Félix Simtaine

Félix Simtaine (born April 26, 1938 in Verviers ) is a Belgian jazz musician ( drums ) who led the Act Big Band for a long time .

Live and act

Simtaine discovered music in his childhood. In 1954 he first picked up the trombone, but quickly switched to the drums. As an autodidact , he began an amateur career in the 1950s with bebopers such as René Thomas , Bobby Jaspar , JR Monterose , Léo Fléchet, Robert Jeanne, Jean Lerusse and Jacques Pelzer , with whom he appeared at numerous festivals in Belgium. At the Dortmund Festival in the mid-1960s he was honored as the best soloist.

In 1969 Simtaine began a professional career under the direction of the drummer Stu Martin . At first he tried rock and free rock , but soon returned to jazz. In the 1970s he worked with Rhoda Scott , Michel Herr , Jack van Poll and other groups before forming his own big band with Act Big Band in 1978 . The band enjoyed great success and gave numerous concerts, recorded five albums between 1980 and 1996 and played with Toots Thielemans , Joe Lovano , John Ruocco , Guy Cabay , Jon Eardley and Joe Lee Wilson . In 1998, the formation was voted the “best Belgian big band” by listeners from RTBF and VRT as well as by Walloon critics.

Simtaine also founded The Trio in 1982 with John Ruocco and Jean-Louis Rassinfosse . Still active today, the trio was one of the most innovative groups of the 1980s and participated in many festivals before releasing their first album A Ghost of a Chance in 2007. In 1993 he founded the group East & West Connection after several tours in Eastern Europe and the recording of a live CD in Krakow as part of the International Jazz Festival. With the Tentett Ten-Tamarre he appeared for the first time in 2000 at the Jazz à Liège Festival and then went on several tours.

Simtaine can also be heard on albums by René Thomas, Robert Jeanne, Rhoda Scott, Michel Herr, Éric Legnini , Jeanfrançois Prins , Bert Joris , Richard Rousselet, Charles Loos , Kris Defoort and Stéphane Mercier.

Discographic notes

• 2012: Act Big Band & Guests Extremes (Igloo)
• 2007: Ruocco / Simtaine / Rassinfosse Trio A Ghost of a Chance (AZ Productions)
• 1996: Félix Simtaine: Intensive Act (Igloo, solo, in a trio with Éric Legnini and Philippe Aerts , in a quintet with Gary Smulyan and Bo Van Der Werf , with the Act Big Band)
• 1996: Lew Tabackin / Félix Simtaine / Philippe Aerts - L'Archiduc - Round About Five (Igloo)
• 1987: Act Big Band & Guests: Extremes (Igloo, with John Ruocco, Joe Lovano)

Web links

• Web presence
• Entry (jazzinbelgium.com)
• Félix Simtaine at Discogs (English)