Martin Salemi – Pianist/Composer
Welcome to the website of Belgian pianist and composer Martin Salemi. Here you can find tour dates, pictures, videos, discography, press reviews, scores and music. Thank you for your visit !
Martin Salemi is an eclectic musician and prolific composer, an in-demand pianist and bandleader in constant search of true honesty in every note he plays.
He has brought his own music to stages all across Europe and was described on national radio RTBF as « a beautiful example of what jazz can be today: a music nourished by all musics, free of yesterday’s constraints ». (Laurent Graulus – Musiq3)
Released in 2017, ‘Short Stories’, his first trio album with the IGLOO Records jazz label, was critically and publicly acclaimed – « There’s some Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett in this young musician (…) a knock out » (Le Soir ***), « I really can’t praise this album highly enough (…) Get it! » (Lynn René Bayley, US). In 2018, he won first prize at the B-Jazz International Contest – « What a good band! They sound beautiful ». He has recorded three albums with the funk-power band OPMOC and has toured extensively, playing the keyboards on Europe’s biggest stages and festivals.
His second trio album, ‘About Time’, released in Autumn 2021, was considered an « instant classic » by Philippe Baron – RTBF and got a 4-star review in Jazz Magazine (FR). « Always of great accuracy and astonishing musicality (…). To listen to and re-listen to until you lose all sense of time. (…). Discover without delay! » (Brigitte Mahaux – Musiq3)
Besides his work as a leader, Martin Salemi is also very much in demand as a sideman. Notably, he regularly explores the standard repertoire with Italian double bass phenomenon Manolo Cabras and young Belgian rising star Gaspard Sicx in the Salemi/Cabras/Sicx trio.
He also plays the keyboards in the Belgian band Otto Kintet who, since 2016, have released three albums – « One thing is certain: this music is of an immense beauty » (Dani Heyvaert – Rootstime).
A prolific composer, Martin Salemi also writes music for the theatre and the cinema. Among others, he has worked with the likes of the German theatre collective Rimini Protokoll, the Belgian film-maker Luc Jabon and the Domya, La Berlue and L’Anneau theatre companies.
« … There’s nothing cryptic about his superb playing… » Jim Gilchrist – The Scotsman (UK).
« Beautiful melodies and superb trio work […] An instant classic »
Philippe Baron – RTBF Musiq3, about “About Time” (2021)
« A partir d’un matériau d’une grande simplicité, sans recherche d’effets ni de ruptures, le sens du récit et la qualité du son d’ensemble emportent l’adhésion »
Vincent Cotro – Jazz Magazine – 4 étoiles (FR), about “About Time” (2021)
« Toujours d’une justesse et d’une musicalité étonnante […] Il s’écoute et se réécoute à en perdre toute notion du temps […] A découvrir sans plus attendre ! »
Brigitte Mahaux – RTBF Musiq3 about “About Time” (2021)
« Les plages s’enchaînent et coulent avec intelligence dans une fausse simplicité en nous entraînant dans de nouveaux paysages toujours recommencés […] About Time est une production cohérente au naturel léger mais plein d’élan et construite comme une œuvre classique : tout y est mélodie, calme et ravissement, propice à la réflexion, un album que l’on sent inspiré par les idées élévatrices d’une belle humanité. »
Pierre Dulieu – DragonJazz (disque du mois, Sélection Best Of 2021) about “About Time“
« Het spel van Salemi is echter van zulk hoog niveau, zowel emotievol als speltechnisch, en de samenwerking tussen hem en de ritmesectie zo fijn, dat dit trio net zo gemakkelijk tussen al die vernieuwende Belgische bands internationaal grote indruk kan maken. »
Dick Hovenga – WrittenInMusic
« I really can’t praise this album highly enough. If the reader gets the feeling from the above review that I didn’t quite describe Salemi’s playing in enough detail, it is only because there is so much detail that it’s better to just listen and not analyze too much. Get it! »
Lynn René Bayley, Artmusiclounge (US), about “Short Stories” (2017)
« Ca fait du bien d’écouter un album de jazz contemporain qui ne cherche pas à tout prix des sonorités inouïes […] La musique est fraîche, joyeuse, dansante »
Jean-Claude Vantroyen, Le Soir ***, about “Short Stories” (2017)
« Van begin tot einde zuiver akoestisch zonder electronics en toch klopte het plaatje. Respect! »
Georges Tonla Briquet, Jazz’ Halo about “Short Stories” (2017)
« Les compositions du leader sont toutes délectables. Non seulement, elles ont du caractère mais, ni démonstratives ni appliquées, elles sont aussi mémorables par leur côté mélodieux »
Pierre Dulieu, Dragonjazz, about “Short Stories” (2017)
« Martin Salemi est un bel exemple de ce que peut être le jazz aujourd’hui: une musique qui se nourrit de toutes les musiques, libérée de ses carcans d’autrefois. »
Laurent Graulus, RTBF Musiq3
« On est très loin d’un jazz cérébral et hermétique […] Ce sont des mélodies qui accrochent tout de suite, sans tomber non plus dans la facilité. C’est délicat, ça swingue, tout en finesse […] absolument remarquable. »
Xavier Vanbuggenhout, RTBF La Première, about “Short Stories” (2017)
© pictures from top to bottom : Cindy De Kuyper, Patrick Clerens, Vincent Blairon
Next Concerts
Here you can find my upcoming tour dates. Hope to see you there!
More infos about schedule, line-up and a list of past concerts on the concert page.
• 21/09/2022 – Boris Schmidt & Martin Salemi – The Music Village – Brussels, Belgium
• 24/09/2022 – Otto Kintet – Café Winok – Brussels, Belgium
• 25/09/2022 – Free Funk Boogie Backlash – Bonnefooi – Brussels, Belgium
• 29/09/2022 – Free Funk Boogie Backlash – K.No.P – Brussels, Belgium
• 01/10/2022 – Otto Kintet – Jazz Wilrijk – Anvers, Belgium
• 02/10/2022 – Stéphanie Bertrand Quartet – The Music Village – Brussels, Belgium
• 06/10/2022 – Fil Caporali & Martin Salemi – Grafik – Brussels, Belgium
• 07/10/2022 – Bal en Luttes et Chansons – La Tricoterie – Brussels, Belgium
• 09/10/2022 – Salemi/Rahola/De Waele – Gare Maritime – Brussels, Belgium
• 15/10/2022 – Rio’s Swing Quartet – Le Potelier – Brussels, Belgium
• 23/10/2022 – Otto Kintet – Bonnefooi – Brussels, Belgium
• 30/10/2022 – Salemi/Cabras/Venken – Jazz Station – Brussels, Belgium
• 03/11/2022 – Martin Salemi Trio – TBA – Nice, France
• 04/11/2022 – Martin Salemi Trio – Jammin’ Juan – Antibes, France
• 10/11/2022 – Martin Salemi Daylight – La Du Hautbois – Mons, Belgium
• 12/11/2022 – Martin Salemi Daylight – The Sounds – Brussels, Belgium
• 15/11/2022 – Salemi/Di Maio/Rahola/Odone – Hot Club – Gand, Belgium
• 26/11/2022 – Free Funk Boogie Backlash – K.No.P – Brussels, Belgium
• 09/12/2022 – Martin Salemi Trio – Jazzzolder – Mechelen, Belgium
• 10/12/2022 – Otto Kintet – CC Coloma – Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium
• 25/01/2023 – Martin Salemi Daylight – Jazz Station – Brussels Belgium
• 16/03/2023 – Stéphanie Bertrand Quartet – Espace Toots – Brussels, Belgium
• 30/04/2023 – Martin Salemi Trio – Yaounde Jazz Festival – Yaounde, Cameroun
News
Recorded the music of Daniel Stokart today with Manolo Cabras on doublebass and João Lobo on drums ☀️☀️
A few fun gigs coming up!:) Hope to see you at one of those, don’t hesitate to visit my website www.martinsalemi.com for more, I update it regularly 🤗☀️😁
Tonight at the Music Village in duo with Boris Schmidt !
“Early Morning”, a composition of mine recorded with @borisschmidtmusic ☀️🎹🤗
Sound by @tombourgeoismusic and video by #vincentblairon 🌈🌈
Full video on YouTube !:))
As always, the score is available for free on my website 🙌🎼
And next concert with this duo next Wednesday 21 September in @themusicvillage in Brussels 🥳
“When It’s Done”, a composition of mine, recorded here in solo by @debastvincent and filmed by #vincentblairon at @werkplaats_walter in Brussels:) 🎹🌈
The lead sheet is available for free on my website:) ☀️🎼🤗
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#piano #pianosolo #solopiano #pianist #instapiano
Jamming with The Bee Gees 😜🕺✨🎹
Really love this super expressive and inspiring lead sound made for the Prophet06 by @iamj3po ✨🤪
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#prophet6 #keyboardsolo #j3po #beegees #stayinalive #synthsolo #synthporn @beegees
Playing songs 🎹☀️
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#myideal #chetbaker #pianosolo #jazzpiano
Trading with the one and only @benwendel on his wonderful tune ‘Song Song’ 🤪🥳🤗 Along with this great combo class at @sienajazz ☀️☀️
One of the many many many good memories I will keep for a long time of this great two week workshop:)) 🙏
Thanks to @liliana_sommariva for the video ❤️
With the gang ✨ @chiarapastomusic , @mcharristarrnon , @simonebortolami , @doorbelll_ , @enricovalanzuolo
And another great week in great company:) in @sienajazz studying with @benwendel with all these great musicians!✨😎🥳
@doorbelll_
@chiarapastomusic
@enricovalanzuolo
@mcharristarrnon
@simonebortolami
Yeah 🤪 that was one very inspiring week learning from this master with those guys ☀️☀️☀️
🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹
@amandamelinakiefer
@diegopaciottob
@geraldclayton
#masakoisnotoninstagram
#sienajazz
@sienajazz
