Leo Janssen Group

LEO JANSSEN GROUP
Crossover of world fusion & traditional music and modal jazz and spherical impro. With his project ‘Echoes of the Mind’ Janssen aims to provide a playground for “free experiment, individual expression and deep introspection”. In 2016 Janssen released his second album.

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Leo Janssen tenor & soprano saxophone, flute
Peter Tiehuis (Frank Burks) guitar
Stormvogel piano, synthesizers
Arno van Nieuwenhuize drums
Xander Buvelot bass
Martin Gort percussion

LEO JANSSEN
Leo Janssen is known for his work as ‘first tenorist’ with the Metropole Orkest, collaborating with artists like Herbie Hanckock, Joe Zawinul, Jim Beard, Pat Metheny, Yellow Jackets, Gino Vannelli, Adrian Belew and Snarky Puppy (Grammy 2016). In 2000 the orchestra released an album ‘Shadow & Light’ with Leo Janssen as main soloist.Leo Janssen was born in 1960 zuid-Limburg. Age 10 he started in local marching bands and regional brass and woodwind orchestra’s. At the conservatory he studied saxophone and clarinet, among others with tenor saxophonist Ferdinand Povel, one of his main jazz influences. Other inspiring saxophonists are John Coltrane, Michael Brecker, Jan Garbarek and Bendik Hofseth. Besides, Janssen loves traditional music from around the world, next to Bela Bartok, Richard Strauss, Frank Zappa, Hariprassad Chaurasia, Björk and Sting. Janssen is a versitale virtuoso in a great diversity off styles and genres, always playing from the heart, with open mind and in search of the original. Janssen works as a soloist and sideman with Skymasters, Metropole Orkest, Eef Albers, Peter Tiehuis, Marc Scholten, Egbert Derix, Arno van Nieuwenhuize, Thijs Borsten en Stormvogel (Global Alternative Energy Attack GAEA). With Stormvogel he plays improvisations based on themes from medieval times and antiquity: Songs from the Great Indo European Songbook. Read more on this project.