Thierry Crommen

Crommen Thierry

Harmonica player Thierry Crommen made a name for himself in the '80s as a brilliant instrumentalist and sought-after accompanist. Appreciated by his partners, Thierry's rare ability to handle both the chromatic harmonica (in the wake of Toots...) and the Blues Harp (in that of JJ Milteau) worked wonders, both in the studio and on stage. His many collaborations include Michel Fugain, Sanseverino, Renan Luce, Pierre Rapsat, BJ Scott, Marc Lelangue, Froidebise, Fred & the Healers, J-P Catoul, Johan Verminnen, Soulsister... not forgetting Jacques Stotzem, with whom he formed an internationally renowned duo.

Wishing to represent his instrument through his own music, he formed a quartet in 2006 with Chris DePauw (g), Erno (p) and Achim Tang (b). Their concerts are a great success, and have been the subject of several prestigious programs and selections, both in Belgium and internationally. Three CDs on the Homerecords label put the finishing touches to this unforgettable experience and established Thierry as a key figure on the Belgian scene, with a style of playing and musical writing all his own.

With the quartet's adventure coming to an end in 2012, he opened himself up to new experiences: "young public" song alongside the excellent Geneviève Laloy, improvised music, in partnership with Kathy Adam, to illustrate Michèle N'Guyen's tales, and his contribution to the "Froidebise Orchestra", where his harmonica combines with equal pleasure with funk-rock rhythms, a brass section and a string quartet!

In 2016, he embarked on a 54-concert mega-tour in the Netherlands, for a live revival of Stevie Wonder's legendary double album "Songs in the Key of Life", which also featured him on saxophone.

He can currently be heard playing with Green Moon Tribe (eponymous album), the Fahy/Crommen quartet - two groups in which he shares the stage with his son Téo Crommen on guitar - and the Pol Y Crom jazz trio. He is also a regular guest soloist with the Dutch string quartet Pavadita, in a program entitled "Air for Piazzola" dedicated to the repertoire of the great Argentine composer.

His sensitive playing has underlined some memorable scenes in films such as "Les Enfants du Marais" (J. Becker) and "La tendresse", one of Marion Hänsel's latest feature films.

Co-author with JJ Milteau & Greg Szlapczinski of a harmonica method that still sets the standard, Thierry has also been a teacher at the Stages Internationaux de Musique Acoustique de Virton since 1987, and regularly leads other workshops, including those of AKDT in Libramont since 2016.

In short:

Belgian musician born in 1958, grew up and studied in Liège, settled in the Hautes Fagnes region in 1991. Self-taught harmonica player, professional since 1987, also plays saxophone. Influences: chanson, pop/rock, blues, country, world music, jazz, folk ...

To his credit :

  • hundreds of concerts, as an accompanist or in his own name, mainly in Belgium and France, but also Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, etc. and sometimes further afield (Japan, Quebec, Peru, Reunion, Rwanda)
  • dozens of studio sessions: albums, film/TV music, etc.
  • 3 albums of instrumental music, mainly his own compositions

Langue : French