Autumn Defense

Ivan began conventional piano lessons at the age of 10, made his first attempts at improvisation on trumpet a little later, and discovered jazz when he was 17. A masterclass with Michel Herr (then pianist with Toots Thielemans) convinced him to pursue jazz full-time and, in 1988, after six months at Antwerp’s jazz studio, and one year at Rotterdam’s Royal Conservatory (where he studied with Rob Van Kreeveld), he joined the groups of American guitarist John Thomas, Italian trumpet player Gino Lattuca and Belgian trombone player Phil Abraham.

A new illustrated history of one of the key air campaigns of late World War II – the American effort to cripple Germany's oil production, and grind its armed forces to a halt.

Fifty years after the end of World War II, historians now are coming to the consensus that Russia played the decisive role in the defeat of Hitler. At least 25 million Soviet soldiers and civilians perished at home and on the battlefield in the bloodiest struggle of our century.