Somewhere between the first and second note, the room falls quiet. Conversation pauses, the clink of glasses fades, and the audience leans in. There's a moment of collective held breath, right before the music takes over.
October 9th - Druss Lecomte with Odimba Ghenda, Thomas Petit & Jo Maartense - Tribute to Erroll Garner
October 10th - Muriel Maria & Druss Lecomte - Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Mahalia Jackson, Etta James
October 16th - Duo Wakas Flashblaster - Jazz & Latino
October 17th - Valentin Wilbaux - Piano Solo
October 23rd - Black Mary & Druss Lecomte - Tribute to Vaya Con Dios, Amy Winehouse, Aretha Franklin, Marianne, Brel, Patricia Kaas, Edith Piaf
October 24th - Michel Pare & Druss Lecomte - Tribute to Chet Baker
October 30th - Mayki Ferro & Druss Lecomte - Improvised Jazz, Blues & Boogie, Latin, Classical Music, Film Music
October 31st - Bruce Ellison & Druss Lecomte - Tribute to Fats Waller & Louis Armstrong
In Brussels, the jazz bar still feels as alive as it ever did. There’s an atmosphere so timeless it's easy to get lost in, as if it's the 1930s all over again. At Hotel Amigo’s Bar Magritte, the room itself is a little more spacious — and rather less smoky — than the city’s early venues, but the spirit remains the same: a restless creative energy, a mix of night owls, jazz lovers and curious passersby, all drawn in by close-up acoustics and classic cocktails.
For resident pianist Druss Lecomte, it feels unmistakably tied to the city's pioneering Jazz Age. "When I sit here and play this music, I could almost believe that I am the reincarnation of one of those old jazz and boogie musicians," he says. "Every time I perform, I feel connected to that legacy." The Belgian artist has been a fixture of the bar's Mix & Melody series since it began, and can be found at the grand piano for almost every performance.
When jazz first crossed the Atlantic, arriving in Brussels in 1926, it found its way into intimate rooms where musicians and audience shared the same air, close enough to feel every note. Belgium has always held a unique claim to the genre, after all: it was a Belgian, Adolphe Sax, who invented the saxophone and gave jazz its most recognisable voice. And in that same year, the city was producing a very different kind of rule-breaker, in the form of painter René Magritte and his strange, surrealist dreamscapes.
Today, Bar Magritte carries both legacies forward. Druss describes the décor as "imaginative, elegant and playful," and the closeness of the room shapes how he plays. "In a venue like Bar Magritte, every nuance matters," he explains. "I enjoy being close to the audience. There is a direct connection that allows the music to feel more personal, more immediate." The experience, he adds, sits "somewhere between an intimate jazz club and a live concert."
The audience is part of that appeal too. "People arrive with different expectations, yet the music gradually captures their attention," he observes. For Druss, that's the power of jazz itself: in a city as international as Brussels, music has the ability to truly connect people. "Music speaks a universal language. There are no borders, no flags and no barriers."
Since giving his first concert at seventeen at Brussels' famous Os à Moëlle, Druss has rarely gone a day without sitting at the piano. "It's a lifelong companion and a source of endless discovery," he says, simply. "I never say that I 'have to' go and play. For me, every performance remains a joy."
His instincts lean towards swing, blues and boogie in particular. Melodies you can hum and rhythms you can really feel. "Sometimes music can become too intellectual, almost disconnected from the audience," he admits. "I have always believed that music should be played with the heart and the soul, not as a demonstration of technical ability. When we perform, we are offering a gift to the audience."
And improvisation is where that generosity is most evident. "I often compare it to painting: the canvas already exists, but improvisation lets us add new colours and shades each time," he says, smiling. "We take risks, follow inspiration and create something unique in the moment."
As one might expect, the menu also pays playful homage to Magritte, in suitably surrealist fashion. Cocktails arrive in custom glassware, nodding to the artist's most recognisable motifs, whether a bowler hat or a pipe. Highlights include Good Faith, pairing almond-infused bourbon with dry Tio Pepe sherry and the faint smokiness of mezcal: warm, rich and made for slow sipping. Lyricism, aptly named for the setting, marries Calvados with pear syrup and pear cider for an elegant, fruit-forward glass that's easy to enjoy between numbers. Druss, for his part, remains loyal to a bourbon and Coke, and no surrealist reinterpretation is required.
Meanwhile, small plates take their cue from both Brussels and Italy: mini waffles with salmon and avocado, tuna tartare cannolo, golden frites, and mini shrimp croquettes. Then, perhaps, something sweet – an affogato, or a decadent Dame Blanche waffle.
Every Friday and Saturday evening, Bar Magritte transforms into Mix & Melody, with this autumn's line-up paying tribute to some of the jazz age greats. Settle in with a drink as the first notes of the night begin. What happens next is often unscripted, and best left to the room.
Found in the heart of Brussels, Hotel Amigo seamlessly blends art, culture, heritage and creativity.
Found in the heart of Brussels, Hotel Amigo seamlessly blends art, culture, heritage and creativity.
Found in the heart of Brussels, Hotel Amigo seamlessly blends art, culture, heritage and creativity.
