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Both in Belgium and abroad, critics are impressed with the subtlety and the creative imagination of Diederik Wissels’s compositions and with his virtuosity on the piano. Some, he reminds of Bill Evans, others think they can detect an affinity with the style of Herbie Hancock, and still others compare the moving melody of his compositions with the work of Jan Gabarek – to sum up, Diederik Wissels is, in fact, quite unique.
With his music that refuses to be classified, Diederik astonishes and fills with wonder: he has conquered an ever greater audience, much wider than just jazz fans.
Photograph: Johan Jacobs
Since the nineteen eighties the Dutchman Diederik Wissels has become one of the dominant figures of the Brussels jazz scene, which has already given us a number of internationally renowned and admired musicians.
Diederik Wissels has an impressive discography: six productions in only a few years, both individual and in collaboration with stars from the international jazz scene, such as the guitarist Philip Catherine or Isabelle Antena. His album The Hillock Songstress (1994, CD Igloo IGL 110, Fairplay distribution) received the Choc du Mois (Shock of the Month) distinction from Le Monde de la Musique, the specialist supplement in the French daily Le Monde. He collaborated happily and on many occasions with the Belgian singer David Linx, whose poetic and dynamic talent is making ever more noise on both sides of the Atlantic.
Diederik Wissels could be heard on the radio accompanying many great musicians, such as Mark Murphy, Shahib Shahab, Per Goldschmidt, Ernie Wilkins, Erling Kroner, Slide Hampton, Karin Krogg, Albert Mangelsdorff, Nathan Davis, and many more.
He has also played in the Belgian National Orchestra, Belgian Radio’s jazz quartet and solo on Belgian television.
His concerts have taken him all around Belgium, to Holland, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Poland and the United States - both with his own group and accompanying Chet Baker, Toots Thielemans, Philip Catherine, Bill Hartmann, Junior Cook, Larry Schneider, Joe Henderson as well as other artists.
Diederik Wissels was only five when he first touched the keys of a piano. He finished his studies at the famous Berklee College of Music, in Boston, with honours. Kenny Drew (who played with Miles Davis and John Coltrane) and John Lewis (Modern Jazz quartet) were amongst his professors.
Diederik Wissels’s collaboration with David Linx is one of the most fruitful in Europe for transcending the standards vs. free improvisation dilemma.
… Feeling overflows and invades: irresistible…
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