak hanging over every love story and jazz-rock passages that imitate that same heart shattering into a thousand pieces. And more. So much more. The quintet of guitarist (and alto horn player) Mathias Van de Wiele, multi-reedist Jordi Grognard, trumpeter Bart Maris, bassist Lieven Van Pee, and drummer Giovanni Barcella are now five albums into their Moker collaboration, and this fascinating, fun session shows they\u2019re nowhere close to peaking anytime soon.\u201d <\/em>(Dave Summer<\/strong> >\u00a0Best of Bandcamp Jazz 2016 – #14<\/strong>)<\/p>\n

Collaborations at European and international level are numerous (see below). The musicians of Moker have individually recorded & performed with among others: Charles Gayle, Marshall Allen, J.J.Avenel, Peter Br\u00f6tzmann, William Parker, Hamid Drake, Fred van Hove, Doctor John… and a large part of the professional Belgian scene.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bart Maris \u2013 trumpet, electronics<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mathias Van de Wiele \u2013 guitar, composition\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Giovanni Barcella – drums<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Discography<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n