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An Pierlé
An Pierlé Quartet @ Gent Jazz Festival 2025
Gent Jazz Festival
Godshuizenlaan 2
Jul 10, 2025
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About this concert
Wat een mens nodig heeft in 2024 volgens zangeres-pianiste An Pierlé? "Minder spijt. Minder fake. Minder angst. En de durf om nú te leven." Ze bezingt het allemaal met de wijsheid van een vrouw die geen meisje meer hoeft te zijn. Vier jaar na Wiga Waga is het An Pierlé Quartet (APQ) terug met Ultimate Survival, het tweede album al op het prestigieuze W.E.R.F. records.
In vergelijking met het debuut van het APQ zijn de grooves dieper en de teksten confronterender. Dat heeft deels te maken met de bocht die Pierlé’s leven nam. De ziekte met de grote K werd bezworen en het besef dat je maar beter van de dag kunt genieten is sindsdien des te urgenter. Maar Pierlé laat niet toe dat zoiets donkers het nieuwe album zou domineren: de titel verwijst niet naar die periode, maar werd haar cadeau gedaan door kunstenaar Patrick Van Caeckenbergh, die de hoes ontwierp. Pierlé: “Hij haalde zijn inspiratie uit een oud boek over dieren die voor andere diersoorten zorgen. Daar hebben we vandaag allemaal behoefte aan.”
Ultimate Survival is een ervaringsplaat die je meeneemt op de golven van een vertelling. De eerste single The Sting zet meteen de toon. Het nummer gaat over de aanvaarding van de stommiteiten die een mens zoal begaat, tegen beter weten in. Het album viert de bevrijding van te kunnen herbeginnen met een schone lei, afwisselend gebracht met hese warmte, dan weer met de virtuoze uithalen van een doorleefde stem. Dit is geen klassieke jazz, wél het werk van een bonafide jazzband. Met toetsenist Hendrik Lasure en drummer Casper Van De Velde (samen Schntzl) heeft het APQ zowat de kern van ‘The New Wave of Belgian Jazz’ in haar rangen.
De peetvader van die jazzgolf is producer-rietblazer Koen Gisen. "Casper en Hendrik zijn internationale klasse", vertelt Gisen. "Het prachtige is: ze spelen nooit twee keer hetzelfde, ook niet in de studio. Live wordt dit een wonderlijke ontsporing, in de wetenschap dat het dankzij die twee altijd op zijn poten terechtkomt." Pierlé: "Onze jongens zijn ook oud van ziel. En precies daardoor zijn zij onze mentoren, in plaats van omgekeerd. Om te kiezen voor het avontuur. En te leven in het nú."
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What fans are saying
ann
June 15th 2024
All of it was an amazing discovery -- beautiful, intimate setting that allowed to experience all the emotions and quality of the songs. I ca't judge the quality of the piano in the back, but An stole the show on that one. And proved me right: I told my colleague that she has the voice and the skills, to tell HER story without mic and backup band.
Venue was awesome when we entered, then we got blown away by the music!
Schaerbeek, Belgium@L'Os à Moelle
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An Pierlé Biography
An Pierlé (born An Miel Mia Pierlé in Deurne, Belgium in 1974) is a pianist and singer-songwriter.
She supposedly declared that at a very young age she decided that she would be an actress, singer, musician and dancer, most preferably all at the same time. She studied classical piano, but practically hated her education. She enrolled at the age of 17 at the art-school Studio Herman Teirlinck in Antwerp. In her third year there she made a solo-programme with songs of her own, alone at the piano. Shortly after she became known to a moderately wide audience in 1996 when she entered Humo’s Rock Rally with a tape of her own version of Are 'Friends' Electric?, originally sung by Tubeway Army. The song ended up on Random, a tribute album to Gary Numan (of the Tubeway Army), who says he was impressed by An's version.
After this, An toured for two years with a theatre group, and starred in a Belgium television series ("Moeder, waarom leven wij"), gave a few solo performances and collaborated with DAAU on their song "Broken", where she sings all of the vocals.
In 1998 she signed a record deal with Warner Music Benelux. This resulted in her first album titled Mud Stories, completely in singer-songwriter fashion. Most of the album was recorded on electric piano in the winter of 1998 and 1999 in the attic of a theatre in Gent. The extra acoustic piano parts were done in the spring of 1999. This resulted in a range of songs with very little production. It’s basically just An and her piano (and accordion, occasionally). Mud Stories speaks to the mind with complex lyrics and professional piano play, which misled the press (especially the Dutch) into comparing her with Tori Amos, much to An's surprise. An herself said that her music was not at all influenced by Tori Amos, but rather by John Cale and classical music. The record sold over 25,000 copies in Belgium and the Netherlands. Even though the Dutch press didn't give her good reviews, she managed to sell a lot of albums, possibly because of her extensive touring and appearing at a few big festivals.
In 2002 An Pierlé released her second record, Helium Sunset. Unlike the previous album, this album was also released outside of the Benelux and France. The sound of Helium Sunset moves away from the dark, gloomy solo performance to a more enriched band feel, with expanded drums, cello and other instruments. Her lyrical style remains of highly poetic and complex level.
Following the release of Helium Sunset was a live album named Live Jetset with Orchestra, an album with back up from a full orchestra. The album was apparently very limited in release numbers and sold out pretty quickly.
An Pierlé and band released the album An Pierlé & White Velvet in early May 2006. An and the band are now also performing under the same name. As of late April 2006, the first single named "How does it feel" was already available for download in online stores.
An Pierlé is involved in a romantic relationship with her guitarist, Koen Gisen.
Read MoreShe supposedly declared that at a very young age she decided that she would be an actress, singer, musician and dancer, most preferably all at the same time. She studied classical piano, but practically hated her education. She enrolled at the age of 17 at the art-school Studio Herman Teirlinck in Antwerp. In her third year there she made a solo-programme with songs of her own, alone at the piano. Shortly after she became known to a moderately wide audience in 1996 when she entered Humo’s Rock Rally with a tape of her own version of Are 'Friends' Electric?, originally sung by Tubeway Army. The song ended up on Random, a tribute album to Gary Numan (of the Tubeway Army), who says he was impressed by An's version.
After this, An toured for two years with a theatre group, and starred in a Belgium television series ("Moeder, waarom leven wij"), gave a few solo performances and collaborated with DAAU on their song "Broken", where she sings all of the vocals.
In 1998 she signed a record deal with Warner Music Benelux. This resulted in her first album titled Mud Stories, completely in singer-songwriter fashion. Most of the album was recorded on electric piano in the winter of 1998 and 1999 in the attic of a theatre in Gent. The extra acoustic piano parts were done in the spring of 1999. This resulted in a range of songs with very little production. It’s basically just An and her piano (and accordion, occasionally). Mud Stories speaks to the mind with complex lyrics and professional piano play, which misled the press (especially the Dutch) into comparing her with Tori Amos, much to An's surprise. An herself said that her music was not at all influenced by Tori Amos, but rather by John Cale and classical music. The record sold over 25,000 copies in Belgium and the Netherlands. Even though the Dutch press didn't give her good reviews, she managed to sell a lot of albums, possibly because of her extensive touring and appearing at a few big festivals.
In 2002 An Pierlé released her second record, Helium Sunset. Unlike the previous album, this album was also released outside of the Benelux and France. The sound of Helium Sunset moves away from the dark, gloomy solo performance to a more enriched band feel, with expanded drums, cello and other instruments. Her lyrical style remains of highly poetic and complex level.
Following the release of Helium Sunset was a live album named Live Jetset with Orchestra, an album with back up from a full orchestra. The album was apparently very limited in release numbers and sold out pretty quickly.
An Pierlé and band released the album An Pierlé & White Velvet in early May 2006. An and the band are now also performing under the same name. As of late April 2006, the first single named "How does it feel" was already available for download in online stores.
An Pierlé is involved in a romantic relationship with her guitarist, Koen Gisen.
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