Sebastiaan van Bavel

Sebastiaan van Bavel is a pianist and composer combining the jazz tradition with elements from Indian and Western classical music. Although you will find his compositions to resemble a classical symphony more than a jazz standard, improvisation and swing always prevail in his music. Sebastiaan is in love with the piano trio format but is also praised when performing solo or as part of the piano duo with renowned jazz pianist Rob van Bavel (who just happens to be his dad). Sebastiaan likes to experiment with sound and timbre by occasionally expanding his trio with vocals, strings and horns. No matter the line-up, you will always hear Sebastiaans signature in his compositions and his imposing piano play. For his debut album As The Journey Begins, Sebastiaan is instantly awarded an Edison (Dutch Grammy) for Best Dutch Jazz Album of 2014. In 2016 he releases his trio’s second album Cosmic Dance as well as the debut of the piano duo with Rob van Bavel: Like Father, Like Son. Five years later, Sebastiaan releases Sebastiaan van Bavel studies Jerome Kern, the first in a series of records dedicated to some his major inspirators. In 2022 he releases the second duo album with his father Rob van Bavel: Quatre Mains.        

Sebastiaan van Bavel Trio

In 2014 Sebastiaan van Bavel releases debut album As The Journey Begins with Maciej Domaradzki on bass and Remi Troost on drums. The album is  awarded a prestigious Edison Award for Best Dutch Jazz Album of 2014 and the trio completes a successful release tour with a show at the North Sea Jazz Festival. For the trio’s next album Cosmic Dance, the trio consisting of Sebastiaan van Bavel (piano), Maciej Domaradzki (bass) and Jimmi Hueting (drums) is completed by saxophone player Jasper Blom and singer Vera Naus. The recording holds six original compositions based on the work of Indian poet Sri Aurobindo, merging the poetry with the jazz-tradition and elements of Indian and Western classical music. The album is performed live in the quintet line-up during the Young VIP Tour 2018 including shows at the Bimhuis, LantarenVenster and Transition Festival.

Line-up 2021/2022
Sebastiaan van Bavel - piano
Maciej Domaradzki - double bass
Willem Romers - drums

Albums
2021: Sebastiaan van Bavel studies Jerome Kern
2016: Cosmic Dance - Sebastiaan van Bavel Trio & Jasper Blom / Vera Naus
2014: As The Journey Begins - Sebastiaan van Bavel Trio

Sebastiaan van Bavel & Rob van Bavel

Even before reaching the age of ten, Sebastiaan was introduced to the world of jazz by his father and renowned pianist Rob van Bavel. Fast-forward ten years and father and son Van Bavel find themselves back again as master and apprentice at Codarts Rotterdam. With the pianists sharing a love for experimenting with combining the jazz tradition with classical music, a collaboration turns out to be inevitable. The result is debut album Like Father, Like Son - The Edison Duo, referring to the Edison Awards (the Dutch Grammy) of both Rob (Best Dutch Jazz Album 1990) and Sebastiaan (Best Dutch Jazz Album 2014). The album is followed by Quatre Mains in 2022.   

Albums
2022: Quatre Mains
2016: Like Father, Like Son (The Edison Duo)