Fred Van Hove

Fred Van Hove ( born February 19, 1937 in Antwerp) is a Belgian improvisation musicians ( piano, organ, accordion, vocals) and composer.

Life and work

Van Hove studied piano, music theory and harmony at the Belgian Academy of Music and initially experimented with various styles of jazz and dance music. With saxophonist Kris Wanders and drummer Jan van de Ven Van Hove was the early 60 's, the first steps towards a free jazz. After a first encounter with the trio of Peter Brötzmann (then with Peter Kowald and Mani Neumeier) played Van Hove in the following years in various major constellations with Brötzmann, Kowald and Sven -Åke Buschi Niebergall Johansson. After shooting with the Brötzmann Octet (Machine Gun, 1968) and Manfred Schoof ( European Echoes, 1969) was established in the summer of 1970 with Han Bennink probably best known combo in the Central European Free Jazz, the trio Brötzmann / van Hove / Bennink. Until the dissolution of 1975, the band played together regularly for some special occasions amplified by Albert Mangelsdorff.

In addition, Van Hove also played as a soloist at festivals of new music and in a duo with saxophonist Cel Overberghe. In 1976, he began to accompany experimental films of the 1920s with live improvised music. As a soloist, he began to improvise on the church organ. He continued to work in different occupations, first with Steve Lacy, Lol Coxhill, Mangelsdorff and Phil Wachsmann, but also with Vinko Globokar. In his Musica Libera - Gruippen since the 1980s played among others Paul Rutherford, Radu Malfatti, Günter Sommer, Mark Charig, Hans Reichel, Evan Parker, Barry Guy, Marilyn Crispell, Hannes Bauer and Annick Nozati.

Van Hove 's results of his research in the field of improvised music regularly in seminars and workshops; next he composed for various projects and since 1972 has been in the works Groep improviser Musici, a Belgian working group to promote and distribution of free music, works.