Long before jazz became a global language, Belgium gave it one of its most recognisable voices. The saxophone, invented by Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax, went on to define the sound of jazz. And Brussels, where Sax learned his craft, became one of the first European cities to embrace the new music from America.
This autumn, Hotel Amigo, a Rocco Forte hotel steps from the Grand Place, celebrates that heritage with a new season of Mix & Melody. The Friday and Saturday live music series at Bar Magritte brings jazz, swing, blues, boogie and Latin rhythms to the heart of the Belgian capital. October’s programme pays tribute to some of the genre’s defining names, from Ella Fitzgerald and Chet Baker to Erroll Garner, Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller.