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.
• 22/06/2022 – The Sounds Good Session – The Sounds – Brussels, Belgium
• 13/08/2022 – SuperSka – Parc d’Avroy – Liège, Belgium
• 28/08/2022 – Martin Salemi Trio + Jam Session – Pelzer Jazz Club – Liège, Belgium
• 21/09/2022 – Boris Schmidt & Martin Salemi – The Music Village – Brussels, Belgium
• 24/09/2022 – Otto Kintet – Café Winok – Brussels, Belgium
• 02/10/2022 – Stéphanie Bertrand Quartet – The Music Village – Brussels, Belgium
• 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
• 26/11/2022 – Martin Salemi Trio – Yaounde Jazz Festival – Yaounde, Cameroun
• 09/12/2022 – Martin Salemi Trio – Jazzzolder – Mechelen, Belgium
News
🌞 in the practice room:)
Playing two nice gigs this week-end for the @brusselsjazzweekend festival:
Saturday 21h30 at Bonnefooi
✨Jordi Grognard Quartet
Jordi Grognard: sax
Manolo Cabras: doublebass
João Lobo: drums
Me on keys
Sunday 14h30 at Grand-Place
☀️Martin Salemi Daylight
Sylvain Debaisieux: sax
Boris Schmidt: doublebass
Daniel Jonkers: drums
Me on keys 🎹
Hopefully see you there:))
@bonnefooibarclub @leslundisdhortense @borisschmidtmusic @sylvaindebaisieux #manolocabras #danieljonkers #martinsalemidaylight @igloorec #practiceroom #piano #prophet6 #fenderrhodes #rhodesmark2 #keyboards #mooglittlephatty
This Sunday at 14h30 with my new band on the Grand-Place of Brussels ! 🙌🙌 for the @brusselsjazzweekend festival, venez nombreux !!:))
#brusselsjazzweekend #brujazzwe #martinsalemidaylight @leslundisdhortense
A 20h30 au Crix Café à St Gilles ! :))
Avec Boris Schmidt, Sylvain Debaisieux et Daniel Jonkers ✨🤪 Venez nombreux !
The tour continues!:) Two gigs this week with this new band, friday in Brussels at @crixcafe and saturday in Bruges at @27_bflat !:)) can’t wait!
With
@sylvaindebaisieux on sax
@borisschmidtmusic on doublebass
#danieljonkers on drums
And me on keyboards
Photo by Jean-Frederic Hanssens
#jazzinbelgium #martinsalemidaylight #crixcafe #jazzinbrussels #jazzinbruges
Happy to be playing with these dudes @otto_kintet for three concerts celebrating our latest album, « Pico » ! ✨Come catch us at one of those dates !
23/4 Zeilclub Grimbergen
04/5 @voltabxl Brussels
16/6 @ccstrombeek Strombeek
#ottokintet #jazzinbelgium #voltabxl @jeroencapenz #danieljonkers @otto_kintet @lukas_somers9 @ccstrombeek
Last Sunday at @roskambrussels with my new project ‘Daylight’ 🙂 🎹🎶
📷 by @sergesluyts
#rhodesmarkv #prophet5
#martinsalemidaylight #roskambrussels #jazzinbelgium
Fun times at @roskambrussels yesterday with my new project ‘Daylight’ 🙂 ☀️☀️☀️
Next stop on 29/4 at @crixcafe !
Thanks to @red___5 for the video:)
@borisschmidtmusic
@sylvaindebaisieux
#danieljonkers
#martinsalemidaylight
Merci à toutes et tous d’êtres venus si nombreux hier pour notre premier concert ! 🥳 Et pour ceux qui n’étaient pas là ou qui aimeraient nous revoir, on rejoue ce soir au Roskam à 20h !:) ☀️
@roskambrussels @borisschmidtmusic @sylvaindebaisieux
#martinsalemidaylight
I’m happy to introduce you this new project, “Daylight”, in a little spring tour:)
Featuring Boris Schmidt, Daniel Jonkers and Sylvain Debaisieux✨
Come to see us at one of those shows !
09/04 CAFE WINOK
10/04 Roskam
29/04 Crix Café
30/04 27Bflat
29/05 BRU JAZZ WE on Brussels’ Grand-Place
Picture by Jean-Frédéric Hanssens
@borisschmidtmusic #danieljonkers @sylvaindebaisieux #martinsalemidaylight #jazzinbelgium @leslundisdhortense @brusselsjazzweekend #brujazzwe @cafewinok @roskambrussels @crixcafe @27_bflat
