MdM Trio, that is...
Martin de Marneffe, piano, composition and arrangements
Martin de Marneffe was born in Brussels in 1979 and studied at the Jazz Studio in Antwerp (where he later also taught) before continuing his studies at the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston. Influenced by the great Americans such as Keith Jarrett, Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock or Ahmad Jamal, he also appreciates Scandinavian jazz in the E.S.T. style. He has performed with Esperanza Spalding, Christian Scott, ex-Starflam Pierre Etienne and is the leader of the Belgian-Brazilian band Onda 7, together with carioca bassist Marat Araujot. As a left-handed musician (like Bill Evans), Martin de Marneffe likes to place melodies in that hand. This is the case in most compositions of this new project.
Sal La Rocca, double bass
Sal La Rocca was born in 1961 in the Liège region and started as a guitarist in rock bands before taking up the double bass as a self-taught musician. Since then he has toured the world with Steve Houben, Lee Konitz, Harold Land, Phil Abraham and Nathalie Loriers, and played bass with the Belgian band Vaya Con Dios. His latest album, Shifted, was released in late 2018 by Igloo Records.
Ben Tequi, drums
The young Ben Tequi, graduated from the Brussels Conservatory, is one of the most versatile drummers of his generation, switching effortlessly between hip-hop and jazz. His major influences are Chris Dave, Brian Blade and Jorge Rossy.