"incredible keyboard virtuosity"
Louder Than War (UK)
"afstammeling van Keith Emerson"
OOR Magazine (NL)
"het zijn vooral Karel's synths die bijdragen aan de klankkleur"
De Standaard (BE)
Karel Cuelenaere (Eeklo °1989), in the wake of Black Flower, John Ghost and Ping O.D. has gained numerous compliments from the international press. Louder Than War (UK) talks about his “incredible keyboard virtuosity” and OOR (NL) labels him as a “descendant of Keith Emerson”. The Standaard and Da Music praise his “decisive contribution to the sound” of the aforementioned bands.
While Karel is now mainly perceived as a keyboardist within the prog-, rock- and hybrid jazz scene, with KCT – abbreviation of Karel Cuelenaere Trio – he resolutely opts for the grand piano. He is assisted by double bass and drums, respectively performed by Cyrille Obermüller (HAST, Bruno Vansina, Nabou Claerhout Trombone Ensemble) and Gert-Jan Dreessen (Bram De Looze, FES).
The trio is stylistically anchored in the Belgian jazz tradition, building on the work of Aka Moon, Octurn and Jozef Dumoulin, among others, and incorporates the atmosphere of 'saudade', a kind of melancholy that Karel got to know on a tour in Brazil and recognizes in the recordings of pianist Keith Jarrett during the 60s.
Quote from LaBestia:
"Flabergasted by KCT's performance at Footprints Festival, it was especially the joyful interaction and the musicianship that stroke us. Sitting at the tip of our chair we continuously wondered what will come next. We felt excited and knew this was promising!"
TBC from fall 2024 onwards when debut album releases
