SIMON COMTE_SAXOPHONES KABELO MOKHATLA_DRUMS CHET CARLSON_BASS

trio

An international trio that consists of Simon Comte on saxophones, Chet Carlson on doublebass and Kabelo Mokhatla on drums. The musicians are respectively from Belgium, USA and South Africa. While being deeply rooted in the tradition of jazz music, the trio takes inspiration from all their cultures and different backgrounds. The trio met in New York City, at the Manhattan School of Music under the mentorship of Jaleel Shaw. Members of the trio have played with Gilad Hekselman, Nduduzo Makhathini, WDR Big Band, Kanoa Mendenhall and more.

In 2025, the trio won the downbeat’s 48th annuel Student music Award for BEST GRADUATE ENSEMBLE!

SIMON COMTE_SAXOPHONES
WAJDI RIAHI_PIANO
FÉLIX ZURSTRASSEN_BASS
ANTOINE PIERRE_DRUMS

This quartet, led by the very young New York-based rising saxophone star, Simon Comte, is an explosive cocktail of some of the leading names of today's young Brussels jazz scene... The repertoire, mainly based on Simon's compositions but also including a few original arrangements, gives pride of place to the dialogue between the musicians. Jazz bathed in colors that are sometimes impressionistic, sometimes post-bop, sometimes pop... The quartet recorded a 4-track studio demo at the end of August 2023 and Simon is currently working on his 'debut' album! Simon Comte is the 2023 winner of the prestigious Belgian American Educational Foundation scholarship, and has just received an invitation from the world-renowned, Grammy-winning WDR Big Band in Cologne, Germany, to perform with them as a soloist in early 2025! Simon Comte's New York debut caused a sensation and at the age of 18 he has already established himself as one of the leading tenor saxophonists of the new generation!