Fred Van Hove

Frederik Van Hove – born in Antwerp, Belgium on February 19, 1937 – was a jazz pianist, composer, and pioneer of European free jazz. He was also an accordionist, church organist, and carillonist. He studied piano, theory, and harmony at the Music Academy in Belgium before experimenting with several jazz styles, leading to his transition to free improvisation. In 1966, he began a musical collaboration with German saxophonist Peter Brötzmann, performing and recording with him in trio, quartet, and sextet formations. Fred Van Hove also performed with Steve Lacy, Lol Coxhill, Albert Mangelsdorff, Vinko Globokar, and many others. His recording career began in the late 1960s with albums such as Requiem for Che Guevara / Psalmus Spei with keyboardist Wolfgang Dauner (1969). He played his first solo concerts in 1970 and 1971. While touring as a duo with Belgian sax player Cel Overberghe in 1972, Fred Van Hove refused to perform at the Middelheim Festival once he became aware of the huge difference paid to the American jazz musicians compare to the Europeans. This led to the formation of Werkgroep Improviserende Musici (WIM), which intended to improve the situation of free music in Belgium. He continued to perform and record throughout the 1970s, forming groups that used the MLA or MLB. In the 1980s, he worked with several different groups and toured Europe and Japan. Fred Van Hove’s experimental side proved successful even into the 1990s and beyond, working with an impressive list of musicians, both live and in the studio. His catalog includes albums such as Verloren Maandag (1977), Au Pavillon de la Garde (1982), Five Facings (1996), Flux (1998), Journey (2009), and the compilation Piano Solo (2011). In 1996, he was honored with the title of Cultural Ambassador of Flanders by the Belgian government. Fred Van Hove died on January 13, 2022, at the age of 84.

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