Pirly Zurstrassen

In addition to being an accomplished jazz pianist, Pirly Zurstrassen is also a Professor of jazz piano, harmonic dictation, and reading interpretation at the Royal Brussels Conservatory (since October 1990). Almost entirely self-taught, Zurstrassen was awarded a Saxe award by the Belgian Jazz Press in December 1988 for his CD H. Further releases followed -- 1989's Life's Circle, 1992's Hautes Fagnes (H Septet), 1993's Duo (Zurstrassen and Daniel Stokart), 1995's Horizons Azur (H Septet), and 1999's Schaller, List, Zurstrassen, as Zurstrassen also composed music for television and the theater (as well as playing alongside other artists -- José Bedeur, Deborah Brown, Guy Cabay, Jean-pierre Catoul, Antoine Cirri, Jean-paul Danhier, to name a few). In April of 1999, Zurstrassen joined forces with violinist Jean-pierre Catoul, resulting in the pair's first album a year later -- Septimana. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide