Even voorstellen - Simon Comte Quartet – Chameleons Eyes
CHAMELEON EYES EP, 06.11.2026
Simon Comte | sax & compositions
Brahm Sasner | piano
Chet Carlson | double bass
Kabelo Mokhatla | drums
About
Each track on this album tells a true story and showcases the skill, energy, and maturity of Belgian saxophonist and composer Simon Comte and his musicians. It also reflects the young prodigy's immersion in New York, where he is at the very heart of jazz history and modernity.
Born in 2005, Simon Comte has had an incredible career: he is the youngest student ever admitted to the Brussels Conservatory's jazz program, and since 2023 he has been studying at the Manhattan School of Music in New York, where he received a merit scholarship.
His musical identity bridges the gap between the Old and New Worlds, and this resonates on both sides of the Atlantic, as evidenced by numerous awards, including four DownBeat Student Awards. He has been invited as a soloist by the prestigious WDR Big Band in Cologne and tours regularly in Europe as a sideman, as well as with his Belgian quartet.
Simon has been composing for a long time, and it is with his American colleagues that he chose to capture his music on record for the first time!
For his highly anticipated debut EP, Chameleon Eyes, which is set to be released on November 6 via Flak Records, Simon has teamed up with his friends from the Manhattan School: Brahm Sasner (piano), Chet Carlson (double bass), and Kabelo Mokhatla (drums). They recorded in New York at Sear Sound Studio with legendary sound engineer James Farber.
The Simon Comte Quartet will be touring Europe in January 2027, with stops in Brussels, Paris, London, Liège, and Antwerp... with more news to come.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXVXzCWoRyEU
https://www.simoncomte.com/
https://www.flak.be
Simon Comte : biography
Born in Belgium in 2005 into a family of musicians, Simon Comte grew up immersed in a rich and eclectic artistic environment. Fascinated by the emotional power and infinite sonic range of the saxophone, he began his training at the age of seven. His teachers quickly recognized his artistic sensibility and precocious virtuosity, and encouraged him to perform on stage from a very young age.
At just 14 years old, Simon achieved a remarkable milestone by joining the class of French soloist and professor Vincent David at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. The following year, he was also admitted to the Conservatory's Jazz Department, becoming its youngest student ever.
In 2023, at age 18, a new chapter began when he was admitted to the prestigious Manhattan School of Music in New York to study under American saxophonist and educator Jaleel Shaw. He also took classes in the master class of renowned tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover. That same year, he won a scholarship awarded by the Belgian American Educational Foundation Inc. (BAEF).
His talent was further confirmed in competitions, including First Prize at the CeDel competition in Belgium in 2018; First Prize at the Paris Saxophone Competition in 2019; in 2022, he won the Leuven Jazz Contest with his European quartet; and then, in 2025, he received the American DownBeat Student Award for Best Group (trio).
Simon Comte has already performed on prestigious stages: Carnegie Hall (New York), the Getxo International Jazz Festival, the Gent Jazz Festival, the Brussels Jazz Festival, and Bozar (Brussels); Dizzy's Jazz Club (Jazz at Lincoln Center—New York); the National Jazz Museum in Harlem; Ladbroke Hall (London); the South Tyrol Jazz Festival; WDR Funkhaus (Cologne); ...
Throughout his young career, during concerts and jam sessions, he has had the opportunity to play alongside renowned musicians, including Gilad Hekselman, Jaleel Shaw, Ben Street, Joe Dyson, Kanoa Mendenhall, Nduduzo Makhathini, Hamilton de Holanda, the WDR Big Band, and many others…
In 2025, Simon Comte was invited as a soloist by the prestigious WDR Big Band of Cologne (winner of several Grammy Awards) to perform alongside German double bassist Nils Kugelmann. They performed several of his compositions, commissioned specifically for the occasion and arranged by Jakob Helling.
The year 2026 marked a major turning point: Simon won the prestigious 49th Downbeat Annual Student Music Awards in the Best Soloist category, and he was also hailed by this renowned American magazine as one of the jazz soloists of the future. Furthermore, he was named a young artist to watch by Joshua Redman himself during an interview at the Montreal International Jazz Festival in June. That same month, Simon entered the studio with his quartet to record his first EP, Chameleon Eyes, with the legendary engineer James Farber in New York!
Recognized as one of the most promising and captivating voices in contemporary jazz, Simon Comte is a true rising star who embodies a new generation of artists who are reinventing and carrying forward the language of jazz.
Simon Comte Quartet
This international quartet features four of the most promising young musicians on the jazz scene: Simon Comte on saxophone, Brahm Sasner on piano, Chet Carlson on double bass, and Kabelo Mokhatla on drums. The quartet's members have performed on major stages around the world and have shared the stage with musicians such as Gilad Hekselman, Nduduzo Makhathini, Wynton Marsalis, and the WDR Big Band. Hailing from Belgium, the United States, and South Africa, respectively, they met in New York at the Manhattan School of Music under the guidance of Jaleel Shaw. While deeply rooted in the jazz tradition, the quartet draws inspiration from their respective cultures and backgrounds. In 2025, Simon, Chet, and Kabelo won the 48th Downbeat Student Music Award for "Best Ensemble of the Year" as a trio. The quartet is an explosive and unique blend: they offer jazz steeped in hues that are by turns impressionistic, post-bop, and pop—all shades reflected in the repertoire of 'Chameleon Eyes'.
Simon Comte, a Belgian saxophonist born in 2005, joined Vincent David's class at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels at the age of 14 and became the youngest student admitted to the jazz program the following year. He has already performed at Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and with the WDR Big Band in Cologne. In 2026, he won the DownBeat Student Music Award for Best Soloist and was named by Joshua Redman as one of the young artists to watch.
Kabelo Mokhatla is the oldest member of the group. You may have seen him on NPR's "Tiny Desk" with the Nduduzo Makhathini Trio, or at the North Sea Jazz Festival.
Brahm Sasner, originally from San Francisco, was invited by the "Future of Jazz Orchestra" to perform at Dizzy's Club and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Chet Carlson, born in Minnesota, has performed alongside Wynton Marsalis and Stokley Williams, among others, and has recorded and toured with William Hill III.
Concerts 2027
European Tour #1 — January 17–23 (Original lineup)
Jan. 17 — Flagey, Brussels, BE
Jan. 21 — An Vert, Liège, BE
Jan. 22 — Ladbroke Hall, London, UK
Jan. 23 — Platform, Antwerp, BE
European Tour #2 — May 22–30 (Lineup to be announced)
May 28 — Jazz in Liège, BE
May 29 — Paradox, Tilburg, NL (TBD)
& other dates to be announced.