Education
Ben Sluijs followed a 5-year classical saxophone training. During that period he participated in various classical summer-workshops and took lessons with Francois Danneels; Norbert Nozy, Willy Demey..... From the age of 15, Ben's fascination for jazz grew and after finishing the classical school in excellence, he started a 4-year training at the Antwerp Jazz-Studio where his teacher was John Ruocco. After, he studied with Steve Houben at the conservatory of Brussels and followed lessons with David Liebman in the US. Ben teaches at the conservatory and the academy of Antwerp.
History as a performing musician
Experiences as sideman with: Octurn, BRT Big Band, Brussels Jazz- Orchestra, Myriam Alter Quintet, Act Big Band, Jean Warland's Sax No End, Ivan Paduart Septet, Radoni's Tribe.
Played (or plays) also with: Philip Catherine, Toots Thielemans, Stacy Rowles, Bert Van den Brink, Michel Herr, Bert Joris, Dre Pallemaerts, Hein Van De Geijn, Nathalie Loriers, Chris Joris, Joe Fonda, John Betsch, Serge Lazarevitch...
or solo combined with poetry and spoken-word with: Remco Campert, Jules Deelder, Peter Holvoet Hanssen, Don Fabulist, Pjeroo Roobjee, Tom van Bauwel, Michaël Pas, Rogert de Neef, Jan Decleir...
Besides his own bands and projects you can frequently hear Ben also with: Augusto Pirroda Quartet, Christian Mendoza Group...
In 1997 he represented Belgium in the European Big Band in Slovenia.
In march 2003 he was selected by the Flemish Community to represent Belgium at Euro Jazz Festival in Mexico.
He receives the Antoon Van Dijck-award in 1999 presented by the city of Antwerp. Nominations for: Zamu-Awards 2003, 2007 and d’Jango d’Or 2006. Klara Price 2019 (Ben Sluijs Quartet).
Performed on various national and international festivals as: Jazz-Middelheim and Blue Note festival (Belgium), Knitting Factory (New York), festival de Montreal (Canada), North Sea festival (Holland), Tremplin Jazz (France)...
Discography
- “Till Next time”, with Stacy Rowles (1991)
- “Reminiscense”, Myriam Alter Quintet (1994)
- “Chromatic History”, Octurn (1994)
- “Silent Walk”, Myriam Alter Quintet (1996)
- “Ocean”, Octurn (1996)
- “Hamp Digs Ham”, Francois Descamps octet (1997)
- “Food for Free”, Ben Sluijs Quartet (1997)
- “Coast To Coast”, Paolo Radoni Quartet (1999)
- “Candy Century”, Ben Sluijs Quartet (1999)
- “Round”, Octurn (2000)
- “Stones”, duo with Erik Vermeulen (Jazz Hallo 2001 and reprinted by the Werf 2010)
- “Seasounds”, Ben Sluijs Quartet (2001)
- “Flying Circles”, Ben Sluijs Quartet (2002)
- “Ancesthree”, with Hendrik Braekman & Piet Verbist (2002)
- “True Nature”, Ben Sluijs Quartet (2005)
- “Somewhere in between”, Ben Sluijs Quartet (2006)
- “Harmonic Integration”, “The Unplayables” Ben Sluijs Quartet meets E. vermeulen (2008)
- “Let Me Hear A Simple Song”, Radonis Tribe (2009)
- “Brick Quartet” with Brick Quartet (2009)
- “Parity”, with Erik Vermeulen (Werf 2010)
- “Arbr’ en ciel”, with the Christian Mendoza Group (Werf 2011)
- “3/4 Peace”, in trio with Christian Mendoza en Brice Soniano (el NEGOCITO Records 2012
- “Decades” in duo met Erik Vermeulen (WERF 2014)
- “A Turkey Is Better Eaten” with the Augusto Pirodda Quartet (el NEGOCITO Records 2014)
- “Rainy Days On The Common Land” with 3/4 Peace (el NEGOCITO Records 2015)
- “Solo Recordings” (Off-Records 2018)
- “Particles”, Ben Sluijs Quartet (On Purpose Records/Off-Records 2018)
- “Still Three Still Free”, Serge Lazarevitch Trio (release: april 2020)
- “The Monkey and the Monk” with the Augusto Pirodda Septet (el NEGOCITO Records 2023)
- “Free Four” Serge Lazarevitch Quartet (release: 2024)