De Werf was an arts center and jazz record label (W.E.R.F.) in

Bruges Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the countr ...

, Belgium. In 2002, the label released an eleven-CD box set titled ''The Finest of Belgian Jazz'', with music by Greetings from Mercury,

Aka Moon Aka Moon is the Belgian jazz trio of saxophonist Fabrizio Cassol, bassist Michel Hatzigeorgiou and drummer Stéphane Galland. Aka Moon combines jazz, rock, and world music. ''In Real Time'' (2001) was composed for ballet company of Anne-Teresa ...

, Brussels Jazz Orchestra, and

Kris Defoort Kris Defoort is a Belgian avant-garde jazz pianist and composer. He was born on 30 November 1959 in Bruges. He also teaches at the Brussels conservatory. His brother is Bart Defoort (saxophonist and composer). He entered in 1978 the Antwerp ...

. Rik Bevernage, De Werf's main collaborator, received an award at the 2002

Golden Django The Golden Django, named after guitarist Django Reinhardt, is an award for jazz musicians in Europe. The trophy is a creation of the French painter Raymond Moretti. It was first introduced in France (in 1992), then in Belgium (1995), in Sweden ...

ceremony. In 2017, De Werf and Vrijstaat O (

Ostend Ostend ( nl, Oostende, ; french: link=no, Ostende ; german: link=no, Ostende ; vls, Ostende) is a coastal city and municipality, located in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerk ...

) merged into a new organisation, KAAP. The W.E.R.F. record label continues its activities under the original name. De Werf exterior

De Werf has its own concert hall where many jazz bands perform. There are also theatre pieces and events for children. In February 2009, public funding for the venue was removed because the club didn't produce relevant or up-to-date concerts and theatre performances, making a closure of De Werf from 31 December 2009 likely. However, new productions continued in 2014.

W.E.R.F. Discography

1993–1999

* K. D.'s Basement Party : ''Sketches of Belgium'' (1993) *

Octurn Octurn is a Belgian polyrhythmic jazz ensemble led by Bo Van Der Werf ( baritone saxophone and clarinet). Its lineup as well as the composers are changed for every album. They always play with at least 3 saxophones and from 2002 they have been ...

: ''Chromatic History'' (1994) * K.D.'s Decade : ''K.D.'s Decade Live'' (1994) *

and

Fabrizio Cassol Fabrizio Cassol (born 8 June 1964) is a Belgian saxophonist and the first user of the aulochrome (a double-reed instrument). He was born in Ougrée, Belgium. Between 1982 and 1985, he studied at the Liège conservatory and "obtained first priz ...

: '' Variations on A Love Supreme'' (1995) *

Joe Fonda Joe Fonda (born December 16, 1954) is an American jazz bassist. Career Fonda was born in Amsterdam, New York to parents who both played jazz. He played guitar as a youth but switched to bass guitar later. He studied bass at Berklee College of M ...

, Carlo Morena, and

Jeff Hirshfield Jeffrey Lee Hirshfield (born August 22, 1955) is an American jazz drummer. Hirshfield was born in New York City. He studied under Ed Soph. He worked for the Joffrey Ballet in 1976–1977 and then played with Mose Allison (1977–1979). During th ...

: ''What We're Hearing'' (1996) * Octurn : ''Ocean'' (1997) * Bart Defoort Quartet : ''Moving'' (1997) * The Fonda/Stevens Group : ''Live from Bruges'' (1997) * Laurent Blondiau Quintet : ''The Queen of the Apple Pie'' (1998) *

Chris Joris Chris Joris in the middle Chris Joris (born 30 November 1952, Mechelen) is a Belgian jazz percussionist, pianist and composer. He is the son of Jan Joris, an opera singer. Joris joined Aksak Maboul in 1977, appeared on their first album but l ...

Experience: ''Live 1997'' (1998) * Ernst Vranckx Quartet featuring

Kenny Wheeler Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC (14 January 1930 – 18 September 2014) was a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. from the 1950s onwards. Most of his performances were rooted in jazz, but he was also active ...

: ''A Child's Blessing'' (1998) * Kris Defoort Quartet and Kris Defoort & Dreamtime : ''Passages'' (1999) * Frank Vaganée Trio featuring John Ruocco : ''Two Trios'' (1999) * Ode for Joe : ''Caribbean Fire Dance'' (1999) * Brussels Jazz Orchestra : ''The September Sessions'' (1999)

2000

* Ben Sluijs Quartet : ''Candy Century'' * Octurn : ''Round'' * Joe Fonda, Carlo Morena and Jeff Hirshfield : ''Step-In'' *

Mark Dresser Mark Dresser (born September 26, 1952) is an American double bass player and composer. Career Dresser was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. In the 1970s, he was a member of Black Music Infinity led by Stanley Crouch and performed w ...

and Mark Elias : ''The Marks Brothers''

2001

* Ernst Vranckx Quintet : ''Songs & Dances'' * Ben Sluijs Quartet : ''Seasounds'' * Erik Vermeulen trio : '' Songs of Minutes'' * Rêve d'éléphant Orchestra : ''Racines Du Ciel'' * Christoph Erbstösser Trio : ''Vive Les Etrangers'' * Trio Grande : ''Signé Trio Grande''

2002

* Various artists : ''The Finest in Belgian Jazz'' (11-CD box set) with : ** Brussels Jazz Orchestra : ''The Music of Bert Joris'' ** Greetings from Mercury : ''Heiwa'' **

: ''Guitars'' ** Nathalie Loriers Trio + Extensions : ''Tombouctou'' ** Octurn : ''Dimensions'' ** Ben Sluijs Quartet : ''Flying Circles'' **

Philip Catherine Philip Catherine (born 27 October 1942) is a Belgian jazz guitarist. Biography Philip Catherine was born in London, England, to an English mother and Belgian father, and was raised in Brussels, Belgium. His grandfather was a violinist in the ...

: ''Summer Night'' ** Bert Joris Quartet : ''Live'' ** Erik Vermeulen trio : ''Inner City'' ** Kris Defoort, Mark Turner,

Nicolas Thys Nicolas Thys (born 27 August 1968) is a Belgian bassist. He graduated in 1994 from the Hilversum Conservatory (in the Netherlands), where he also taught bass and double bass. Thys took private lessons with Dave Holland, Marc Helias and Mar ...

and

Jim Black Jim Black is an American jazz drummer who has performed with Tim Berne and Dave Douglas. He attended Berklee College of Music. Career His band AlasNoAxis includes Hilmar Jensson on electric guitar, Chris Speed on tenor saxophone and clari ...

: ''Sound Plaza''

2003

* The Chris Joris Experience : ''Out of the Night'' * Bart Defoort Quartet : ''The Lizard Game'' * Jan De Haas Quintet: ''Doing My Thing''

2004

* Mahieu-Vantomme Quartet : ''Whatever'' * Rêve d'éléphant Orchestra : ''Lobster Caravan'' * André Goudbeek, Xu Fengxia, and Joe Fonda : ''Separate Realities'' * High Voltage : ''Hoppin' Around'' * Koen De Cauter,

Fapy Lafertin Fapy Lafertin (born 20 November 1950) is a Belgian guitarist in the Belgian-Dutch gypsy jazz style. Lafertin was born in Kortrijk, Belgium in the Manouche Romani community and took up guitar at the age of five. After performing in a family band ...

, Patrick Saussois, Joop Ayal, Tcha Limberger, Waso De Cauter, and Dajo De Cauter : ''Django!''

2005

* Ben Sluijs Quartet : ''True Nature'' * Kris Defoort,

Koen Kessels Koen Kessels (born 1961) is a Belgian conductor and music director of The Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet. Trained as a pianist, Kessels studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp. He has conducted at the Opéra national de Paris, t ...

Claron McFadden Claron McFadden (born 1961) is an American soprano. McFadden studied voice at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, finishing her degree in 1984. She gained international fame when making her Glyndebourne Festival Opera debut in t ...

& Dreamtime : ''ConVerSations/ConSerVations'' * Hendrik Braeckman, Bert Joris, Kurt Van Herck, Piet Verbist & Jan de Haas : ''til now'' * Bart Maris, Zeger Vandenbussche, Mathias Van de Wiele, Dajo De Cauter & Giovanni Barcella : ''Konglong''

2006

, Bart Defoort,

Michel Massot Michel Massot (born 25 October 1960, in Halle) is a Belgian tuba and trombone jazz musician. He studied at ''Conservatoire de Liège''. He founded Trio Bravo with saxophonist Fabrizio Cassol and drummer Michel Debrulle in the middle of the ...

, Stéphane Galland &

: ''Live at The Werf'' * Robin Verheyen,

Harmen Fraanje Harmen Fraanje (born 23 January 1976 in Roosendaal, Netherlands) is a Dutch jazz pianist and composer. He currently lives in Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the ...

, Clemens van der Feen & Flin van Hemmen : ''Narcissus '' * Nathalie Loriers, Sal La Rocca, Hans Van Oosterhout : ''Silent Spring'' * Peer Baierlein, Ewout Pierreux, David Petrocca & Yves Peeters : ''Open Questions'' * Brussels Jazz Orchestra : ''Countermove'' * Nathalie Loriers & Chemins Croisés : ''L'arbre pleure'' * Ben Sluijs, Jeroen Van Herzeele, Manolo Cabras & Marek Patrman : ''Somewhere in Between'' *

Eric Person Eric Person (born May 2, 1963 in St. Louis, Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri) is an American alto saxophone, alto and soprano saxophone player and leader of Meta-Four and Metamorphosis. Since coming to New York City in 1982, Person has performed an ...

, Bob Stewart, Fabian Fioriini, Reggie Washington, Chris Mentens,

Baba Sissoko Baba Sissoko (born 8 March 1963) is a percussionist from Mali. Career Born and raised in Bamako,Di Fazio, Di Maurizio (2015)Baba Sissoko: "La paura è una malattia. Quando cominci ad averla sei già spacciato", ''L'Espresso'', 21 November 2015. ...

, Junior Mthombeni & Chris Joris : ''Rainbow Country'' * Bart Quartier, Nico Schepers, Bart Defoort, Jean-Louis Rassinfosse & Jan de Haas : ''Thank You'' * Laurent Blondiau, Jeroen Van Herzeele, Jean-Yves Evrard, Jozef Dumoulin, Sébastien Boisseau, Eric Thielemans, guest(s), Sophie Kokaj & Samanta7 : ''5''

2007

Pierre Van Dormael Pierre Van Dormael (24 May 1952 – 3 September 2008) was a Belgian jazz guitarist and composer. In 1988, he played in the James Baldwin Project with David Linx David Linx (born 22 March 1965) is a Belgian jazz Jazz is a music ...

& Octurn : ''North Country Suite'' * Saxafabra & Cezariusz Gadzina : ''Saxafabra'' * Songs for Broadcast : ''RadioKUKAorkest''

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Werf, De Belgian independent record labels Record labels established in 1993 Belgian jazz Jazz record labels