Hendrik Braeckman, born in 1964, began his musical journey with two television courses, “Gitaar Spelenderwijs” (Guitar Playing Made Easy) by Jan Mol (TELEAC). After several years of playing pop, country and rock music, he decided in 1983 to study jazz at the Jazzstudio of the Halewijnstichting. This decision followed an inspiring summer course in Dworp that same year, where he was taught by guitarist Paolo Radoni and arranger Vince Benedetti, among others.
During his studies in Antwerp, he was taught by renowned jazz musicians, including Dre Pallemaerts, Bert Joris, Joe Lovano, Hein Van De Geyn, Eric Vermeulen, Maarten Weyler, Dennis Luxion and Roger Kellaway. Specifically in the field of guitar, he received lessons from Paolo Radoni, teacher at the Conservatoire in Brussels and Chairperson of ‘Les Lundis d'Hortense’, and from Peter Hertmans, who at the time taught at the Jazzstudio and later became a teacher at the Conservatoire in Brussels and coordinator of the jazz department at the Lemmens Institute.
Other influential guitar teachers were Peter Nieuwerf, head of the jazz department in The Hague, Serge Lazarevitch, teacher at both the Jazz Studio and the conservatoire in Paris and Perpignan. Lazarevitch also played in the French national jazz orchestra. During the summer course in Dworp, he also took lessons from Philip Catherine.
Braeckman first immersed himself in the style of traditional jazz guitarists such as Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, Kenny Burrell, Jim Hall and Wes Montgomery. Later, he turned his attention to more modern guitarists such as Mike Stern, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, John Abercrombie and Serge Lazarevitch. He also took masterclasses with the latter four.
Experience
Until 1987, he mainly played with Frank Vaganee and Erwin Vann, with whom he was a laureate of the Ostend Jazz Competition organised by Knack Magazine. He made recordings with Monica Stoçes for BRT radio and played with Eric Vermeulen, Bert Joris, Kurt VanHerck, Jean Louis Rassinfosse, Dre Pallemaerts, Philippe Aerts, Jan De Haas, Koen Decauter, “Waso”, Jan de Koning, Clifford Adams, trombonist with Cool & the Gang, Jack Van Poll, Patricia Beysens, Diederik Wissels, Charles Loos, Jan Mues and, last but not least, he played almost daily in the club of American vibraphonist Dave Pike.
He also played with various foreign musicians such as Dave Pike, Peter Compo, Judie Niemack, Andy Mghee from New York, Andrej Cusik from Poland, Toivo Unt from Latvia and Dave Paquette from New Orleans, Nilson Matta, Kenny Werner, Kenny Wheeler, Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, James Darcy Argue, Gauthier Capuçon... He also performed on stages abroad, such as in Dusseldorf, Stuttgart, St Moritz, Cannes, Amiens, Paris, Taipei, Kuwait, New York, Shanghai, Boston, La Rocque d'Antheron in France, Amsterdam, Johannesburg, Singapore, Gdansk, Warsaw...
As a Leader
In addition to the various groups he plays in, he has also led several of his own formations, including the trio ‘MOVES’, ‘HB's CONFUSION’, the group ‘KING & CO’, and ‘HET HENDRIK BRAECKMAN KWINTET’. As co-leader of the trio “Ancesthree” with Piet Verbist and Ben Sluys, he played all over the country and recorded the CD ‘Ancesthree’, live recorded by the VRT.
With his own quintet called the ‘HENDRIK BRAECKMAN GROUP’, featuring Bert Joris and Kurt Van Herck, among others, he recorded his first CD under his own name for radio producer Marc Van Den Hoof of Radio Klara, in the VRT's “Toots” studio. ‘ “till now’ was released on the Werf label, Flanders” most prominent jazz label. This CD was also nominated.
As a Sideman
From 1993, he was guitarist for French chansonnière Catherine Delasalle, with whom he recorded the CDs ‘Est ce ainsi que les hommes vivent’, a second CD in 1995, ‘Entre sable et neige’, and in 1997 ‘Trio’, for which he also composed and arranged. He toured with her twice in Taiwan and once in China with a new CD, Memoires, for which he also arranged and composed.
Together with Jo Vanhautte, he formed a quartet with Wannes Van De Velde, which has a repertoire of jazz standards from the period before and during the Second World War. The quartet is completed by trumpeter Jan Deconinck, an old acquaintance in the Flemish jazz world.
From 1995 to 1998, he was the regular guitarist with the Ronny Verbist trio, which performed jazz standards, musettes and their own work on stages throughout Flanders. CD ‘Ah Bah Joat’ in 1997 and ‘Caro hum’ in 1998.
In 1997, Peter Vandendriessche and Kurt Bude each called on him to join their jazz quartets. One paid tribute to Paul Desmond and the other quartet stood for contemporary jazz. In the 1998-99 season, he toured with Johan Verminnen in a Chançon project.
Since 2000, various groups have called on his services, including Mirrdin Decauter, Flamenco, Gwen Cresens, Tango by Astor Piazolla and French chanson with Papillon, Olla Vogala, Jan de Haas, Kommilfo, Stefaan Bracaval and the Brussels Jazz Orchestra conducted by Frank Vaganée with various international and national stars such as Dave Liebman, Kenny Werner, Kenny Wheeler, Norma Winston, David Linx, De Filharmonie, Joe Lovano, Wynton Marsalis and Naima Joris.
Since 2010, he has been working with Melike Tarhan from Turkey and Andrelina Freitas from Portugal. In 2016, he played in the trio Tripod with Frank Vaganee and Jos Machtel, performing “Songs of the Low Lands”. Osama Abdurasol called on him to join the quartet “Hellouni”, which blends classical and Arabic music.
For several years now, he has been part of the Secret Exit Trio with Piet Verbist and Lionel Beuvens, which mainly performs its own work, supplemented by compatible works by great masters.
Website: hendrikbraeckman.be
Course: guitar jazz, ensemble jazz