About


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).

Pro-active member of the Brussels music community, he launched in 2021 the ambitious “Muzik1030 Bar” project in his municipality of Schaerbeek. Aiming to revitalise the cultural and catering sectors, he set up a financial and logistical aid programme to assist with the organisation of concerts in local bars. A great success from the start, the project made the headlines in the regional and national press and, in the space of a year, made possible the organisation of over 180 concerts in the cafés of Schaerbeek, providing work for over 600 musicians. The project, supported by the municipality, has been relaunched for three years, and other Brussels municipalities are now trying to draw inspiration from it.


« 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, Erwin Van Rillaer, 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.

• 04/06/2023 – Martin Salemi Trio – 100BAN – Kobe, Japan
• 06/06/2023 – Martin Salemi Trio – Jazz Spot Layla – Himeji, Japan
• 07/06/2023 – Martin Salemi Trio – Livehouse Bird – Okayama, Japan
• 08/06/2023 – Martin Salemi Trio – Noge Junk – Yokohama, Japan
• 09/06/2023 – Martin Salemi Trio – Star Eyes – Nagoya, Japan
• 10/06/2023 – Martin Salemi Trio – Mark VI Mejiro – Tokyo, Japan
• 15/06/2023 – Misha Mendelenko Quartet – The Music Village – Brussels, Belgium
• 17/06/2023 – Misha Mendelenko Quartet – The Sounds – Brussels, Belgium
• 22/06/2023 – Misha Mendelenko Quartet – Baixu – Brussels, Belgium
• 23/06/2023 – Misha Mendelenko Quartet – Maison Des Arts – Brussels, Belgium
• 24/06/2023 – Saudade Experiment – Kiosk Festival – Mouscron, Belgium
• 02/07/2023 – Saudade Experiment – Wegimont Festival – Liège, Belgium
• 07/07/2023 – Saudade Experiment – LaSemo Festival – Enghien, Belgium
• 08/07/2023 – Breaks Sicx/Monneau/Salemi – Brussels, Belgium
• 09/07/2023 – Breaks Sicx/Monneau/Salemi – Brussels, Belgium
• 13/07/2023 – Salemi/Sicx/Caporali – La Laiterie – Brussels, Belgium
• 15/07/2023 – Martin Salemi Trio – Jammin’ Juan – Juan-Les-Pins, France
• 17/07/2023 – Saudade Experiment – Duc Des Lombards – Paris, France
• 14/08/2023 – Martin Salemi Solo – Gaume Jazz Festival – Gaume, Belgium
• 17/11/2023 – Stéphanie Bertrand Quartet – Abbaye de Bellingen – Pepingen , Belgium
• 18/11/2023 – Stéphanie Bertrand Quartet – Café Winok – Brussels, Belgium

News

Trying to play free using only one specific harmonic color:) these days this is what I love practicing especially in the morning:)☀️☀️
This is playing only with Dim going to M7
And voiced with triads

Trying to play free using only one specific harmonic color:) these days this is what I love practicing especially in the morning:)☀️☀️
This is playing only with Dim going to M7
And voiced with triads
...

63 2
Can’t wait for this one 🤪 Very happy to be touring Japan with my trio in two weeks ! 🇯🇵 
With Boris Schmidt on doublebass and Daniel Jonkers on drums 🥳

06/04 @100ban_kobe - Kobe
06/06 Jazz Spot Layla - Himeji
06/07 @livehouse_bird - Okayama
06/08 Junk - Yokohama
06/09 STAR☆EYES- Nagoya
06/10 MarkVI - Tokyo

Avec le soutien de @wal.bru.international 

photo de Jean-Frédéric Hanssens

#martinsalemitrio #markⅵmejiro #junkyokohama #jazzspotlayla #stareyesnagoya #100ban #livehousebird @borisschmidtmusic #danieljonkers

Can’t wait for this one 🤪 Very happy to be touring Japan with my trio in two weeks ! 🇯🇵
With Boris Schmidt on doublebass and Daniel Jonkers on drums 🥳

06/04 @100ban_kobe - Kobe
06/06 Jazz Spot Layla - Himeji
06/07 @livehouse_bird - Okayama
06/08 Junk - Yokohama
06/09 STAR☆EYES- Nagoya
06/10 MarkVI - Tokyo

Avec le soutien de @wal.bru.international

photo de Jean-Frédéric Hanssens

#martinsalemitrio #markⅵmejiro #junkyokohama #jazzspotlayla #stareyesnagoya #100ban #livehousebird @borisschmidtmusic #danieljonkers
...

89 13
Enjoying playing this beautiful song by Fauré from like 150 year ago 👀🤯
Crazy how this music sound so contemporary 
could have been composed today🎵

#gabrielfaure #fauré #lesberceaux #sullyprudhomme

Enjoying playing this beautiful song by Fauré from like 150 year ago 👀🤯
Crazy how this music sound so contemporary
could have been composed today🎵

#gabrielfaure #fauré #lesberceaux #sullyprudhomme
...

55 9
50 ways to go out 😜
Just drop off the key and get yourself free 👀

#paulsimon #50waystoleaveyourlover #rhodesmark2 #fenderrhodes #vintagekeyboards #jazzpiano

50 ways to go out 😜
Just drop off the key and get yourself free 👀

#paulsimon #50waystoleaveyourlover #rhodesmark2 #fenderrhodes #vintagekeyboards #jazzpiano
...

179 7
Teaching the classics:)

Teaching the classics:) ...

58 0
👽👻🎹 
Some jam with the P6 on Ray Barretto’s cover of Pastime Paradise 🥳🤪

#prophet6 #synthlead #synthsolo #pastimeparadise #raybarretto #steviewonder

👽👻🎹
Some jam with the P6 on Ray Barretto’s cover of Pastime Paradise 🥳🤪

#prophet6 #synthlead #synthsolo #pastimeparadise #raybarretto #steviewonder
...

105 13
📸 Cool pic of Manolo and me during the last gig at l’An Vert with Daniel Stokart Quartet:) 

Picture by Robert Hansenne

📸 Cool pic of Manolo and me during the last gig at l’An Vert with Daniel Stokart Quartet:)

Picture by Robert Hansenne
...

27 0
Playing along Jacob do Bandolim this morning☀️✨
Trying to emulate his phrasing over the choro groove:) #workinprogress

#choro #jacobdobandolim #docedecoco #pianosolo

Playing along Jacob do Bandolim this morning☀️✨
Trying to emulate his phrasing over the choro groove:) #workinprogress

#choro #jacobdobandolim #docedecoco #pianosolo
...

54 9
P6 with arpeggiator and D6 with wah pedal 🤪☀️✨

#prophet6 #clavinetd6 #synth #keyboards #vintagekeyboards

P6 with arpeggiator and D6 with wah pedal 🤪☀️✨

#prophet6 #clavinetd6 #synth #keyboards #vintagekeyboards
...

94 5

Videos

Videos

Here are some of the videos made with my music.

Video editing is one of my hobbies and some of these music videos I have made myself. Hope you enjoy!


Here’s an animation video made by Pixileon Studios, with linocuts by Jean-Claude Salemi.


Here are four tunes we recorded in duo with Boris Schmidt on doublebass. Featuring two compositions of Boris, one by Venezuelan musician Cristobal Soto and a composition of mine.


Here are two livestreams we recorded in quartet in april 2021. Both are recorded in “one-shot” by Vincent Blairon, in a scenery using mirrors to have different shooting angles.


Here are six videos we filmed with my trio in september 2020. All recorded in “one-shot” by Vincent Blairon on camera and Vincent De Bast on sound.


A streaming concert made possible by B-Jazz during Leuven Jazz Festival in Belgium.

Still Water is a tune I wrote, here recorded in a one-shot music video for the band Otto Kintet. The tune is from the album “Pico”, out in 2021.

Doubt is a music I composed for a full-length documentary about Brussels.

Here are five videos I have made myself for OPMOC, for which I also wrote the music and the lyrics.


Lennie’s Pennies is a music video I made with an old movie I found on internet.

Regina is a music video made by Vincent Blairon and Augustin Polet from Les Frêres Jambons Production.

Here are three music videos made by Vincent Blairon for OPMOC

Music

Music

About Time” is my second album in trio, featuring Boris Schmidt on doublebass and Daniel Jonkers on drums. It was released on IGLOO Records on 01/10/2021 and features 7 original compositions. Buy on Bandcamp or Stream here.

Pico” is the second album of the band Otto Kintet, led by Otto Kint on doublebass and featuring Jeroen Capens on saxophone, Lukas Somers on guitar, Daniel Jonkers on drums and me on keyboards. Three compositions of mine are featured on the album : Doubt, When Days Are Getting Longer, and Still Water. Buy on Bandcamp.

Short Stories” is my first record with my trio. It was released on Igloo Records on 06/10/2017 and features 6 original compositions and 2 covers. With Mike Delaere on doublebass, and Toine Cnockaert on drums. Buy on Bandcamp or Stream here.

OPMOC” is the third album of my band “OPMOC“. I wrote all compositions, arrangements and some of the lyrics. With Jacob Miller on bass and vocals, Maxime Van Eerdewegh on drums, Antoine Lafontaine on trumpet, Bruno Borsu on alto saxophone, Creo Cristoria and Jeroen Capens on tenor saxophone. Buy on Bandcamp.

Photos

Photos

Discography

Discography

As a leader :

Martin SalemiAbout Time (Igloo Records – 2021)

Martin Salemi TrioShort Stories (Igloo Records – 2017)

OPMOCOPMOC (autoproduction – 2017)

Martin Salemi TrioUnsaid (2015)

OPMOCNo Borders (autoproduction – 2015)

Nous Etions Ailleurs(ep) (2014)

OPMOCJourneys (autoproduction – 2012)

OPMOC – (ep) (2010)

As a sideman/co-leader :

Jean-Claude Salemi & Martin SalemiEn attendant… (2022)

Otto Kintet – Pico Sessions (Zennez Records – 2022)

Otto Kintet Pico (Zennez Records – 2021)

Salemi/Cabras/Sicx – Home Session (2018)

Otto KintetGloed (Zennez Records – 2018)

What Standards – (ep) (2016)

Quintessence Big Band – (ep) (2016)

Otto KintetOtto Kintet (2016)

SwingoboxLive à la Jazz Station (2015)

Funkarium(ep) (2015)

Martin et Otto(ep) (2014)

30 de FebreroSalsa Belga (2013)

In soundtrack music :

Mon P’tit Coco – Cie La Berlue/Cie l’Anneau, directed by Ariane Buhbinder – theater (2019)

Bruxelles-Brussel, Une Traversée Urbaine – Luc Jabon – full length documentary (2019)

Simon Pleure” – Sergio Guataquira Sarmiento – short movie (2018)

2h14” – Cie La P’tite Canaille, directed by Manon Coppée – theater (2018)

D’un palace un taudis” – Vincent Blairon – short movie ( 2018)

100% Bruxelles– Rimini Protokoll, produced by Kunstenfestivaldesarts – theater (2014)

Le Passeur” – Cie Domya, directed by Martin Goossens – theater (2014)

Ne Pas Toucher” – Vincent Blairon – short movie (2010)

Mosk” – Théâtre de l’étoile – theater (2006)

Boite B” – Babel – theater (2002)

Press

Press reviews

Here’s a selection of newspaper articles and reviews. More can be downloaded here.

Scores

Scores

Here you can download leadsheets of some of my compositions, hope you will enjoy them !
Don’t hesitate to contact me for any inquiries.

Those seven tunes are featured on my album “About Time” (IGLOO Records – 2021)

Those six tunes are featured on my album “Short Stories” (IGLOO Records – 2017)

Here are a few tunes you can hear on my YouTube channel, or in various places

Contact

Contact

Please, feel free to contact me.