Joris, Chris (B)

Born in Mechelen, Belgium on November 30, 1952, Chris Joris began his career in 1976, the year he met and recorded with South African bassist Johnny “Mbizo” Dyani, who performed with Butch Morris, Abdullah Ibrahim, Chris McGregor, Dudu Pukwana, Mongezi Feza, Harry Beckett and Joseph Bonner among others. Prior to this, Chris played piano in local bands. Later he turned to percussion, which became his main expressive instrument and earned him the solid reputation he enjoys today in Belgium and across Europe.

During a year in Paris in 1978, he reconnected with Johnny Dyani alongside saxophonist André Jaume and other musicians. In Paris he formed a percussion trio with Ajib Bieng (later recording with Herbie Hancock) and Cheikh Tidiane Fall (later recording with Pharoah Sanders). Back in Belgium, he became a highly sought-after studio and jazz percussionist, working with legends such as Toots Thielemans, Steve Houben, Bruno Castellucci, Michel Herr, Diederik Wissels, Frank Vaganée, Richard Galiano, Ivan Paduart, Charles Loos and Erwin Vann.

In 1985 he played for the last time with Johnny Dyani at the Middelheim Jazz Festival alongside percussionist Neppy Noya and saxophonist John Ruocco.

In 1991 he formed an octet with American tuba player Bob Stewart as a guest artist and recorded his first CD as a tribute to Johnny Dyani, titled SONGS FOR MBIZO, which received excellent reviews in European and American jazz press.

In 1993 he recorded his second CD, BIHOGO, with soprano saxophonist Pierre Vaiana and New York bassist Cameron Brown, known for his collaborations with the Mingus dynasty, the Archie Shepp Quartet, the George Adams-Don Pullen Quartet and the Connie Crothers Quartet. He toured for a week with Cameron Brown.

In 1995 his third album was released with his Bihogo Quartet, ON CHILDREN’S STREET, featuring saxophonist Kurt Van Herck. In 1996 they toured France, England and Germany.

Chris Joris also teaches at the Jazz Studio (academy) in Antwerp.

Chris Joris met master djembé player Adama Dramé from Burkina Faso, with whom he began a collaboration. One of their most successful concerts was recorded and released in 1998 under the title BENKADI. To date, Chris Joris has completed three Scandinavian tours, performing at clubs and festivals such as the Upsala Winter Swing Festival and the Euro Jazz Festival in Stockholm, the Fassching Club in Stockholm, Nefertiti in Göteborg, Katalin in Uppsala and the Jazzhouse in Copenhagen.

His new group is called The Chris Joris Experience, a quintet enriched by two African musicians: Ben Ngabo from Rwanda, vocalist and percussionist (ngomas), and Guinean kora player N'Faly Kouyate. At the last Middelheim Jazz Festival in 1997 they received a standing ovation for this new project. This concert was recorded and released in June 1998 as The Chris Joris Experience “Live” at the Jazz Middelheim Festival & Stockholm ’97 on the W.E.R.F. 012 label, all records distributed by AMG Benelux.

In November 1998 Chris Joris gave several concerts with legendary jazz pianist Mal Waldron and they planned a Scandinavian tour for autumn 1999. The Chris Joris Experience also appeared at numerous festivals across Europe that year, including in Magdeburg, Germany and at Jazz d’Or in Strasbourg. This reflects the growth of the international reputation Chris Joris built over the past five years.

At the end of 1999 he formed a quartet with young Australian pianist of Dutch origin Walter Lampe: the Chris Joris-Walter Lampe Quartet, also featuring Felicity Provan (trumpet and vocals) and Arnold Dooyeweerd (bass). They began a small tour in Flanders and planned a recording in March 2000. With this quartet Chris aimed to express himself further in the jazz idiom, playing standards in their own personal way combined with original compositions.