Ben Sluijs (°1967) studied classical saxophone with Rudy Haemers at the Vilvoorde Music Academy. During the summer holidays, he attended various courses where he was taught by Francois Danneels, Norbert Nozy, Willy Demey and Ed Bogaert, among others. At the age of fifteen, Ben's interest in jazz grew. After completing his classical programme, he began a four-year course at the Antwerp Jazz Studio, where he was taught by John Ruocco. Under the guidance of Steve Houben, Ben then spent a year studying at the Conservatoire in Brussels. He graduated from the Conservatoire in Tilburg as a “teaching and performing musician”. In 2004, he moved to the US to take advanced lessons with saxophone master David Liebman. Ben now teaches at the Conservatoire and at the music academy in Antwerp.
Career as a performing musician
As a performing musician, Ben Sluijs gained experience with groups such as Octurn, BRT Big Band, Brussels Jazz Orchestra, Myriam Alter Quintet, Act Big Band, Jean Warland's Sax No End, and Ivan Paduart Septet. He has also played with Philippe Catherine, Toots Thielemans, Bert Van den Brink, Michel Herr, Bert Joris, Dre Pallemaerts, Hein Van De Geijn, Nathalie Lorrier, Serge Lazarevitch, Chris Joris, Joe Fonda and John Betsch, among others. In 1997, he represented Belgium in the European Big Band in Slovenia.
Ben Sluijs has performed at various national and international festivals: Jazz-Middelheim (Belgium), Knitting Factory (New York), Montreal Festival (Canada), North Sea Festival (Holland), Euro Jazz Festival Mexico, Tremplin Jazz (France), etc.
The city of Antwerp awarded him the Antoon Van Dijck Prize in 1999. He was nominated for the Zamu Awards in 2003 and 2007 and for the d'Jango d'Or in 2006. In 2019, he won the Klara Prize with the Ben Sluijs Quartet.
Ben is currently active with a trio (3/4 Peace), his own quartet, and plays in a duo with Erik Vermeulen (piano) and in a duo with Pascal Mohy (piano).
Discography:
- ‘Till Next time’, with Stacy Rowles (1991)
- ‘Reminiscense’, Myriam Alter Quintet (1994)
- ‘Chromatic History’, Octurn (1994)
- ‘Silent Walk’, Myriam Alter Quintet (1996)
- “Ocean”, Octurn (1996)
- ‘Hamp Digs Ham’, Francois Descamps octet (1997)
- ‘Food for Free’, Ben Sluijs Quartet (1997)
- ‘Coast To Coast’, Paolo Radoni Quartet (1999)
- ‘Candy Century’, Ben Sluijs Quartet (1999)
- ‘Round’, Octurn (2000)
- “Stones”, duo with Erik Vermeulen (Jazz Hallo 2001 and reprinted by the Werf 2010)
- ‘Seasounds’, Ben Sluijs Quartet (2001)
- ‘Flying Circles’, Ben Sluijs Quartet (2002)
- “Ancesthree”, with Hendrik Braekman & Piet Verbist (2002)
- ‘True Nature’, Ben Sluijs Quartet (2005)
- ‘Somewhere in between’, Ben Sluijs Quartet (2006)
- ‘Harmonic Integration’, ‘The Unplayables’ Ben Sluijs Quartet meets E. Vermeulen (2008)
- ‘Let Me Hear A Simple Song’, Radonis Tribe (2009)
- ‘Brick Quartet’ with Brick Quartet (2009)
- ‘Parity’, with Erik Vermeulen (Werf 2010)
- ‘Arbr' en ciel’, with the Christian Mendoza Group (Werf 2011)
- ‘3/4 Peace’, in trio with Christian Mendoza and Brice Soniano (el NEGOCITO Records 2012
- “Decades” in duo with Erik Vermeulen (WERF 2014)
- ‘A Turkey Is Better Eaten’ with the Augusto Pirodda Quartet (el NEGOCITO Records 2014)
- ‘Rainy Days On The Common Land’ with 3/4 Peace (el NEGOCITO Records 2015)
- ‘Solo Recordings’ (Off-Records 2018)
- ‘Particles’, Ben Sluijs Quartet (On Purpose Records/Off-Records 2018)
- “Still Three Still Free”, Serge Lazarevitch Trio (release: April 2020)
- “The Monkey and the Monk” with the Augusto Pirodda Septet (el NEGOCITO Records 2023)
- “Free Four” Serge Lazarevitch Quartet (release: 2024)
- ”Short Stories” with “3/4 Peace", in trio with Christian Mendoza and Brice Soniano (Astropi 2025)
Website: http://www.bensluijs.be