VI.BE

Keith Canvas is the alter ego of Bart Mertens (born 1978), a multi-talented singer, piano player, composer and songwriter. He trained at the Brussels Royal Conservatory, where he studied under David Linx, one of the greats of 21st century European jazz, a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres and the son of Jazz Middelheim godfather Elias Gistelinck.

Although heavily influenced by the old jazz masters, the Jazz singer- and musician seems to burst with flavor and originality. His debut album ‘Beyond The Frame’ (2015) turns out to be a greedily accepted visiting card (The round piece of plastic gets heavily rotated airplay nationwide) and gets raving reviews across the land. The alliance

with Latin DJ Buscemi (2020) hasn’t gone unnoticed either.

While the multi-instrumentalist manages to be extremely original on record, he’s also become increasingly well regarded as a live act, not to mention collaborations with several jazz orchestra’s, the award winning close harmony-choir Jubilé, and last but not least the collab with Qsome Bigband, a joined effort that turns out to be particularely hard to ignore.

Both press and public welcome his vocal jazz with a modern twist with cheer, propelling Canvas to the brink of a proper breakthrough.

Keith appears to have touched as many ardent fans worldwide (Brazil for instance) as he does in Belgium. Even more so in France, where his songs have been blasting speakers no less than seven times more often than in his home country. The album sells both in Russia and the US and Keith gets fan mail as far away as the Philippines.

After listening to his 2nd release ‘Imposter Syndrome’, it’s very clear that Canvas lives up to his epithet of ‘piano-based singer-songwriter’. The new songs are even more mature and intense than on his debut album by building on the experience of ‘Beyond The Frame’. Musically, the arrangements get a considerable rejuvenation treatment by working with young, creative musicians, who don’t shy away from using their instruments for more than they are intended.