HU! is a Brussels based jazz band that brings surprising inventive compositions covering the entire emotional spectrum of the “HU!mankind”. HU! exists in 3 constellations: HU! sextet, HU! medium large and HU! XL orchestra.
HU! sextet
Karen van Schaik – bariton, alto & sopranino sax, compositions
Pierre-Antoine Savoyat – trumpet
Bruno Grollet – tenor saxophone
Laurence Cousseau – (alto) flute
Nico Chkifi – drums
Fil Caporali – double bass
HU! medium large
HU! sextet +
Michel Hatzigeorgiou – Fender Bass
Amène Metlini – violin
Julien Gillain – violin
Marie Ghitta – viola
Eugénie Defraigne – cello
HU! XL
HU! medium large +
Adéla Bezouškova – piccolo
Lucy Tasker – clarinet
Elly Broeckmans – alto sax
Grégoire Tirtiaux – baritone sax
Line Klenke – French horn
Guillaume Delbarre – trombone
Marlies de Lange – harp
Jessica Icket – piano
Lou Nickels – percussion
From aggressive grooves to dreamy melodies with a cinematic quality, from wild free improvisations to playful themes in which toys play a role, from bluesy passages to Messiaen modes, HU! takes its audience on a musical journey that tears down the walls between genres and genders. Style wise one can recognise influences of Charles Mingus, John Zorn, Carla Bley, Matana Roberts, Henry Threadgill, Ennio Morricone and the Art Ensemble of Chicago.
Teaser HU! XL orchestra
HU! medium large: For the Heroines (and Heroes!) of Invisible Work (Live @Hamsessions)
HU sextet: Friendly Anger (Live @ au Bassin for Brussels Jazz Alert)
About HU!
HU! playfully questions a current underlying theme, namely the fact that in 2025 only 5% of professional jazz instrumentalists are women. HU! also examines in more detail the (sometimes limiting) role of gender stereotypes (for men, women and people who identify differently).
Which mechanisms in our society maintain this situation, what can we do about it?
HU! plays with the traditional roles of musical instruments, transforms relatable situations from daily life into music and brings to the table fragile subjects with musical pieces like “Jeans with Tiny Pockets and Toothpaste for Men”, “For the Heroines (and Heroes!) of Invisible Work”, “For the Binary, the Ternary, the Non-Binary and the Odd” and “Ballad For The Frozen Eggs.”
By using the power of music and humour, HU! is a friendly invitation to question our unconscious gender biases.
And those who have no interest in gender issues, can simply enjoy the music!
Interview with Lefto for Brussels Jazz Alert
Interview with Left about the music, research and thematics of HU!
HU!story
In 2021 Karen got the “carte blanche” of Brussels music production house MetX, which was the start of the creation of her project HU!. In 2024 HU! was selected for the Brussels Jazz Alert. After their concert for the Brussels Jazz Weekend on the outdoor stage on place Cathérine, Mathieu Jouan of Citizen Jazz magazine wrote the following:
“…HU! de la saxophoniste Karen van Schaik. HU!, c’est un projet qui porte un sens, une parole féministe et politique. Van Schaik a des choses à dire et elle s’entoure d’excellent·es musicien·nes pour le faire. On y retrouve entre autres le trompettiste Pierre-Antoine Savoyat.
Ce programme très expressif et écrit avec un grand sens de la narration a fait sensation (et a écarté les nuages).”
Click here for the full article.
In 2026 Karen got her Masters degree in Jazz composition (with great distinction) from the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel (The Royal Conservatory of Brussels) with a 50 minute concert of all original music with HU! XL orchestra. For the occasion she made the short film “History Fixers” with film maker Zaur Kourazov. The film History Fixers will be screened during the Museum Night Fever at the Musical Instruments Museum in Brussels.
HU! sextet: Childhood Dreams
HU! medium large: Childhood Dreams
HU! sextet
A little personal insight in how Karen created HU!
Karen: “I draw inspiration from my own experience as a female jazz musician and parallel to composing music for HU! I am doing research about female jazz musicians in history (see my essay “Women Instrumentalists in Jazz“) and gender stereotypes in general. The “Carte Blanche 2021″ at production house MetX made it possible to develop this musical project that I named HU!.”
Karen interviewed 28 people of different ages, backgrounds, nationalities and gender identities and read many books and articles about gender, psychology, gender in music, sexism and women in jazz. This resulted in her presentation about “12 Mechanisms that (still!) form obstacles for women to pursue a career in music“.
Her goal with this presentation is to create more awareness and understanding, to help musicians who suffer from these mechanisms to recognise them and others to be able to speak up when these mechanisms happen. The presentation leads to a very inclusive open discussion about possible solutions. With reaching especially musicians, programmers, music educators and parents of future musicians, she hopes to be part of the change that she would love to see on jazz stages. It has been scientifically proven that mixed teams function the best and that people feel happier, so we all have something to win when the jazz scene and music becomes more inclusive!”
