10.07.25, Frans Kalf, Alver, Kleinpunk at Gent Jazz

On 10 July, the Garden Stage will be dedicated to the collaboration between Gent Jazz and HOGENT. The cynical cheerfulness of Frans Kalf, the existential crisis core of Kleinpunk and the narrative jazz of Alver were put forward by KASK & Conservatorium. They will not come unprepared, as they will be coached by a renowned musician in the run-up to the festival.

Frans Kalf

The words haven’t left the world yet, but they’re almost used up. How do you find the last remaining ones to say what needs to be said? Meet Frans Kalf. With texts that may or may not be poetic, he takes you into a cynically cheerful world without too many surprises. But even in that world, there’s room now and then for a broken heart and a burst of laughter.

Half Amsterdammer, half Gent native, he draws inspiration from greats like Maarten Van Roozendaal, Ramses Shaffy, Jacques Brel, or Serge Gainsbourg—yet always adds his own playful twist. With a deep love for awkward moments, he’s an artist who moves, refreshes, and surprises. Always just a bit different than expected, and often better than you imagined.

Frans Kalf has already performed at BoomTown, opened for the K-pop phenomenon Webstek, played a double bill with Kaat Van Stralen at Villa Anamma, and will perform on April 15 at the Wintercircus in Ghent. He is currently in the middle of recording his debut EP.

Alver
'Alver’ is the project of flutist Nele Vernaillen, in which she composes jazz floating between lyrical melodies and warm timbres, improvisation and percussive grooves. The music alternates between atmospheric and intimate, energetic and dynamic; the compositions unfold like small wordless stories.

Kleinpunk

You’ve got to hand it to them. With an average height of 1.70m, they definitely live up to the name Kleinpunk ("Small Punk”). That also makes them just tall enough to shove their music down your throat. And can we all agree that the "punk” part is still up for debate? Probably just a phase, right?

So, how best to describe them? Dutch-language get-to-bed-on-time rock. Mind-rotting campfire pop. Respectable citizen ballads. Am I running out of words already? Existential crisis-core. Shoelace funk. Skidmark wave. A musical kick in the ass. I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

They promised me they'd stay polite and keep the barking to a minimum. Because as long as you look past their cult-like tendencies, they’re actually pretty great. Behind all the silly jokes lies a big heart. This spring, they’re releasing their very first EP — and they’re damn proud of it. And now I really have to go before I run out of words…