Nabou Claerhout
Nabou Claerhout (°Antwerp) took a brave and unusual leap when she started to play the trombone at the age of 9. No one could have imagined that, years later, she would end up in the middle of the contemporary jazz scene. Today, Nabou is one of the most promising and innovative jazz trombonists of the Benelux.
With Fred Wesley and Mark Guiliana in mind, the young Nabou went from Art High School Brussels to Codarts Rotterdam, with among Bart Van Lier and Ilja Reingoud as her teachers. From an early age onwards, Nabou got the chance to play together with internationally renowned artists like Robin Eubanks, Bert Joris, John Ruocco, Petter Eldh, Evan Parker, Jim Black, Charles Tolliver, Martin Fondsen, Jules Buckley, Jeroen Van Herzeele, Stéphane Galland, ect.
Since 2016 she’s been leading her own quartet N∆BOU which consists of Trui Amerlinck on double bass, Gijs Idema on guitar and Daniel Jonkers on drums in addition to herself on trombone. They released a third album in 2026.
In 2021 she formed her own Trombone Ensemble, that collective released the album TROMBONE ENSEMBLE NABOU CLAERHOUT on W.E.R.F. Records 2023. It became a unique project where Claerhout wants to transfer the love for the trombone even more strongly to the listener. With no fewer than five trombonists, a three-piece rhythm section and Robin Eubanks as a guest, she succeeded with verve, which resulted in a critically acclaimed album in 2023 and successful performances at Jazzahead! and some of the major venues and festivals in the Benelux, France and the UK.
In recent years she has formed (occasional) projects and bands with musicians such as Lynn Cassiers (vocals), Jamie Peet (drums), Reinier Baas (el guitare), Stéphane Galland (drums), Jeroen Van Herzeele (sax) David Bowden (bass), Michel Meis (drums), Norman Willmore (sax), ect
Also is she a part of the international bands Brainteaser Orchestra (formerly known as am.ok), Federico Calcango Octet (Deutscher Jazzpreis nominee 2025), Joachim Badenhorst's Youran, Kika Sprangers Large Ensemble (edison award 2025) and has been invited to play along or record with Ellen Arkbro, Petter Eldh, Ictus, Jim Black, Charles Tolliver, Adam Neely, Stéphane Scharlé, Martin Fondsen, Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, Brussels Philharmonic and Jules Buckley.
In season 2021-2022, she played a central role as an artist, composer and/or curator at Rataplan (Antwerp). In 2023, as artist in residence for Flagey's Brussels Jazz Festival, she was given the chance to create new projects. It was there that CLAERHOUT/BAAS/PEET was born and the Trombone Ensemble feat. Robin Eubanks to play for a sold-out Studio 4. And Artist in residence for Ha Concert season 2025-2026.
Nabou Claerhout has also taken a few steps into the world of theatre. She worked on the production of the children’s play Hey Meredith! (zonzo company); Adjusting Hope (Woodman/Het Laatste Bedrijf), together with Dirk Roofthooft, and the youth performance FRAMED by Hetpaleis. But also in the successful Christmas production Oh Oh Oh Dennenboom (Hetpaleis), and accompanying Joke van Leeuwen’s poem Levenslust (Hoge Fronten).
Nabou’s stage career is already impressive as well, with shows at festivals such as North Sea Jazz Festival, London Jazz Festival, Gent Jazz, Jazz Middelheim, Brussels Jazz Weekend, Like A Jazz Machine, Jazz à la Villette, Edinburgh Jazz Festival, Salzburg Jazz Festival, Berlin Jazzfest, Darmstädter Ferienkurse, Festival ECLAT, Alternatilla Jazz Festival, Jazz in Duketown, Gateshead International Jazz Festival, Musikfestival Bern, … and in venues such as Ancienne Belgique, Bimhuis, De Roma, LantarenVenster, HA Concerts, Flagey, Concertgebouw Brugge, Concertgebouw Amsterdam and on tours in Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, UK and Japan.