The Music Village, Brussels, one of Europe’s’ most respected jazz venues, recently played host to American jazz pianist and composer David Janeway as part of his two-week European tour.
With earlier performances in Paris and the Netherlands, Janeway’s Brussels appearance featured two intimate sets in trio format, joined by local Belgian musicians. The performances drew from his latest release, Forward Motion, as well as earlier material from a career rooted in Detroit, shaped in New York, and now spanning more than four decades.
We met with Janeway over lunch before his performance, and what followed was a thoughtful conversation about his early musical formation, his life in jazz, and his ongoing commitment to mentoring younger musicians.
Born in Rochester, New York, Janeway moved to Detroit at age five, where he was immersed in a musical household — both parents and all siblings played piano. He began formal classical training at four, but at 14 his direction changed completely after hearing Oscar Peterson perform live at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge. “That night really flipped a switch in me,” he said. “From then on, it was jazz.”
Detroit in the 1960s and 70s provided a fertile ground for musical development. Janeway became involved with the Metro-Arts Workshop, run by Marcus Belgrave and Harold McKinney, and was soon performing with artists connected to both the local jazz circuit and Motown. At 19, he played in a big band concert with Dizzy Gillespie and Belgrave at Oakland University — an early milestone in what would become a lifelong musical path.
In 1978, Janeway moved to New York City and has remained there ever since. He studied with pianist Albert Dailey and became a part of the city’s jazz infrastructure during a period when rents were low, lofts were plentiful, and the jazz scene thrived on nightly experimentation. “You could rent a loft, bring in a few players, and play for hours. That’s where much of the real learning happened,” he said.
His early years in New York also saw him work in the city’s salsa scene, touring with Angel Canales and Sabor, while continuing to develop his jazz language through work with Art Farmer, Sonny Fortune, Tom Harrell, Dakota Staton, and others. His debut album Entry Point (1986) was self-produced and split between Detroit and New York ensembles, featuring Marcus Belgrave, Marion Hayden, Bob Berg and Steve Berrios.
At The Music Village in Brussels, we noticed a copy of Entry Point placed deliberately on stage — a quiet nod to Janeway’s origins as a recording artist. When we asked if the album was available to purchase, he smiled and very kindly offered it to us as a gift. It now holds pride of place in our collection — and without exaggeration, stands as one of the finest jazz albums in what is a large (and ever growing) collection. The album is a snapshot of a transitional period in Janeway’s career and remains a compelling listen, balancing deep swing, modal exploration, and harmonic sophistication.
His most recent release, Forward Motion, features his current trio with bassist Cameron Brown and legendary drummer Billy Hart. “This trio feels very natural,” Janeway said. “Billy and Cameron have such a deep understanding of the music.” The album’s title reflects his ongoing commitment to artistic progress, even while remaining rooted in the tradition.
Beyond the stage, Janeway is an active educator and mentor. He runs a regular Sunday jam session at the Jazz Forum in Tarrytown, New York, offering younger musicians a chance to learn by playing — much as he did. He also leads the Hastings Jazz Collective, a long-running group in the Hudson River valley made up of prominent musicians including Harvie S, Tim Armacost, and Jay Azzolina. The collective began as a writing workshop and continues to perform and record together.
This summer, Janeway is curating and performing in a free outdoor jazz concert series in downtown Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. Held every Sunday from 15 June to 17 August at the VFW Plaza, the series features a rotating cast of collaborators. The opening concert will see Janeway lead a quartet with Steve Slagle, Joris Teepe, and Steve Johns. “It’s important to bring jazz into public spaces,” he said. “It keeps the music accessible, and it builds community.”
In addition to his musical life, Janeway is a practising psychiatrist, having earned his medical degree after several years of full-time performance. He sees strong parallels between his clinical and musical work. “Both require deep listening, responsiveness, and empathy. Whether you’re in a session or on stage, you’re connecting in real time.”
David Janeway’s Brussels appearance was a reminder that jazz, when performed live by musicians with both experience and purpose, remains a vital, human art form. For more on his recordings and future performances, visit www.davidjaneway.com and Hastings Jazz Collective. His new album Forward Motion is available now — and if you should ever come across Entry Point, do not hesitate. It’s a true classic!
