Fotoverslag | Brussels Jazz Festival 2026 – 21 Januari – Flagey

Wajdi Riahi Trio Brass & Bow @ Flagey (Brussel, BE)

Last night at Flagey, was also the last night for me of this year's edition of the always wonferful Brussels Jazz Festival. Opening the evening was Mu Quintet with a solid, rich set, on a stage that wasn't new for some of them. Coming from Leeds, this UK avant-garde jazz group moved through some of their new tunes with a fusion of rich, intricate melodies and powerful improvisation from their recently published album Enos, like Rich Man Blues , Enos, or Collapse. They closed with Turning Point, a new composition by the pianist, and returned for an encore with Faith from their first record.

At the center of the night, Wajdi Riahi Trio Brass & Bow explored new ground. Wajdi Riahi, Basile Rahola and Pierre Hurty expanded the trio with Jean-Paul Estiévenart on trumpet and, for the first time, a cello quartet from the Brussels Philharmonic including Adèle Viret, Elke Wynants, Emmanuel Tondus, Karel Stylaerts. Writing for cello for the first time, Riahi used his residency exactly as it should be used: to push himself into new limits and discover new territories. The strings balanced and warmed up perfectly every piece that the trio were mastering. Jean-Paul Estiévenart led with sensitivity, knowing when to step forward and when to leave space, completing Wajdi’s ideas in a deeply musical way. Tunes like Cultural Appropriation questioned what humans take and make their own, while Adèle was written with the cellist’s way of building music in mind, and a piece for piano, quartet and voice carried thoughts toward Palestine. Cease Fire closed the set, unfolding like a dialogue between piano and trumpet. The trio returned alone for a fast, uplifting encore to close their set.

The night finally moved into the lobby, where Under the Reefs Orchestra took over in a delayed performance that felt anything but secondary. Known for their expansive, genre-blurring approach, the Brussels-based collective transformed the otherwise passing space into a music hall filled with layered rhythms, hypnotic grooves and cinematic textures. Flagey always knows how to end the night in an immersive way, letting the music spill out of the studios and linger a little longer for those who are not ready to close their ears to more music.

It was a pleasure to encounter some of these artists again after several editions, a reminder of continuity, trust, and why this festival continues to feel special..

Wajdi Riahi Trio Brass & Bow

Mu Quintet

Under The Reefs Orchestra

---

Woensdag 21 januari 2026, Flagey (Brussel, BE) | Foto's & tekst: Cristina Vergara